MSNBC started losing ground even before the race was officially called for Florida Republicans Ron DeSantis & Marco Rubio. This was due to strong early results in Miami-Dade’s Hispanic County, which was a solid Democrat county.
The MSNBC panel was already in deep trouble when Steve Kornacki, the national political correspondent, went to the electronic board to show that Senator Marco Rubio held an early lead in Miami-Dade County. The panelists heard this news off-camera.
STEVE KORNACKI – We have something else coming in. Oh, we just got — I believe we just got Miami Dade. This is a huge deal in Florida. Let’s take another look. Okay. Okay. Let’s try to put this in perspective. Miami-Dade County is home to 2.3 million residents.
This was a Democratic county with 30 points in 2016. This county was won by Hillary Clinton by 30 points. Miami-Dade’s Hispanic population is 70%. It began shifting to Republicans in 2020. Donald Trump lost it by seven. Take a look at this. The Republican Marco Rubio leads Miami-Dade County’s mail-in and early voting by seven points, over Val Demings (the Democratic challenger).
Later, it became clear that Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Ron DeSantis were heading to a resounding win. MSNBC’s Alex Wagner asked David Plouffe, former Barack Obama campaign manager, “What is the lesson you are learning here in terms of Hispanic votes?” How alarming should Democrats be?
Plouffe admitted that Florida is “catastrophic.” He continued to lament how “we saw more erosion in 20[20].” Let’s not forget that Barack Obama won 2012, tied the Cuban vote and gaining over 77 Hispanic votes. The Obama coalition in Florida is now gone. It is time to rebuild it.
Plouffe pointed out that the 2024 presidential election will be a “major problem” and that the Republicans have a huge advantage “From an electoral college chessboard, if we’re looking ahead, 2024, if we basically sceede these 29 electoral votes from very beginning-it gives them a huge edge.”
United Healthcare made it possible for the panic MSNBC viewers felt over Hispanics moving to the Democrats in Florida. Their information is linked.
Click “expand” to view the transcript
MSNBC Decision 2022
11/8/2022
7:14:23 p.m. Eastern
STEVE KORNACKI – We have something else coming in. Oh, we just got — I believe we just got Miami Dade. This is a huge deal in Florida. Let’s take another look. Okay. Okay. Let’s try to put this in perspective. Miami-Dade County is home to 2.3 million residents.
This was a Democratic county with 30 points in 2016. This county was won by Hillary Clinton by 30 points. Miami-Dade’s Hispanic population is 70%. It began shifting to Republicans in 2020. Donald Trump lost it by seven. Take a look at this. The Republican Marco Rubio leads Miami-Dade County’s mail-in and early voting by seven points, over Val Demings (the Democratic challenger).
[…]
ALEX WAGNER – What are you trying to teach us about the Hispanic vote? How alarming should Democrats be?
DAVID POUFFE: It’s devastating in Florida. So obviously, we saw greater erosion in 20. Let’s not forget that Barack Obama won the 2012 Cuban vote basically tied and received over 77 Hispanic votes. The Obama coalition in Florida has been destroyed. It is time to rebuild it. It will be Arizona and Nevada that will decide the question. What are we seeing there? It would be amazing to see anything even close to the erosion that we are seeing in Florida. Florida is my only thought.
Perhaps along the border in South Texas, where we had some problems, or in West Texas in 2020. But this is a huge problem. If you look ahead to 2024 from an electoral college chessboard, it gives the Republicans a huge advantage if you seede those 29 electoral vote right away.