{"id":2258309,"date":"2024-06-03T07:21:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T11:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flip-the-script-democrats-believe-abortion-can-put-florida-in-play-in-november\/"},"modified":"2024-06-03T07:25:32","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T11:25:32","slug":"flip-the-script-democrats-believe-abortion-can-put-florida-in-play-in-november","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flip-the-script-democrats-believe-abortion-can-put-florida-in-play-in-november\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing the Narrative: Democrats see abortion as a key factor in November&#8217;s Florida elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflip-the-script-democrats-believe-abortion-can-put-florida-in-play-in-november%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2258309&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>President\u200d Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are competing fiercely in\u200d seven pivotal swing states \u2062crucial for determining the next president. The\u2062 focus extends beyond traditional battlegrounds, with both \u2064parties eyeing unexpected states to \u2063secure victories. Efforts are \u2064underway to sway\u200c the electorate,\u2063 reshape the election landscape, and influence key issues like abortion. President Joe \u2064Biden and former President\u2064 Donald \u2062Trump are\u2062 engaging in a heated\u2064 competition across seven <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/review-2000-mules\/\" title=\"REVIEW: \u20182000 Mules\u2019\">crucial swing states<\/a> that will shape the next presidency. \u2064The battleground has expanded beyond the usual territories, as both parties target unforeseen states to secure triumphs. Efforts to sway voters, \u2064reshape the election dynamics, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/centrist-republican-plows-ahead-with-pressure-point-discharge-petition-to-advance-ukraine-aid\/\" title=\"Centrist GOP pushes forward with 'pressure point' petition for Ukraine aid progress\">address critical matters<\/a> such as abortion are in progress.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are locked in a fight for seven swing states that appear to be in control of who will be the next president. But outside the Rust Belt and Sun Belt contests that have dominated everyone\u2019s attention, Republicans and Democrats are both putting states no one expects to be competitive on their November wish list. The <\/em>Washington Examiner <em>looked at four contests where the parties are looking to flip the script and steal a win where no one expected they could.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Sunshine Stat\">Sunshine State<\/a> has moved solidly toward Republicans in recent years after traditionally being considered a battleground state \u2014 but some Democrats think President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Sunshine Stat\">Joe Biden<\/a> could stage an upset in Florida in November.<\/p>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> calls Palm Beach, Florida, home, but Biden and Democrats are hoping to crash the party with several key issues, central among them being abortion. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have made visits to the Sunshine State, while the campaign appointed its state leadership team in March, followed by its first field office in Hillsborough County in April \u2014 a sign they are bullish on their chances in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDonald Trump may think he can take\u00a0Florida\u00a0for granted,\u201d Harris said at an event on abortion policy in Florida in May. \u201cIt is your power that will send Joe Biden and me back to the White House.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>When asked about the president\u2019s hopes for flipping Florida blue, the Biden campaign pointed the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> to a memo from April, in which campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez spelled out how there is an opening for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/president\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>president<\/a> to win Florida\u2019s 30 electoral votes in November.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur agenda, our coalition, and the unique dynamics this election presents make it clear: President Biden is in a stronger position to win\u00a0Florida\u00a0this cycle than he was in 2020,\u201d Chavez Rodriguez said in the memo.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>President Joe Biden speaks to supporters during a reproductive freedom campaign event at Hillsborough Community College, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo\/Phelan M. Ebenhack)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cMake no mistake:\u00a0Florida\u00a0is not an easy state to win, but it\u00a0is a winnable one for President Biden,\u00a0especially given Trump\u2019s weak, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-will-back-republicans-and-abortion-in-november\/\" title=\"In November, Florida is set to support Republicans and their stance on abortion\">cash-strapped campaign<\/a>, and serious vulnerabilities within his coalition,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the policy positions the campaign touts as being appealing to Floridians include healthcare policy, pointing to Obama-era Affordable Care Act, protecting Social Security and Medicare from alterations, pushing gun-control laws, and investments spearheaded by the Biden administration \u2014 including the bipartisan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/infrastructure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>infrastructure<\/a> bill.<\/p>\n<p>The campaign also alleges that the Trump and Republicans \u201chave made\u00a0Florida\u00a0the blueprint for their toxic and losing agenda,\u201d pointing to education policy, including book challenges in schools, and gun policy, pointing to the permitless concealed carry law passed last year.<\/p>\n<h2>Running on abortion again<\/h2>\n<p>More than any other issue, the Biden camp is trying to run the Democrats\u2019 playbook from 2022 and hammer home their position on abortion compared to Trump and Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed a law last April that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, human trafficking, or to save the life of the mother. The Biden campaign argues that \u201cFlorida\u00a0Republicans will be forced to defend their cruel, indefensible support of this abortion ban.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Abortion was not a leading factor in the 2020 election, with only 2% of Florida voters saying it was the most important issue facing the country, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnorc.org\/projects\/ap-votecast-2020-general-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"according to\">according to<\/a> the AP Votecast. <\/p>\n<p>Abortion has been a winning issue for Democrats in several races since the <em>Dobbs<\/em> decision, and has mostly been a losing issue for the GOP. A Florida Atlantic University-Mainstreet Research <a href=\"https:\/\/www.faupolling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Mainstreet_Florida_Apr_2024_Public.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"poll\">poll<\/a> from April shows 13% of voters said abortion is the most important issue for them in November, while a CBS News-YouGov poll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/abortion-economy-inflation-poll-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"poll\">from<\/a> May shows 53% said abortion would be a \u201cmajor factor\u201d in deciding their vote for president.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has taken a softer line than Florida\u2019s law would suggest, arguing it should be decided state-by-state rather than federally.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside the presidential election, Floridians will vote on Ballot Measure 4, which would block the state from creating laws that would \u201cprohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient\u2019s health, as determined by the patient\u2019s healthcare provider.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Proponents of the initiative argue it would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vulnerable-dem-mum-on-bidens-call-to-abolish-filibuster\/\" title=\"Vulnerable Dem Mum on Biden\u2019s Call To Abolish Filibuster\">enshrine abortion rights<\/a>, while opponents of the measure have argued the exceptions are too vague and could open the door for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abortion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>abortion<\/a> without limits.<\/p>\n<p>Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried told reporters prior to the enactment of Florida\u2019s six-week abortion ban on May 1, that voters would hold Republicans accountable for abortion restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know we got into this moment because Donald Trump stacked the court, and they overturned <em>Roe v. Wade<\/em>, and from there, Ron DeSantis passed a 15-week abortion ban and then a six-week abortion ban,\u201d Fried said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRick Scott has said that he would have signed the six-week abortion ban, and every Republican legislator who voted for it is going to be held accountable, and every single Democrat that is running in this election cycle \u2014 from our school board members all the way up to our U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Senate<\/a> races \u2014 are going to make sure that we are holding every single Republican accountable for the moment that they have just put us in,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<h2>Democrats have the blues <\/h2>\n<p>While Fried is optimistic about voters turning on Republicans in the Sunshine State in November, there are several factors worked against the blue crusade.<\/p>\n<p>Fried is the last Democrat to win a statewide election in Florida, when she was elected Commissioner of Agriculture in 2018. She was also only one of three Democrats who have won statewide office in Florida since 2002, with the others being former State Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink (2006) and former Sen. Bill Nelson (2006 and 2012).<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>President Joe Biden speaks during an organizing event as Nikki Fried laughs Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Barack-Obama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Barack Obama<\/a> was the last Democrat to win the state, having done so both in 2008 and 2012. Obama prevailed by 74,309 votes over Republican Mitt Romney in 2012 and by 236,450 votes over Republican John McCain in 2008.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has won the Sunshine State in both general elections he has competed in \u2014 defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 112,911 votes in 2016 and beat Biden by 371,686 votes in 2020. It has also been his home state since 2019.<\/p>\n<p>In the most recent statewide races in 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) won reelection by nearly 20%, while the worst performing statewide Republican was Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who won his reelection bid by roughly than 16.4% \u2014 or 1,273,325 votes.<\/p>\n<h2>Where have all the voters gone?<\/h2>\n<p>Another obstacle facing Democrats is a previous advantage that has dissipated in several states but has been most pronounced in Florida: registered voters.<\/p>\n<p>When Obama won Florida for the second time in November 2012, Democrats held a 557,544 advantage in voter registration over the GOP, but by November 2020 that advantage had shrunk to 106,986 lead for Democrats. As of data from March 31, 2024, Republicans now hold a 892,034 advantage over Democrats in voter registration.<\/p>\n<p>A CBS News-YouGov poll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/abortion-economy-inflation-poll-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"released\">released<\/a> in May shows Trump comfortably leading Biden, 54%-45%, among likely voters in the Sunshine State \u2014 but it also shows strong support for the abortion ballot measure, with 60% saying they would support it in November.<\/p>\n<p>Recent swing-state polling has shown voters are ready and willing to split their tickets. While Trump boasts impressive leads over Biden in pivotal states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, down-ballot contests for the Senate show Democrats boasting equally commanding leads over their GOP challengers. <\/p>\n<p>Those ballot-splitting tendencies could crop up again in Florida if voters are unhappy with the way Republicans are handling abortion at home and in Washington. <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But Biden and the Democrats appear confident they can pull out a victory similar to the one they did with Measure 1 in Ohio \u2014 a state once considered a bellwether that has shifted decidedly to the right \u2014 in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Although polling on the abortion measure could create a vulnerability, when asked by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> about Democrats\u2019 hopes to flip Florida, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt put it bluntly: \u201cFlorida is Trump Country.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are battling for control in seven swing states crucial for the next presidency. Beyond the Rust Belt and Sun Belt focus, both parties are targeting unexpected states, reshaping the election landscape<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2258310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24122270750078.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2258309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24122270750078.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2258309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2258309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2258309\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2258310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2258309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2258309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2258309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}