What the Midterm Results Really Mean to Voters
This is an edition of Up for Debate, a newsletter by Conor Friedersdorf. On Wednesdays, he rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here.
Last week I asked readers to share their election thoughts.
Anna weighed in on her state’s governor:
Okay, true-confessions time from Florida: I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, and I voted straight Democrat this election and always have. But I don’t hate Ron DeSantis. I dislike his culture-warrior crap, but otherwise he’s been a really effective governor. He was right about COVID; his policies at the time worked out well. “His” legislature came through with raises for teachers, first responders, and state workers. He threw a lot of money and resources at environmental concerns and storm relief. The state economy is cranking; the budget is balanced. Medical marijuana is booming. The state-university system is flourishing. He’s always on the move, extremely visible and interactive. Notwithstanding some of the red meat he throws to the base, his actual policy moves work out pretty well for the general public. It’s really made me rethink my priorities about adherence to political platforms that check all my personal preferences versus looking at what and how much actually gets done. Effectiveness is becoming more compelling, purity less so.
Jon praised the Sunshine State’s election infrastructure:
Florida should be required to go around the country and teach everyone how to run an election. Florida is a massive state of nearly 22 million people, composed of multiple large cities as well as rural hinterlands. It is socioeconomically and racially diverse, and it is thoroughly bilingual with large Spanish-speaking populations. And yet, Florida manages to tally almost all of its votes within a few hours of polls closing. We are never left wondering what is going on or speculating on how many ballots are left and where they are coming from or anything. The whole shebang is done and dusted in one evening. Whatever it is that Florida is doing, the rest of the country should emulate it.
Harold, who dislikes Ron DeSantis, is tired
