• NewNewAccount@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I feel like this has changed a lot in the last 12 years. Florida was a battleground state but many conservatives flocked there after the state and Scott and DeSantis leaned into the whole “freedom” thing.

      • Zipitydew
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        3 months ago

        Boomer retirements started hitting hard in 2011. Florida is approaching 1/3 of the state being older than 60. They’re the most rapidly aging state in the country right now. Nearly every other state is losing old people to Florida on a daily basis.

        When Obama was running, Florida was less than 1/4 of the state being 60 or older. Somewhere just under 4M residents of around 19M total. Now Florida has 22M people and of that 7M are 60 or older. The biggest growth changes are in the 0-19 age group that can’t/won’t vote. And the 60+ age group which is guaranteed to vote and skews conservative.

      • GroundedGator@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Yep. Live in Florida, family in Illinois. Conservative family members in Illinois love to point out I at least have more freedom than they do in Illinois.

          • GroundedGator@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            Yes, but these are also lifetime NRA members and you can’t use illegal drugs and get your FOID card. Have a few people who still have dealers and won’t go to dispensaries because of this.

    • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      The main beef with Florida is that the Democrats are just not well organized. As a campaign you can take a risk to invest in a purplish state if there’s a good team on the ground to help you (looking at Georgia for instance). If the organisation is not there, it’s just too risky.