2012 Elections: Lessons from the Aftermath

[Metro Jacksonville]

2012 Elections: Lessons from the Aftermath



Jacksonville's John Louis Meeks, Jr. provides his opinions on the aftermath of last week's elections.



Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-nov-2012-elections-lessons-from-the-aftermath

[jerry cornwell]

Gerrymandering

[Jaxson]

I agree that the party in power controls the pen that redraws the districts every ten years.  This is what disappoints me when folks say that elections do not really matter.  In spite of registered Democrats being in the majority, they continue to be locked out of decision making because they choose to vote in message elections such as 2008 and 2012, but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office.  The collective silence of Democrats when it really counts equals complicity with the current regime in Tallahassee.  Shame.

[If_I_Loved_you]

I agree that the party in power controls the pen that redraws the districts every ten years.  This is what disappoints me when folks say that elections do not really matter.  In spite of registered Democrats being in the majority, they continue to be locked out of decision making because they choose to vote in message elections such as 2008 and 2012, but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office.  The collective silence of Democrats when it really counts equals complicity with the current regime in Tallahassee.  Shame.

"but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office." This is sad when I saw that 4 million plus people voted for Obama I was thinking why isn't Alex Sink in Tallahassee instead of this clown Rick Scott?

[carpnter]

Gerrymandering

It has been going on since Reconstruction.  The democrats did it for decades and now that they republicans are in power they are doing it.  It isn't right but no one wants to stand up and call out both parties for doing it.  When the other party gets power the ones opposed to it are ok with it now but the suddenly to the party out of power it is the worst thing in the world.

[Cheshire Cat]

Excellent analysis John.  Well done!

[tufsu1]

I agree that the party in power controls the pen that redraws the districts every ten years.  This is what disappoints me when folks say that elections do not really matter.  In spite of registered Democrats being in the majority, they continue to be locked out of decision making because they choose to vote in message elections such as 2008 and 2012, but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office.  The collective silence of Democrats when it really counts equals complicity with the current regime in Tallahassee.  Shame.

"but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office." This is sad when I saw that 4 million plus people voted for Obama I was thinking why isn't Alex Sink in Tallahassee instead of this clown Rick Scott?

sorry...but I'm not quite with you guys here

Obama won the state by less than 1%....about the same margin that Rick Scott beat Alex Sink by...so its not like there was some massive shift going on.

[JeffreyS]

^^^Perhaps not massive but I think there is a shift happening. Those young voters from 08 have now self identified as Democrats and in 16 they won't be so young and won't need such a push to the polls. Meanwhile the Democratic ground game is still ahead of the Republican's at getting the younger vote out. The Republicans may be able to rebrand themselves for Women and Latinos but it will take some time until then they have a growing problem.

[Jaxson]

I agree that the party in power controls the pen that redraws the districts every ten years.  This is what disappoints me when folks say that elections do not really matter.  In spite of registered Democrats being in the majority, they continue to be locked out of decision making because they choose to vote in message elections such as 2008 and 2012, but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office.  The collective silence of Democrats when it really counts equals complicity with the current regime in Tallahassee.  Shame.

"but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office." This is sad when I saw that 4 million plus people voted for Obama I was thinking why isn't Alex Sink in Tallahassee instead of this clown Rick Scott?

sorry...but I'm not quite with you guys here

Obama won the state by less than 1%....about the same margin that Rick Scott beat Alex Sink by...so its not like there was some massive shift going on.

In a very polarized political atmosphere, I agree that we should not interpret this electoral margin as something that it is not.  I, however, believe that many Floridians decided to ignore the money and voted with their consciences.  This election, with its unwieldy list of constitutional amendments and assault on the state Supreme Court, showed that even good money cannot push bad laws and ideas down our throats.  The mistake that both parties make is when they interpret slim electoral leads wrongly and believe that they have more power than they really have.  This attitude can end up unseating our governor in 2014 if he continues to use his power to reward his friends and harm his foes. 

[If_I_Loved_you]

I agree that the party in power controls the pen that redraws the districts every ten years.  This is what disappoints me when folks say that elections do not really matter.  In spite of registered Democrats being in the majority, they continue to be locked out of decision making because they choose to vote in message elections such as 2008 and 2012, but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office.  The collective silence of Democrats when it really counts equals complicity with the current regime in Tallahassee.  Shame.

"but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office." This is sad when I saw that 4 million plus people voted for Obama I was thinking why isn't Alex Sink in Tallahassee instead of this clown Rick Scott?

sorry...but I'm not quite with you guys here

Obama won the state by less than 1%....about the same margin that Rick Scott beat Alex Sink by...so its not like there was some massive shift going on.

In a very polarized political atmosphere, I agree that we should not interpret this electoral margin as something that it is not.  I, however, believe that many Floridians decided to ignore the money and voted with their consciences.  This election, with its unwieldy list of constitutional amendments and assault on the state Supreme Court, showed that even good money cannot push bad laws and ideas down our throats.  The mistake that both parties make is when they interpret slim electoral leads wrongly and believe that they have more power than they really have.  This attitude can end up unseating our governor in 2014 if he continues to use his power to reward his friends and harm his foes.

"This attitude can end up unseating our governor in 2014 if he continues to use his power to reward his friends and harm his foes." I pray this happens but then again if the Florida House and Senate stays Republican controlled having a Democrat Gov. is just about the same as window dressing.

[Jaxson]

I agree that the party in power controls the pen that redraws the districts every ten years.  This is what disappoints me when folks say that elections do not really matter.  In spite of registered Democrats being in the majority, they continue to be locked out of decision making because they choose to vote in message elections such as 2008 and 2012, but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office.  The collective silence of Democrats when it really counts equals complicity with the current regime in Tallahassee.  Shame.

"but sit on their hands during even more pivotal election cycles such as the one that put the current governor in office." This is sad when I saw that 4 million plus people voted for Obama I was thinking why isn't Alex Sink in Tallahassee instead of this clown Rick Scott?

sorry...but I'm not quite with you guys here

Obama won the state by less than 1%....about the same margin that Rick Scott beat Alex Sink by...so its not like there was some massive shift going on.

In a very polarized political atmosphere, I agree that we should not interpret this electoral margin as something that it is not.  I, however, believe that many Floridians decided to ignore the money and voted with their consciences.  This election, with its unwieldy list of constitutional amendments and assault on the state Supreme Court, showed that even good money cannot push bad laws and ideas down our throats.  The mistake that both parties make is when they interpret slim electoral leads wrongly and believe that they have more power than they really have.  This attitude can end up unseating our governor in 2014 if he continues to use his power to reward his friends and harm his foes.

"This attitude can end up unseating our governor in 2014 if he continues to use his power to reward his friends and harm his foes." I pray this happens but then again if the Florida House and Senate stays Republican controlled having a Democrat Gov. is just about the same as window dressing.

I beg to differ.  Now that the GOP has lost their veto-proof majority in Tallahassee, a governor has a lot more clout than before.

[spuwho]

Saying that one election has an "aftermath" is like saying one "superstorm" is a sign of global warming. A candidate does not get a mandate from a 1% victory, no more than a superstorm gets press by hitting Greenland instead of NYC.

[Jaxson]

@spuwho --- For the return on their investment, this election had to be a disappointment for the business and corporate interests who sought to further consolidate their gains.  After all, they expected to cut back early voting days, unseat Supreme Court justices and add a dozen new amendments to the constitution.  For all of the money spent trying to bully the opposition, they failed.  They lost their super-majority, they failed to pass many of their proposed amendments AND the state's electoral votes are going to President Obama.  Yes, this is a wake-up call to the state's leadership that Democrats and Independents need to be included in running the state and should not be bullied and pushed around by a cocky and arrogant leadership. 
As for 'claiming a mandate', please tell that to the governor and the state legislature who used the Republican super-majority in both houses and the governor's office to force upon Floridians the kind of agenda that would cause many to forget that the governor won by a slim margin.

[Jaxson]

One more thing for spuwho --- http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-11-13/story/gov-rick-scott-dropping-his-opposition-obamas-health-care-overhaul

Elections really matter, especially if you are a governor who is facing reelection in two years...  My condolences to him on the passing of his mother.