FLORIDA. What happened 2u?

[speak easy]

[lamp_shade]

1. Perfect!!!

[RKP5637]

2. Florida, now the epicenter for hatred in the world! n/t

[peppertree]

51. The inevitable result of an unholy alliance of Jim Crowers and pro-dictatorship Latin Americans

The two detest each other - but have found common ground in their shared fascist sympathies.

[Siwsan]

3. I'm SO glad my nephew and his new bride are moving from Florida back to Michigan

June 3 they will be here, and not TOO far from me.

[RKP5637]

57. That is such a smart move! I think it's going to take Florida quite awhile to

recover ... and in the meantime I think it's going to get worse. It is really a red magnet now.

[Aviation Pro]

4. A succession of bad governors happened.

Wimpy Bush, Bald-Headed Fuck Scott and Ronald the Clown happened.

[BlackSkimmer]

6. Yet, the chairman of the NAACP lives in Tampa.

And was quoted as encouraging black fraternities to visit.

[orleans]

7. when was that w/the fraternities? i thought they had a travel warning for florida. nt

[BlackSkimmer]

8. The fraternities are coming this summer from what I read. I've forgotten the event.

And as I said the chairman of the NAACP lives in Tampa. Can't make this shit up lol.

[rubbersole]

14. I've lived in Florida since 1957.

Not everyone is a racist pos. There's a bunch of them, don't get me wrong. Getting the good people to vote is the challenge. Dobbs is helping.

[BlackSkimmer]

23. Absolutely.

I lived there over 20 years.

I have wonderful memories, and I'm frequently homesick although I was not a native.

[SouthernDem4ever]

48. I used to love Fla

Until Rick Scott - it's slowly swirling down the toilet ever since. I take that back, it started in the year 2000 when the repug legislature there tried to stop the recount of a close election. I kind of ignored it for a while but I am unable to do that now.

[BumRushDaShow]

33. The Kappas (Kappa Alpha Psi) are supposed to have their biennial "Konclave" in Tampa

in July (which was decided back in 2021 before DeStupid went full fascist).

One of the local lawyer/activists here in Philly who is also a Kappa, wrote a column in the Philly Tribune back in March demanding the members of the Pan-Hellenic Council boycott the state of FL -

Coard: Pro-Black Kappas and other pro-Black D9s must boycott anti-Black Fla. Gov. DeSantis

Micheal Coard Mar 17, 2023


As a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., since 1979 at Cheyney University, I call on my beloved pro-Black brothers to do the right thing and boycott racism by canceling or relocating their scheduled July 18-23, 2023, Grand Chapter “Konclave Meetings & Festivities” in Tampa Bay, Florida.

I also call on all the other pro-Black brothers and sisters of the pro-Black Divine Nine (D9) organizations – including Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta – to boycott anti-Black Gov. Ron DeSantis either by canceling any activities in Florida or by not scheduling any activities there, at least while he remains in office or his anti-Black policies remain in effect.

More about DeSantis’ racism later in this article.

(snip)

https://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/michaelcoard/coard-pro-black-kappas-and-other-pro-black-d9s-must-boycott-anti-black-fla-gov/article_60ae526c-cdfe-5770-8055-0e37c4a11fe8.html

It's not unprecedented as the Alphas (Alpha Phi Alpha) cancelled their convention in Arizona over a dozen years ago (including breaking contracts, etc) in response to the so-called "Papers Please" bill that was passed there. At the time, they were able to move the convention and activities to Las Vegas.

What the FL legislature has passed and what DeStupid has signed and promoted, is far far worse than what AZ did when it comes to the black community.

[COL Mustard]

54. DeStupid.....

I love it. He's just T*ump lite, or maybe heavy. Another Nazi I will never vote for.

[BumRushDaShow]

55. Well his big Twitter launch was not only a big FAIL

but the lead-up to it with the news of his filing the paper work, was pretty much blown away by a final F-U from the Queen of Rock and Roll when she passed away, with her story literally knocking his pre-announcement right out of the news cycle!

(true story! My iPad breaking banners started with a couple mentioning him and then suddenly a big pile appeared announcing her death)

[not fooled]

61. Great observation!

If it was her time to go, she performed one last good act on her way out.

[IronLionZion]

18. A Floridian would know from the inside

it's easy for outsiders like me to trash talk that state.

Plenty of minorities and Democrats live there. It's a big state.

[BlackSkimmer]

25. Thanks for that!

I don't live there anymore, but I had a love affair with that state for so many years.

Still do, though it's more of a wistful, fond memory of an old love now.

[llmart]

34. My son's a transplant to Florida for his job.

He is a software engineer for NASA at Kennedy Space Center. He loves his job and loves NASA. He's a lifelong Democrat who votes in all elections since he was 18. He campaigned for President Obama going door to door. He's not fond of Florida's politics or weather, but he would never leave because of his job. He also has many, many friends there and not a one of them is a Republican. He doesn't hang with people like today's Republicans. Most of his friends are highly educated and from other places originally and very politically aware (or woke, if you must).

[Upthevibe]

9. Kick. n/t

[moreland01]

10. In 1990,

I couldn't leave Texas fast enough. Moved to Florida. In 2002, I couldn't leave Florida fast enough. Happily residing in Colorado now. Please stay blue, Colorado!

[RipVanWinkle]

36. I left Texas in 2014 after 30 years of living there.

Been to Florida several times, but never lived there.

Am now living in New Mexico and I love it!

[IronLionZion]

11. The MAGAts moving there might make other states bluer

if they moved from purple swing states in the upper midwest. Then Floriduh will eventually turn blue from rising sea levels.

[speak easy]

12. c'mon and say it

Florida is Red.

[IronLionZion]

17. Yes but the states they left might be better off with fewer MAGAts

FloriDUH is like a MAGAt catching trap, like a fly trap or ant trap

[BlackSkimmer]

27. This. You absolutely nailed it.

I met all kinds of people in Florida, and because of my work I met many struggling families on the "lower" end of society.

Almost 100% of those people, the white ones anyway, had moved from the NE or the midwest.

They all think it will be better in Florida. But they get there, and the same old problems they had in Ohio or New Jersey, or Illinois traveled right along with them all the way south.

Wherever you go, there you are.

[ShazzieB]

46. Any MAGAts that want to leave Illinois for Florida will have my blessing.

The bluer this place gets, the more I like it. I hate to see any place get even redder, but Florida, Texas, and certain other states seem to be setting themselves up for it.

Pretty soon, a lot of states in this erstwhile union will not be safe for anyone who is not cis, het, white, antichoice, born in this country, and conservative* Christian. (Some states already aren't, and others seem to be headed that way.)

*As opposed to progressive, because yes, there ARE progressive Christians and progressive denominations, and I get really tired of people acting like all who wear the label of Christian are fundamentalist nutjobs.

[AZLD4Candidate]

13. Florida re-relected this 3-2 in 2022. They are getting what they wanted and voted for

And before I hear that not all of Florida wants this. . .the 60% that voted for him did and they won.

I have no sympathy.

[Zipgun]

21. Yes after the democrats ran a former GOP governor. Just the latest in a long sting of bad decisions

by the party going back a couple decades. The state level party has been notable for their infighting, incompetence and poor decisions going on since 1999. After the death of "Walking" Lawton Chiles the party just fell apart and let the GOP run rampant. Even so, most of the governor races have been very close till the last one. DeSantis won his first term by half a point. It would not have taken much for the story to be very different.

So no symnpathy, fair enough, but maybe, just maybe actually KNOW what your are talking about before you sneer at us. And by abandiong Florida completely, the national party will have to win a lot more smaller states to match the electoral collage votes that the GOP will then get automatically from Florida, not to mention fund raising, and developing future candidates. There are, and will continue to be, consequences for giving Florida to the GOP with no fight.

[heckles65]

35. And by abandiong Florida completely, the national party will have to win a lot more smaller states..

And by abandiong Florida completely, the national party will have to win a lot more smaller states to match the electoral collage votes that the GOP will then get automatically from Florida, not to mention fund raising, and developing future candidates. There are, and will continue to be, consequences for giving Florida to the GOP with no fight.

Duly noted - and recognized.

[BlackSkimmer]

28. I've seen you slam several areas. Interesting.

Including China, where I believe you moved recently?

How many times have you visited Florida?

[moondust]

15. Too many corrupt fat cats?

From all over the country and beyond found sunshine and a place where their money could buy exclusion of anything they hate? Why else would TFG move there?

[BradBo]

16. Bibliophile, had to look that one up.

[lark]

19. Billionaires bought out and own our state - that is the problem!

They own everything, including the recumbent legislature.

[dawg]

20. In 2022, DeSantis got 4,614,210 Florida votes for re-election.

In 2020, Biden got 5,297,045 Florida votes in his failed attempt to carry the state.

One number is larger than the other. If we would show up to vote we could win.

[Poiuyt]

22. What's SJW?

[BlackSkimmer]

29. It usually means "social justice warrior" and is most frequently employed by the RW.

Interesting to see it in that context.

[Poiuyt]

30. Thanks!

I would say that's a good thing, but then I think being "woke" is a good thing too.

[CatWoman]

24. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith to DeSantis: 'Have you lost your mind?'

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith said that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has “lost his damn mind” after the NAACP issued a travel advisory to Florida in response to policies that have been criticized as discriminatory and anti-Black.

During a segment on his podcast “Know Mercy with Stephen A. Smith,” the star of ESPN’s sports debate show “First Take” addressed the issue, saying that while he wasn’t an “aficionado on this subject” he has the right to call out someone who “looks like a damn fool.”

“And in the case of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, at this pace, he might go down as one of the stupidest people I’ve ever seen. And we know he’s not stupid. We know how smart he is,” Smith said in his podcast episode released Tuesday.

Smith also read NAACP’s full advisory on Florida, highlighting the governor’s recent move to prohibit public colleges and universities in the state from funding diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4017964-espns-stephen-a-smith-to-desantis-have-you-lost-your-mind/

[Scottie Mom]

26. Two of the biggest lying, cheating assholes I have ever known...

...moved from Santa Monica, CA, to Florida.

IMO, they deserve this RW bullshit totally.

[RipVanWinkle]

37. Names?

Is Elon Musk one of them?

[Scottie Mom]

40. No, these are poor assholes that support every RWNJ idea there is.

As versus Mush who has bucks.

[Old Crank]

31. I get a broken picture

Is there another link to see it?

[BarbD]

32. Does this have anything to do with the folks who moved to avoid state taxes?

Does it always come down to follow the money?

[CTyankee]

58. Brain drain. The smart people won't go there or are just leaving. No one will want to go to its

colleges and universities because of teaching restrictions. Women will avoid it like the plague because of its regressive laws on reproductive rights. No parent wants their children NOT to learn in its schools in order to get into good colleges and get a good job and get ahead in the world. It isn't safe to live there and its ecosystems are being threatened because of anti-environmentalism.

Can't breathe, can't work, can't learn, can't get ahead professionally (unless you are a regressive political appointee of the governor).

That's pretty much the ball game for Florida.

Come to Connecticut. Things are good here because Dems are in control.

[PXR-5]

38. Just last night

on TV they are saying the population is surging, and FL is becoming one of the most expensive states, especially for home insurance.

I lived there for awhile, my dad moved north to Savannah, and I moved to NC.

Not sure what the attraction is, maybe the weather, but we are in the process of moving back to NJ.

[JPK]

42. I live in proudly Blue JAX

But the FL home owners insurance industry is killing people financially. I own my house outright so I don't have to have home owners insurance but I wish I could afford it. My HOI went from $2k/yr to $5.5k in one year. They then closed shop. I believe the monied investors are circling like buzzards over SW FL ready to swoop in and buy up property for pennies that home owners can't afford to rebuild. Duhhhsantis is too busy running for prez along with his bought and paid for legislature and courts to worry about the citizens and their problems.

[PXR-5]

50. Duhhhsantis, lol

First time I've heard that one! 😆

Horrible that you can't get insurance 😞

[maxsolomon]

39. DeSantis has energized the Fringe Right.

He's given them catnip and they're rolling in it.

The cruelty is the point. Stigginit.

[NotVeryImportant]

41. The Cubans

Are notoriously anti-black and anti-left.

They're simultaneously racist and authoritarian leaning.

Of course Republicans love them.

This is why Florida is what it is today.

[JPK]

43. The Cubans are funny

They escape an authoritarian dictator then move to a place where they support another authoritarian dictator. Why don't they just go back to Cuba?

[former9thward]

44. Have you been to Cuba?

I have. Any state in the U.S. is better than Cuba. That is why Cubans are in the U.S. Others may differ.

[Blue Owl]

45. K&R

[mkell33]

47. Answer: gerrymandering

Here is the percentage of registered voters by affiliation:
Republican: 36.7%
Democrat: 33.4%
No Affiliation: 29.8%

That is far from what the perception is about FL being all Red. It is NOT. It was Blue until 2-3 years ago. But when they got control they went hog wild controlling the vote and suppressing about 2/3 of the non-republicans here. THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO SUPPORT FL DEMOCRATS AND STOP ASSUMING THAT THERE IS NO CHANCE HERE. DeSantis look like a total boob and the witch burning crowd will not prevail. Support the FLDEMs. Win the agnostics back and ignore the Trump/DeSantis crazies.

[budkin]

49. Andrew Gillum lost by 0.4%

After leading in EVERY SINGLE POLL.

[speak easy]

53. & Gwen Graham would have won.

[Emile]

52. Right wing politicians screwed the state up.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

56. Some people are saying they're now deep-frying their plastic pink flamingos.

Not good for tiny right-wing brains.


KY........

[Skittles]

59. WE THE PEOPLE means absolutely *NOTHING* to FASCISTS

FUCK DEFASCIST

[PatrickforB]

60. Well...I certainly won't be going there.

Or spending any money on anything that originated in that state.