The vast majority of Americans believe democracy, despite its problems, is the best system of government. But polling shows that far fewer younger voters agree.
The nationwide poll conducted in mid-March by Florida Atlantic University found 73% of voters agree that “Democracy may have problems, but it is the best system of government,” including 50% who strongly agree. Just 13% disagree.
But the youngest group of voters, those from 18 to 35, felt much differently.
Slightly more than half — 53% — agreed it’s the best system of government. Just 15% strongly agree while a quarter — 25% — disagreed.
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People who said they plan to vote for former President Donald Trump, the presumed Republican nominee, in November were 22 percentage points less likely to agree that democracy is the best system of government than people who said they plan to vote for President Joe Biden.
Among Biden voters, 85% agree democracy is the best form of government even though it may have problems, 6% disagree, and 10% don’t agree or disagree.
Among Trump voters, 63% agree, 18% disagree, 19% don’t agree or disagree.
First part was unexpected but second part was not. Other highlight from the article was that there was no major difference by gender with men in the survey polling higher than women about their support of democracy.
Countries can either choose their own leaders, or they cannot. If they cannot, they are usually fucked. Sometimes severely fucked. And it is very hard to fix things.
The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature has unveiled another election bill that would further restrict where voters can drop off mail-in ballots and also force party primary candidates into runoffs if they don’t get more than 50% of the vote.
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State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, called the continued attempt at culling drop boxes “unnecessary and politically motivated.”
“Republicans continue to feed into its rhetoric that elections are stolen and are not legitimate,” Eskamani said. “… When you limit the options for folks, it is intentionally designed to just make it harder to vote.”
But Eskamani said the other major proposal in the new bill, a return to primary runoffs for state and federal races, was “worthy of exploration,” even if she couldn’t support the overall bill.
Currently, party primaries are held the third week of August. Whoever gets the most votes in their respective primaries, even if just a plurality, face off in the November election.
The new bill would change the primary date to the third week of June. Any primary race in which the winner doesn’t receive more than 50% of the vote would move to a runoff between the top two candidates in August, with the winner of that primary securing his or her party’s nomination.
Despite the unneeded restrictions on the ballot drop boxes the changing of the primaries would be really good.
From Hallandale to Deerfield Beach, local political leaders are becoming nervous about the potential delays in the development of the proposed Broward Commuter Rail service that would operate along the Florida East Coast Railway line.
The immediate chief hurdle: a new rail crossing at downtown Fort Lauderdale’s New River. Mayor Dean Trantalis and business interests that support him want a tunnel. Broward County commissioners and other local leaders favor a bridge.
The next window for a funding application to Washington opens in February and the county is nowhere near the point where it can submit one. If no agreement is reached, some fear that hundreds of millions of dollars will be lost.
Mayor Trantalis is killing the Broward Commuter Rail which in turn is ruining projects throughout SFL. Please contact the mayor’s office and tell his staff that you want Mayor Trantalis to stop blocking the bridge.
A statewide committee is looking at doing something that hasn’t been done in Florida in more than 50 years — redrawing the boundaries of the state’s 20 circuit court districts, a project some call long overdue and others call unnecessary, or even an attempted power grab.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this week suspended Democratic State Attorney Monique Worrell, whose Ninth Circuit covers Orange and Osceola counties. A year before that, he removed Tampa’s State Attorney, Andrew Warren, also a Democrat. Combining their circuits with other nearby, more rural counties could make it easier for Republicans to compete for those jobs, said Aaron Wayt, a Tallahassee lawyer who serves as legislative chair of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
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“It’s a power grab,” said state Rep. Michael Gottlieb, a Democrat who represents central Broward County. “Through consolidation, they could conceivably gerrymander the lines to give us all GOP districts, with no elected Democratic state attorneys. I don’t think that’s outside the realm of possibility.”
Pretty much no one except creepy weirdos gives a FUCK if you dance around in a dress. Independents, if they care about this at all, are generally against Ronald Disney Princess’ campaign of hate
It’s a bad look, as stupid as it is this is a losing issue in Florida. But yeah, let’s get a political jab for the national party and lose Florida state positions by 20 points again
Sorry fam but post covid that’s gonna happen pretty much no matter what. If “it’s okay to do drag” is a losing position your state is already lost. Best to move the culture forward at large and loudly proclaim that people who are different from the norm are still valid and have a place.
Valuing short term optics over acknowledging and celebrating identity is in the long run a losing position. Look at the captured black and queer votes. Those are massive bases for Democrats and aren’t going away for ages, but embracing civil rights lost Dems the South and you but 60 years ago were making this exact same argument. But look at the culture now. Sure, there’s a reaction under way but the vast, vast majority of people are against segregation, are fine with miscegenation and don’t give a fuck about who you fuck. That’s because people took unpopular positions and made them popular.
I’d rather have safe, out queers than a DINO senator.
I don’t think one time publicity stunts to Democratic fundraisers are a more effective way to fight anti LGBT sentiment than winning elections and passing legislation
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Steve Glassman, whose district includes the downtown area, said in an interview that he “would not be anywhere else right now.” “It’s really important for the world to know that Fort Lauderdale is not Florida.”
Not Florida? He was asked.
“The way the world is looking at Florida right now with all of the hateful legislation, it’s important for Fort Lauderdale to take a stand and say ‘this is not us. This is not who we are.’ And I’m really disgusted by the mean-spirited and hateful legislation that’s come out of Tallahassee the last couple of years.”
sun-sentinel.com
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