Things have changed a lot in the weird world of politics in Florida during the past 50 years.
In those days, Democrats dominated the state. They far outnumbered the Republicans in registration and had total control of the Florida Legislature.
Political writers wore out the word “tantamount” by writing after every party primary that winning the Democrat race was tantamount to winning the general election.
The few Republicans who were elected were treated like stepchildren. No important committee assignments were held and few significant bills were passed by anyone with an R after his name.
When one slipped by — like the requirement for Americanism vs. communism courses in schools by Rep. George Stallings of Jacksonville — it eventually was whittled down by liberal lobbyists.
Legislators still met in the old Capitol. Republican Ander Crenshaw of Jacksonville was relegated to a tiny office. You had to go down to the basement then walk up into his cubbyhole. (As the balance of power shifted, he went on to become Senate president and later a congressman.)
The only saving grace was that the Democrats were not united. In those days there was such a thing as a conservative Democrat and they fought the left wing of the party mightily, led by such champions as Dempsey Barron.
But today Republicans rule the roost and Florida is getting huge benefits from the change.
An impressive amount of good legislation is pouring out of Tallahassee as the legislature winds down. With no Democrats in statewide office, the administrative branch of government is functioning smoothly, and the judicial branch is in good hands as well.
As the electorate changed, the media moved the other way, becoming almost entirely propagandists for the Far Left Democrats.
It is a good time to be a Florida resident. That is one reason thousands of people are fleeing blue states to be here. We can only hope they were among the conservative minority in the states they departed.
