159 Comments

I believe that there will be a huge Blue voter turnout in Florida as a result of these decisions. I hope Scott doesn’t slam the door too hard on his way out.

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At the very least, Florida is no longer off the board. It is very much in play.

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From your lips…🤞 It’s been a very difficult 25 years here.

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I have a lot of family in Florida, all of who feel the same way.

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You should see his news letters. He does supposed "polls" to see how the voters feel, but they are filled with questions that can't be answered by a sensible person (E.g. Now that Biden has destroyed the economy and weaponized the DoJ, do you think that I should fight to protect the rights of Florida citizens?")

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Sick Rott is a boil on the azz of humanity, and should be in jail for Medicare fraud.

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Seriously? Man, the intellectual dishonesty is breathtaking. And this is a United States Senator? 🤯 🤡

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My rep Vern Buchanan does the same thing with religious bullshit that has no place in the government.

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The Democrats will likely get a giant boost in their voter registration drives, which they'll need to overcome the republican voter advantage in FL. I don't think one issue in one election is going to flip the state, but it could start turning Florida in the direction. of goodness.

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If you look at all the special elections since roe was overturned, it has flipped red seats to blue in all but one case. Florida can absolutely go blue with this nonsense they introduced. Women are saving democracy.

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I take your point, but last I checked, even after the abortion ballot measure wins in OH, KY, and KS, they remain solid R states. Florida is controlled nearly exclusively by republicans from their state supreme court, to the governor, to the legislature and plenty of local governments, too. That can change, and I hope it does, but IMO it will take more than one issue in one election for sanity to filter back into the Sunshine State.

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Well KY just re-elected a Democratic governor, so it’s not impossible…

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Not impossible. Just hard. And it will take a concerted effort over time.

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That's something positive.

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Thank God❣️

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It’s not just one issue though. The legalization of marijuana on the ballot will most certainly have young people and many others turning out to vote.

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I'm not as sold on that issue turning out lots of young voters. Maybe it will. But medical marijuana is already legal in Florida, so it's possible a lot of young people think it's already legal.

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Therefore an educational campaign would be in order.

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Not in NC. It’s only legal on some Native American reservations.

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No, it's not in NC, but it's also not on the ballot here.

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The marijuana initiative could help things.

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Definitely! I don’t think older voters understand the popularity of marijuana.

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It's become popular with older people in California. I've seen people who either look older than or are older than I using it and I'm nearly 57. There are definitely going to be older people who would rather do pot than use prescription drugs.

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It could. I'm not yet convinced it will be the game changer some folks think it will be. I hope I'm proved wrong.

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Two, recreational marijuana is on the ballot as well.

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Apr 2·edited Apr 2

Scott, don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya!

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And the dog should've bit ya!

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Amen...arrrffff

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Agreed...he never should have made it to Washington.

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He almost didn't, they had a recount it was so close.

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Apr 2·edited Apr 2

I hope somebody gives Rick's backside a good hard boot on his way out. Skeletor is a thieving grifter--not quite on the scale of Dumpy, but still, a lying, thieving, crook who should have been prosecuted for stealing Medicare funds, instead of being elected Governor and then Senator, for cripes sake! That occurrence alone gives me a very low opinion of the state and it's corrupted legislators and State Supreme Court.

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I just saw a tweet from MuellerSheWrote calling November Roevember in Florida. Nicely done.

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That's beautiful❣️

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Yeah, I gotta put that one in the quiver.

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Forced birth is not just a woman’s issue! Every father of a male or female needs to be concerned if they don’t want forced birth to make them a grandpa.

Every male needs to be concerned or a forced birth will make them a dad.

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I am hoping to see this not just in Florida but in other states believed to be solidly in the red. I want us to turn out in such numbers, that no amount of gerrymandering or voter suppression matters.

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I had the same reaction to the 4-3 decision to put allow it on the ballot. I also found it very surprising.

I'll definitely be aiming some of my limited "campaign funds" at Florida. The Dems there seem to need some help with the ground game, and this is probably the best opportunity Florida Dems have had in a long time.

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Definitely, the ground game. The republicans have something like an 800K registered voter advantage at the moment. That can change with massive voter registration drives coupled with GOTV in early voting and on election day.

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I didn't know about such a wide gulf between the parties in registered voters. Yikes. Hopefully the ballot initiative will help.

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Having to reach a 60% threshold for a state constitutional issue is going to be a challenge too----but at the very least, it will bring out moderates and progressives, and that may throw the Senate and other seats.............MAYBE even the presidential one..........

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They made the threshold that high for a reason and it wasn't good.

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But if it gets reached, I gotta think Biden wins the state.

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Yes, right after we passed the voting re-enfranchisement for felons that finished their sentences.

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Purging voter registries of likely Dem voters will do that. Which they have done. and will merrily continue to do.

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And deathSantis gerrymandered us so badly after the census, even the R's said it wouldn't fly. But he bullied it through for the election.

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Things can change.

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All of this gives me hope.

On a side note: is there any chance you go by this name on an educational forum or did a few years ago?

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Sorry, no, Lisa. I've never been on an ed forum. But thanks for asking.

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Biden's probably willing to share some of his campaign money with down ticket candidates.

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Apr 2Liked by Jay Kuo

I think it's important for those of us who can to $$$upport candidates like Mucarsel-Powell. We are giving a little each month to seven different critical Senate races: Rosen in NV, Tester in Montana, Casey in PA, Baldwin in Wisc., Gallego in AZ, Brown in OH, and Mucarsel-Powell in FL. If and when Elissa Slotkin wins the Dem primary in August, we will give her (or whichever Dem wins) a lump sum.

I intend to give a little to the Biden campaign as well---just haven't yet.

I also intend to go to PA to knock on doors for Biden and Casey and also visit a congressional district south of me in NY---NY 19 which was a close race between Molinaro (MAGA, NY) and Riley (Moderate Dem, NY).

This keeps me sane. My own district is hopelessly in Elise Stefanik's clutches. I am mortified to say she is "MY" representative. She isn't.

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Keep up your good work! Elise Stefanik & Jim Jordan are supreme examples of people who have sold their souls for earthly gain.

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They have souls?????

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It's hard to believe she was once considered a moderate. There is a website that shows how far left/right/center your rep is. At one point she was just right of center. No longer. She's way, way, way over on the right. And Gym? Lost soul long ago.

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They didn't even play fiddle.

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On behalf of Wisconsin, a big thank you for supporting Tammy Baldwin. She is a hardworking hero! We need her so much, especially with Ron Johnson as our other Senator.

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And we Badgers definitely don’t need the California Carpetbagger!

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Who is that?

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Eric Hovde—a California billionaire.

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We're gonna hang tough!

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I can't afford much but have contributed what I can to each of them. This decision just spurred a monthly (small) donation for my 1st time going to Mucarsel-Powell. Florida women are trapped unless they can afford to fly beyond the barrier states surrounding them. I hope the state DOH is stepping up advertising access for all. I read mifepristone is available over-the-counter without rx. Can anyone confirm that stays in effect?

Wringing my hands and doing what I can from CA.

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Thanks for doing what you can. We are in the same boat---we too are doing what we can afford. Spreading a small amount monthly out over several months has helped though in our case.

This NYT article indicates that mifepristone used to be available only through a clinic, etc. The new FDA ruling made it available through pharmacies as well, but a Rx is still needed from a healthcare provider. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/health/abortion-pill-cvs-walgreens-pharmacies.html

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Thank you.

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I know exactly how you feel. I'm in Charlotte, NC. It is a very blue city and most of it is represented by (D) Alma Adams who hasn't even had a GOP challenger in the last few cycles. But since I'm at the edge of the city & county, I keep getting gerrymandered in the GOP House districts.

In 2022 I FINALLY got a Democratic Representative, but the GOP legislature re-gerrymandered it and I am all but certain after the Nov. election, we will be stuck with (R) Tim Moore who is currently the Speaker of the NC House. Ugh! I detest that man!

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The gerrymandering in NC is despicable. I am sorry.

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Keep fighting!

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That’s super generous of you! There’s another senate race that I believe will flip R to D … Colin Allred in Texas will defeat Ted Cruz, it will be wonderful!

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He's on my list of candidates to support.

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Cruz is whining on the xitter so he is sweating it.

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That looks like part of my list...than the House seats.

I can't take it ($) with me, but hopefully I can use it to leave the world a little better.

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Apr 2Liked by Jay Kuo

Great news! Thanks for the breakdown Jay. Now we need a smack down of RFK Jr (emphasis on the JUNIOR!), since he now publicly thinks President Biden is a greater threat to Democracy than the orange one.

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That boy ain't right...

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The GOP seems unable to grasp that when you light a fire, it’s gonna burn. The only thing that is positive (I hope) is that the more they burn, the more blue voters will come out in force to put the damn fires out.

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The GOP has been underestimating the rage of America's women since the Dobbs decision. They keep telling themselves the same fairy tale: that this anger will die out , that it's just 'an emotional' response, etc. Even as abortion rights measures have been passing blue states and red ones, one after another. First it was abortion, then IVF, then toying with 'fetal personhood', and then contraception.

Women are tired of having their rights kicked around like a republican football. And they're angry. And their anger is growing. And the GOP remains clueless. Good.

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Pissing off women and young voters is a bad mistake.

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Come on Florida! Vote vote vote! 💙

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Apr 2Liked by Jay Kuo

All nervous jitters about our democracy aside, this is an exciting turn of events. Thank you for giving us a glimmer of a ray of sunshine about the Sunshine state.

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Apr 2Liked by Jay Kuo

The decision by the FL Supreme Court to allow the abortion measure onto the ballot is great news. It opens the door for a huge registration and GOTV drive by the Dems - which they need given the republican advantage in registered voters.

We also already have a successful template for putting abortion rights in the state constitution based on the campaigns in OH, KS and KY. If the Dems use the same framing again - ham-handed government overreach, government intruding into the private lives of women, government criminalizing doctors - this measure will pass. Overwhelmingly. And it won't just be supported by pro-choice voters; it will also be supported by women who don't necessarily support abortion but don't want government intruding into their lives - or the lives of their daughters or granddaughters.

It also has the advantage of forcing republicans to spend money, LOTS of money, in a state they thought was a lock. Fighting the abortion ballot measure could cost them up to $100M by some estimates because Florida is a VERY expensive state. And the RNC is broke. And so is the Trump campaign.

All that said, nobody should be under any illusions about Florida going purple. That would be a heavy lift straight out of the gate because of one issue. But it could easily go from Solid R to Lean R in a hot minute, and that will cause the flop sweat to flow from Tallahassee to Washington DC.

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I am also doubtful it will truly flip. But the more angry women voters there are over abortion, the greater the headache for the GOP, which now has Florida as a possible front when it shouldn’t. That has national repercussions, no matter what the ultimate result in FL.

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Apr 2·edited Apr 2

Completely agree. The republicans did NOT see this coming; that they'll have to spend money and resources shoring up DeSantisLand. All while Donald Trump is hoovering up every donated dollar for his legal defense.

The GOP continues to underestimate the anger and deep-down resentment women feel at having their rights toyed with in republican political games. It's an anger they ignore at their peril.

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Apr 3·edited Apr 3

Yes, as Jane in NC indicated below, they will be spending money in FL that they didn't plan on...and with TFG draining the bank accounts, this is a good thing!

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Apr 2Liked by Jay Kuo

This week the Republicans in the Maine legislature killed a bill to allow a referendum on amending the state constitution to ensure the right to an abortion. The Republicans are the minority in both houses of the legislature. The governor is a Democrat. But the minority party will not even allow us to vote on the issue. Imagine what they would try to do if they were the majority.

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Huh? WTF - do y'all have the filibuster in your legislature? How does a minority kill legislation there?

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"The 20-13 vote in the Senate is four votes short of the two-thirds needed to send the proposed amendment to voters, who have the final say on constitutional amendments.

While additional votes are forthcoming, Democrats don't have the votes to advance the measure on their own"

https://www.mainepublic.org/politics/2024-04-01/maine-senate-vote-signals-trouble-for-constitutional-right-to-abortion

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Ah - got it. Is there a petition option? As in, private citizens circulating and signing a petition? That's how we did it here in MI.

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That should motivate the women in Maine even more than Dobbs.

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Apr 2Liked by Jay Kuo

You are in a wonderfully optimistic subjunctive mood, Jay. I wish I shared your optimism about this sorry state.

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My optimism is from seeing new and credible opportunities rise and watching electoral smackdowns happen in other similarly GOP-controlled states.

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When are the GOP going to figure out that you can't win by cheating once the jig is up. The eff around and find out movement. HA! I will be watching the races in Florida with my popcorn.

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When I was in high school I learned that the one thing a Supreme Court couldn’t do was declare a part of the constitution unconstitutional.* The Republican hatred of America has now erased even that.

Also: “The GOP would love to turn down the national temperature on reproductive rights. It is still doing damage control from the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling on IVF. The last thing the party wanted was a decision out of the Florida Supreme Court that puts those rights on the front burner and cranks up the heat.”

Nothing you said here is wrong; it’s just worth pointing out that what you’re saying is “The last thing the party wanted was for the thing they’ve campaigned on for 50 years to actually start happening.” It’s important to occasionally remember what these people are.

*(Of course, the example I was taught was that if a Constitutional Amendment re-legalized slavery, the Supreme Court couldn’t stop it. Because as has been pointed out elsewhere, we turn all conversations about “How far does the Constitution extend?” into “How much racism and patriarchy can we have?)

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What they’ve done is quite insidious, by claiming something that was enacted to protect the right to privacy including abortion doesn’t actually do so. They are interpreting the constitution to fit their agenda, and it is rotten to the core.

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The party is sociopaths is all over and about this. Insidious, overt, lying about what they stand for. Dems are going to have to point these things out daily for the next 7 months.

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Should have been ‘the party of sociopaths is all over and about this…’ makes more sense now.

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And equally offensive was the LYING - outright LYING - during the SCOTUS hearings by Barrett and Kavanaugh.

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"If the broad light of day could be let in upon men’s actions, it would purify them as the sun disinfects." Louis Brandeis

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Louis was an optimist.

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Just a caveat to the 2022 Gubernatorial election in Florida- the Dems put up a former Republican Governor, who became an independent after he lost re-election after one term. In 2018, we had 5 strong Democratic candidates and the eventual margin was .04 DeSantis. He is quite unpopular here- especially after his dismal Presidential bid which left Florida taxpayers footing the bill. We have many crisis issues in Florida ( rising seas,home insurance unafordability- especially after we lost almost all carriers, lack of affordable housing, etc) and the voters recognize that he’s done nothing to address the needs of the people of our State ( except attack Disney, Public Schools, and other whatever he defines as “ woke”) We know we’ve been used as a stepping stone to his endgame. Don’t even get me started on Rick Scott ( or as he’s better known in Florida “slick snot” ).

I enjoy your writings so much- one of my favorite subscriptions! Thank you 😊

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💯💯

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Those of us in Florida that pay attention knew this would happen. What we were hoping for was they would allow it through be on the ballot. They did. As for Skeletor (we have called him that since he was Governor) Debbie is known in Florida because she was a Congresswoman. The turnout should be high because of this.

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💯💯

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Thank you once again, Jay Kuo! Another of your articles I’m sharing with my FB feed.

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