TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Welcome to the home stretch of the 2024 election. It is under 20 days now until the big night. Florida Republicans are trying to prove there is no swing left in this swing state. Democrats are seeking a dramatic comeback after the disastrous midterms.
At last check— votes already cast in Florida had exceeded 709,000, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab. That’s more than the total number of eligible voters in some states. Kinda cool.
Alright, on to the politics of the day.
Florida Democrats were on the attack, Wednesday. They launched a new six-figure ad and effort to turn out Florida’s around 300,000 registered Haitians. It follows those unfounded claims from former president Donald Trump, that Ohio migrants are eating pets.
“I thought it was ruthless,” said State Rep. Marie Woodson (D-Pembroke Pines). “I thought it was inhuman, but most of all, I thought it was cowardice.”
Woodson, a Haitian American, voiced the Creole version of the ad. While speaking to us Wednesday morning, the Democrat urged her community to show up for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Don't be afraid because we are resilient,” said the Florida lawmaker. “We are strong people. We were the 1st black, independent nation. So what are we afraid of? Are we afraid of saving our democracy?”
A few hours later, the Harris Walz Campaign hosted their latest Republicans for Harris event in Tallahassee. Two high-profile names announced their support of the VP.
For Lt. Gen. (Ret) Robert F. Milligan, a Fmr. Pacific Fleet Marine Force Commander, the choice was clear. Trump, he said, lacked character.
“His character is so bad I can't believe anybody that really looks at it objectively, Republican, Democrat or Independent, would vote for him,” said Milligan. “He is just a dangerous individual because of his character.”
Joining the Lt. Gen., former GOP operative Mac Stipanovich. He jumped ship on Republicans during Trump’s first term in 2018. Though Stipanovich now calls himself an independent— the former chief of staff for Gov. Bob Martinez said he remains a conservative. That’s something Stipanovich said the former president is not.
“He’s a fascist,” said Stipanovich. “He's a fascist. And when I say a weak-minded Mussolini want-to-be, I’m not kidding.”
State GOP Chair Evan Power was unfazed by all of this.
“They're the same never Trumpers that failed in 2016 to prevent President Trump from becoming president,” said Power. "If you look at actual dig into the actual numbers, we released a poll yesterday, Republicans have come home to their nominee.”
Power noted the party has more money in the bank than FlaDems, as many as 1M (depending on if you count“inactive” voters) more registered voters, and what he thinks is better enthusiasm.
“The message is very simple-- that we have a country to save,” said Power. “We need every Republican to go out and vote like their future, depends on it, because their economic future and the future of this nation does depend on their vote.”
Power vowed to turn out as many of those registered Republicans as possible in the remaining days. He said it was the“lynchpin” to the party’s victory.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
