Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 2.24.22

By Peter Schorsch    

Good Thursday morning.

A top of the ‘burn birthday shoutout to Alexander’s dad, Matt Farrar.

Matt’s always been someone whose business sense and forward-thinking I admired. But this year, I am especially proud and motivated by Matt’s decision to get healthier. He’s months ahead of what I am doing, but, per usual, he offers inspiration and a glimpse of what the future may hold. Have a great day, Matt.

___

If today were Election Day, Gov. Ron DeSantis would win a second term by 20 points, according to a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Research Lab at UNF.

The PORL poll showed DeSantis taking a massive lead against the two leading Democrats running to replace him. If U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist is DeSantis’ opponent in the November ballot, the incumbent will win 55%-34%. If Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried is the Democratic nominee, DeSantis would win 55%-32%.

In a further blow to the Democrats’ chances, only a third of those polled said they approve of the job President Joe Biden is doing, whether somewhat or strongly, with 57% disapproving, including 46% who said they strongly disapprove.

But a lot could change in the eight months between now and Election Day, said UNF professor and PORL faculty director Michael Binder.

“A lot of Democratic voters still don’t know who they would vote for, so I would expect that lead to narrow between now and November,” he said.

As far as the Democratic Primary, Crist leads at 27%, followed by Fried at 19%. At 4%, Sen. Annette Taddeo was tied for third with little-known candidate David Nelson Freeman. The true leader, however, was “unsure.”

“Crist has eight points on Fried in the Governor’s primary, but we still have 38% of registered Democrats in this survey who are undecided,” said Binder. “These folks likely won’t make up their minds for a while, so this will be a pretty muddled picture until later in the summer.”

The UNF PORL was conducted Feb. 7-20. It has a sample size of 685 registered voters and was conducted and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.74 percentage points.

___

Florida Politics is conducting a new Influencer Poll l asking our exclusive list of influencers to weigh in on the state of the 2022 Legislative Session. As with any poll, the more, the merrier! So, if you would like to be added to the list — or know someone who would be a good fit — drop us a note this morning, and we will add you (or them) right away. And if you are already on our roster of influencers, thanks again; your participation is always welcome.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@BeschlossDC: So once again we are shown — in case anyone needed to be shown — that there is never an end of history.

Tweet, tweet:

—@MarcoRubio: Biden’s war on American oil & gas made #Russia’s energy more valuable, #Putin more powerful & the U.S. more vulnerable to what’s happening in #Ukraine

—@JHendersonTampa: Whatever @NBCNews pays @RichardEngel for reporting in the world’s most dangerous places, it isn’t enough

—@MarcEElias: Has Rick Scott explained why he wants to make it harder for members of the U.S. Military to vote?

—@RealChrisRufo: New York Magazine says that parents are “household tyrants” and don’t deserve the right to direct their children’s education. The Left has long believed that children should be “liberated” from their families and shaped by the state. Now they’re saying it out loud.

—@Caroline0902: The Florida Senate just confirmed Dr. (Joseph) Ladapo as Surgeon General. He won’t say if he’s been vaccinated, won’t wear a mask, promoted ivermectin, and appeared at an event about the powers of hydroxychloroquine with the lady who thinks demon sperm causes gynecological problems.

—@Fineout: Those magic words oft heard at the Capitol … “I wasn’t going to debate …”

—@BrowardPolitics: State Rep. @ChipLaMarca says he’ll vote “no” on “Don’t Say Gay” bill when it comes up for final action in Florida House. He’s the only Republican Florida lawmaker whose district lies entirely within heavily Democratic Broward & has many #LGBT constituents.

Tweet, tweet: