When Jeb Bush was sworn in as governor of the Sunshine State in January 1999, becoming the second Republican since Reconstruction to become governor of the Sunshine State, he promised in a speech: inaugural speech To reduce the size of government. “As our government grows, so too does the overwhelming weight of taxes, regulations, and duties on Florida families and entrepreneurs,” he said.
What the media considered radical at the time now seems tame and even bizarre by today's standards. But Bush went on to launch perhaps the greatest sustained conservative policy revolution in American history.
At the time of President Bush's election, Florida was a blue-violet state with a highly hostile media that challenged President Bush's every move. Still, through hard work and great courage, he and legislative leaders began implementing important conservative policy changes, both large and small.
Tax reform, education reform (which at the time included a small experimental school choice initiative), and the use of technology to streamline and shrink government, all of these policies improved the lives of Floridians. , providing more opportunities and reducing the burdensome role of government. in their daily life.
What followed was approximately 25 years of principled conservative leadership from both governors. Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis and a Congress that has the courage to do the right thing. From tax and health care reform to deregulation, universal school choice, and (under the withering criticism) keeping our economy and schools open during the pandemic, our state is truly committed to It became the “Free State of Florida.''
And despite the left's constant protests that a more diverse state or nation inevitably becomes bluer, Florida is doing just the opposite. It's bright red today.
In each of Barack Obama's two presidential elections, people beat florida state That's about a 1 percentage point difference. The same was true for Republican Gov. Rick Scott's two victories, Donald Trump's first victory in 2016 and Ron DeSantis' first victory in 2018.
The races at the top of the polls and across the state were intense, but principled conservatives won election after election even as the Sunshine State became increasingly diverse.
In 2022, Ron DeSantis won 62 of 67 counties. He won Florida by more votes than Gavin Newsom won California. Meanwhile, last Tuesday, Donald Trump and the Republican Party overall won every upcoming statewide election while maintaining a supermajority in Congress.
The question is, why? There's a saying at the James Madison Institute: “Good policy is good politics.” That means the majority of Americans, regardless of demographics, want the same thing. They want the American Dream and a better life for their children and grandchildren, and they don't need to be lectured by government heels, moral bureaucrats and politicians. For nearly 30 years, Florida has implemented policies that promote these ideals.
As the most ethnically diverse state in the country, the 15th largest economy in the world, and 1,000 people moving to Florida every day, there are lessons here. Americans want freedom and opportunity with their feet and their votes, and they generally want to be left alone in a safe and secure place to pursue their version of the American Dream. , says.
Today's Democratic Party would be wise to heed this lesson as it continues to promote policies that ignore the problems facing ordinary Americans.
Robert McClure is president and CEO of the James Madison Institute in Tallahassee.
