Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shot into the spotlight after coining the label “weird” for former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential running mate J.D. Vance.
Now Walz is on Vice President Kamala Harris' ticket as her running mate. The question is: Is Walz the ticket the Democrats need to win the White House? Can he deliver the swing vote Harris needs?
UNF political analyst Michael Binder joined Bruce on this week’s episode of “Path to the Polls” to discuss that breaking news and what the UNF Public Opinion Research Lab’s poll says about the role Florida will play in the upcoming fight for the Oval Office. Let’s face it, Florida has been a losing proposition for Democrats since 2012 when Barack Obama won. The losing streak has been pretty well sustained for the past 12 years with the Dems blaming demographic changes or rising political stars for changing the state from a battleground to purple and then deep red.
Enter Harris and boom there’s a new enthusiasm nationwide among Democrats. And in many corners, if you believe the polls, she has tightened the race against Trump.
Even here in Florida, the jolt is being felt from Miami to Jacksonville and across the panhandle to Tallahassee. But -- and yes, there is a but -- while Harris may have energized the state’s Democratic base, there’s not enough evidence suggesting she’s changed voter preferences in the state. Not if the latest poll from the UNF Public Opinion Research Lab is any indication.
Keep in mind, it’s the first poll since President Joe Biden decided to drop out of the race. Also be mindful of the fact that it’s Trump’s home state.
Talk to Florida Dems, like Congressman Maxwell Frost of Orlando, and they’ll tell you Florida is already in play. Just a talking point? Time will tell!
Don’t lose sight of the fact that what happens in Florida over the next three-plus months will test the Republicans’ hold on a state of more than 23 million people. It has become a reliable source of electoral votes for Trump and the GOP.
Democrats were already hoping to see a turnout boost from a pair of November ballot measures that would overturn the state’s ban on abortion after six weeks and legalize marijuana for adults.
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