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The Republican party had a lot of wins in the 2024 election, turning some historically blue areas red. Analysts reflected on what worked and what didn’t at the Tampa Tiger Bay Club.
Political analyst Susan MacManus said the parties have switched places.
“It’s called partisan realignment. Now the working class is Republican, and the Democrats are more elitist,” MacManus told the crowd.
McManus says Democrats should use language to resonate with more people.
Editor-in-chief of Creative Loafing Ray Roa, who is also a host of WMNF’s The Skinny, says Republicans saw greater returns because they put in the work.
“Democrats can talk about getting wiped off the rolls and things like that. But at the end of the day, the Republicans were just out there knocking on doors,” Roa said.
Many newspapers chose not to endorse a presidential candidate in this year’s election – including the Washington Post and the Tampa Bay Times.
Roa made his stance clear.
“I think that’s a huge disservice to the reader. Like, I don’t think the reader’s asking the publication to tell them how or what to do. I think they’re interested in hearing what the publication’s values are, and what they think about something,” Roa said.
Creative Loafing endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris.
The publication called the Tampa Bay Times “cowards” for not making a choice.
In an article from the editorial board, the Times said it had no intention of choosing a candidate and chose to focus on local races instead.
MacManus and Roa also discussed local wins and losses, like the passage of Hillsborough’s Community Investment Tax. It’s a half percent sales tax used to fund projects around the county.
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