Category Archives: OPINION

Florida Poll This: Obama In Big Trouble; Wasserman Schultz To The Rescue?

We hate polls; Even polls offering good news about Republican candidates. Today, The St. Pete Times offers up a Sachs/Mason Dixon poll of a few hundred registered independent voters and a few hundred registered Republican voters. The telephone survey was conducted on Monday April 4th through Thursday April 7th (Hmmm, when the want GOP opinion they call during week?)

A new Sachs/Mason-Dixon poll found that only 34 percent of independent voters in Florida — always the key to winning — approve of Obama’s performance, and that either former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney or former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee would beat the president in Florida if the election were held today.

Not exactly Earth-shattering news. But this poll comes on the heels of last week’s Quinnipiac poll. According to Quinninpiac’s website,

From March 29 – April 4, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,499 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.” Now, weekend results plus cell lines of registered voters sounds like a very Democrat-friendly poll. But, the results were not any better for the President:

President Barack Obama hits a losing trifecta with Florida voters: They disapprove 52 – 44 percent of the job he is doing; they prefer an unnamed Republican challenger by a too-close-to- call 41 – 38 percent in the 2012 presidential election and say 51 – 42 percent that the president does not deserve a second term…

These poor results confirm what sources told RED BROWARD months ago; well-connected political operatives were telling local democrats the White House was ready to write-off and focus on other areas. It’s hard to imagine any White House writing-off an electoral prize like Florida in 2010/early 2011. Perhaps this explains the Debbie Wasserman Schultz(D-Out of Touch) ascension to the DNC chair.

Sure the left loves Debbie. Yes, she can raise millions for Democrat candidates. But Ted Strickland could have done the same. Same for Donna Brazile or numerous others. Maybe they wanted Debbie for her Florida game plan.

Make no mistake, Debbie Wasserman Schultz knows Florida politics.  She really knows Broward politics. In 2010, she ignored her own opponent, spending most of her time campaigning against Allen West. The White House, via OFA and OFA_FL’s director ran numerous Broward County campaigns. Broward School Board members Laurie Levinson and Jennifer Gottlieb paid for the OFA_FL expertise. (Perhaps this may explain the “frantic” attempts to stifle any Tallahassee attempts to control the Broward School Board). The Broward School Board elections are important to other Broward Democrat election strategies.

It’s no secret that Broward plays a vital role in statewide and Federal races. Obama and Bill Nelson need more that 65% of the Broward vote to win re-election. They know that; their Republican opponents know this as well.

As we reported last week, there appears to be a concerted effort to demonize Florida Governor Rick Scott. Groups like Progress Florida, Awake the State, Code Pink and unions are “astro turfing” via cheap political stunts. (see last week’s “Judge Strike”). The ultimate aim is to make Rick Scott even more unpopular than Obama, while at the same time energizing the far-left Florida groups.  Weren’t the “Awake the State” rallies the brainchild of a local Democrat operative?

Don’t over look the DCCC attacks on GOP freshman Congressmen. As we reported months ago, the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee started running advertisements and making phone calls in the districts of 19 GOP freshmen. One of the Congressmen targeted was Broward’s own Allen West. Remember who campaigned against West? Yep, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Guess who is one of the leaders of the DCCC? Bonus points if you said Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

No matter who runs the Democratic National Committee, Broward would always be ground zero in the 2012 elections. Wasserman Schultz being in charge gives the Democrats a homer on the team.

Debbie has set up the “I can be a mom and run the DNC” straw man. I can’t find a single Republican that made that 1950s era argument. Shrill-Debbie made an appearance too,  claiming the GOP wants to starve old people, kill the sick etc.  Debbie has reached out to local media to plant seeds of discontent. Rumors abound of phony tea party groups set up to dupe real patriots. Who would benefit from such a plan? The GOP nominees? Don’t think so.

If you play by Debbie’s rules, we all lose.

What Are Broward County School Kids Thinking Right Now?

Yep, Ann Murray committed no crime. Yep, Ann Murray is a Democrat so fellow Democrats will rally and Republicans will pile on. Yep, Ann Murray isn’t the only person hurling racial slurs in Broward County.

Like Murray, most will stay silent, hoping to weather the storm. Others stand by, waiting for others to speak out first. A select few attack those with the courage to speak out against Murray. People like Mitch Ceasar just want to change the subject.

But what are the schoolkids thinking? What are we teaching them? We preach about diversity and tolerance. We hold classes on how to deal with bullies. We have days and months set aside to celebrate different races, creeds, and gender.

How hollow that must sound to them now. The first chance adults get to lead by example and nothing. They scatter.

Imagine the kids at schools in Murray’s District…they assume that race played a role in every decision. No new textbooks? Racism. No new football uniforms? Racism. After school programs cut? Racism. Facilities failing apart? Racism.

And the School Board remains silent.

Murray has not apologized. Murray has not explained herself. She runs from the media. She attacks those who dare give her a chance to explain. She has not asked for forgiveness.

This town has plenty of politicians. It has lots of “activists”. Where are the leaders? Who will stand up?Who will raise their voice? Who will take a risk? Who will do the right thing?

In Short Supply?