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Florida is legendary for “Florida Man” information tales and memes, for the acute warmth frying individuals’s brains, and for increasingly more excessive Republicans taking up the state. Once I was youthful, it was a swing state in nationwide elections— one of many key swing states. Evidently it’s not near a swing state now, and increasingly more insurance policies are dyed pink.
In the meantime, different states have gone in the other way. Colorado was once a pink state, then a swing state, and now it’s stable blue.
As I’ve already defined, this 2024 election swung proper based mostly on one core matter. The pandemic hit, the Russian invasion of Ukraine hit, after which, unsurprisingly, large inflation hit. This occurred all around the world. Worldwide, that is the primary time since 1905 that incumbent events in each single liberal democracy misplaced share in elections. It’s not a coincidence.
Nonetheless, a number of states have been tremendous shut within the presidential election. Trump received in Wisconsin by solely ~30,000 votes. He received in Michigan by solely ~80,000 votes. In Georgia, he received by about 110,000 and in North Carolina, he received by about 190,000. In a yr not massively influenced by inflation (which, I ought to once more word, Joe Biden and the Fed did a significantly better job driving down than most different international locations did), Kamala Harris might have received all of these states or it might have been even nearer.
Florida wasn’t shut, however about 4.7 million individuals in Florida voted for Harris — 4.7 million. What if Florida Democrats determined it’s time to surrender on this state (which goes to be more and more slammed by hurricanes, flooding, and crumbling coastlines anyway)? What if 700,000 Democrats left Florida and moved to North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin? (Okay, Michigan and Wisconsin appear to be a tricky promote except you actually just like the chilly, however some individuals do.)
I’m a Floridian. I used to be born right here, went to varsity right here, after which moved again right here with my household after dwelling elsewhere for about 15 years. I really like the climate and the seashores of Florida, nevertheless it’s no secret that the summers are getting insanely scorching, the hurricanes maintain costing us approach an excessive amount of cash, and the coastlines and actual property market are in way more risk than most individuals understand. Additionally, Florida has some pre-existing issues (a horrible constructed surroundings centered round vehicles, snowbird season, and mosquitoes). I’m undecided but what I’ll do within the coming years, but when there was a “blue wave” motion to desert USA’s, erm, southernmost state, nicely, it will be tempting to surf that wave to a different state.
Maybe, in these attempting instances, we should always think about inventive options like these. Anybody else in Florida need to transfer ahead with this concept? Anybody in Texas need to have the same dialogue?
I do know shifting to a different state is an enormous journey and troublesome activity. I’ve completed it a few instances after I was younger and didn’t have a household. I additionally understand it’s troublesome to reside in a spot the place so many individuals don’t perceive or care concerning the threats dealing with our democracy, the threats dealing with our local weather, and the threats dealing with girls, youngsters, and humanity. It’s exhausting to see so many individuals who in any other case are good individuals look away whereas they vote for a serial adulterer, serial rapist, serial fraudster (of virtually every kind of fraud), traitor, and corrupt serial felon who trashes virtually everybody. It’s exhausting to know supporting somebody who has dedicated in all probability each single one of many 10 Commandments multiples instances, and a few of them a number of instances a day. It positive would really feel good to assist flip a pink state right into a blue state and depart a state the place a former Republican governor needed to run as a Democrat a decade later, and misplaced.
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