Life and politics from the Sunshine State's best city

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Diane Roberts has 33 articles published.

Diane Roberts teaches at Florida State University. Her latest book, “Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America,” will be out in paperback in the fall.

Diane Roberts: The season when conservatives ramp up the crazy

in 2017/Top Headlines by

John Keats called autumn the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.” Which is true. But autumn is also the season when conservatives seem to ramp up the crazy. Maybe college football gets them so riled up they can’t handle reality. Or maybe it’s the semi-annual almost-not-quite-government-shutdown. That certainly impels U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz into a bountiful harvest of hissy fits. Maybe cooler weather makes them frisky — in a deranged sort of way. Perhaps you’ve heard Rush Limbaugh’s response to…

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Marcocito, Secret Service code names and the Gators

in 2017/Top Headlines by

Near the end of the latest televised dork parade billed as a “Republican Debate,” CNN’s Jake Tapper asked each candidate what her or his Secret Service code name should be. “Secretariat,” whinnied Carly Fiorina. “Humble,” hollered Donald Trump. “Gator!” said Marco Rubio. Sigh. Marcocito received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida after a year at the obscure (and now-defunct) Tarkio College in Missouri, and another year at community college. The miasma from the Swamp seems to have affected…

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Rick Scott runs up scorecard of shame

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Remember when Rick Scott went around in 2014 claiming to be an environmentalist? Yeah, that was hilarious. If you find the rape and pillage of Florida amusing. Some of our fellow citizens actually fell for it, too, just enough to get him re-elected. Flori-duh, indeed. Here’s Scott’s shameful scorecard: 1. Still won’t talk about climate change, despite salt water intrusion in South Florida wells and massive flooding in Tampa. 2. Cut funding for water management districts, ‘cos, like, let’s just…

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Florida’s presidential hopefuls have forgotten about Deepwater Horizon

in 2017/Top Headlines by

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – The not-remotely-special special session limps along, costing taxpayers about $75,000 a day. The bars in Tallahassee are making out pretty well. The rest of us, not so much. The Senate wants to expand Medicaid, but can’t call it “Medicaid,” because, you know, Obama. The House won’t call it anything other than “Medicaid!” because, you know, Obama. The Reps say it’s a “failed program.” Which it isn’t. More than 850,000 Floridians will go without health insurance because these guys…

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Diane Roberts: Florida’s presidential hopefuls a bumper crop of crazy

in Top Headlines by

No fewer than four of the 2016 Republican candidates for president claim domicile in Florida. Five, if you count Donald Trump – and the head pelt-sporting Birther would hate not to be counted. Even if he’s not really running, just promoting his new book. First there’s Jeb Bush, Miami resident, former governor, brother of the more famous (and far stupider) George W., fundraising juggernaut, part-time “Hispanic,” the “moderate” supposedly beloved of the Republican establishment. Over the weekend, Jeb gave the…

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Diane Roberts: The unavoidable subject of stupid

in Top Headlines by

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – Which is worse: stupid and evil or smart and evil? It’s a thought experiment: you can apply it to, say, George W. and Jeb Bush, Rick Scott and Adam Putnam, the Florida House and – Jesus, those idiots don’t deserve to be in the same paragraph as the word “thought.” But while we’re on the unavoidable subject of stupid: remember the amendment to the state constitution passed by an overwhelming margin last year? You probably voted for…

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Diane Roberts: Rick Scott street-walkin’ his way to Washington

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – The annual Harlot Show and Prostitution Expo – commonly called the Florida legislative session – has been such a wowsa so far, we’ve neglected to pay sufficient attention to the mack daddy in the Mansion. You know, Rick Scott. He’s not governing; he has people for that. He’s running for the United States Senate. Though Florida is a purplish state, with more registered Democrats than Republicans, Scott figures the donkeys won’t turn out to vote in 2018,…

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