The New Statesman | UK politics and culture
Trump's Florida Project: how the Sunshine State became the centre of power
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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Florida's political shift from a Democratic stronghold to a Republican bastion has fundamentally transformed its governance and identity since the 2000 election.
- The state's rich literary heritage contributes to a nuanced cultural identity that challenges simplified stereotypes, revealing Florida's deeper social complexities.
Deep dives
The Transformation of Florida's Political Landscape
Florida's political landscape has undergone a significant transformation over the past few decades, shifting from a reliably Democratic state to a stronghold of Republican power. After the Civil War, Florida was largely Democratic, but a backlash against the cultural changes of the 1960s, coupled with the state's growing population of senior citizens, led to the election of a Republican governor in 1966. The cornerstone event was the contentious Bush-Gore election in 2000, which firmly established Florida as a critical state in national politics, propelling it into the Republican camp. Today, Florida has not had a Democratic governor in over two decades, highlighting the deep-rooted influence of Republican politics in shaping the state's governance and identity.
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