Comparing Obama to Sink Numbers

12 Comments / Florida Political History, Florida Politics

Continuing our theme of comparing Democratic top of the ticket performance in different elections, the Barack Obama victory compared to the Alex Sink defeat is very telling.

Sink ran significantly ahead of Obama throughout the Big Bend and eastern Panhandle region (between the Apalachicola and Suwannee Rivers) as well as in some other northern Florida counties. In these counties race may have been a factor in Obama’s performance which was almost universally below that of any Democratic nominee for President or Governor since 1984. Another factor very well could have been that many state workers have continued to support Democrats for state office while often times voting for Republicans for Federal office due to cultural issues.

Where Sink lost the election was in the Metropolitan  and largest non metro counties of the state. In every single county with a population of over 500,000 ( the seven metropolitan counties plus Lee, Polk, Brevard and Volusia) Sink’s percentages were lower than Obama’s. While these drops in percentage were minimal (1 % to 3%) they represented a drop in turnout in the largest counties in the state and added up to two or three times Rick Scott’s final margin of victory.

Their has been an effort to promote Alex Sink as a candidate again in 2014. But her inability to inspire confidence and excitement in the Democratic base, while clearly showing an unwillingness to defend the President’s policies means she should not get another shot. We have better Democrats and potential Democrats to run in 2014.

County by county breakdown below the jump

County Obama McCain Sink Scott D % swing County Size
Alachua 61 39 61 39 0 Medium
Baker 21 79 36 65 15 Small
Bay 30 70 30 70 0 Medium
Bradford 30 70 38 62 8 Small
Brevard 45 55 43 57 -2 Large
Broward 68 32 66 34 -2 Metropolitan
Calhoun 30 70 46 54 16 Small
Charlotte 47 53 43 57 -4 Medium
Citrus 42 58 42 58 0 Medium
Clay 29 71 28 72 -1 Medium
Collier 39 61 33 67 -6 Medium
Columbia 33 67 39 61 6 Small
Desoto 44 56 44 56 -2 Small
Dixie 27 73 43 57 16 Small
Duval 49 51 47 53 -2 Metropolitan
Escambia 41 59 40 60 -1 Medium
Flagler 52 48 55 45 3 Medium
Franklin 36 64 50 50 14 Small
Gadsden 70 30 74 26 4 Small
Gilchrist 26 74 35 65 9 Small
Glades 42 58 41 49 -1 Small
Gulf 30 70 37 63 7 Small
Hamilton 43 57 49 51 6 Small
Hardee 35 65 38 62 3 Small
Hendry 47 53 44 56 -3 Small
Hernando 49 51 45 55 -4 Medium
Highlands 41 59 40 60 -1 Medium
Hillsborough 54 46 52 48 -2 Metropolitan
Holmes 17 83 28 72 11 Small
Indian River 43 57 39 61 -4 Medium
Jackson 36 64 47 53 11 Small
Jefferson 52 48 59 41 7 Small
Lafayette 20 80 42 58 22 Small
Lake 43 57 41 59 -2 Medium
Lee 45 55 38 62 -7 Large
Leon 62 38 68 32 6 Medium
Levy 36 64 39 61 3 Small
Liberty 28 72 51 49 23 Small
Madison 49 51 54 46 5 Small
Manatee 47 53 43 57 -4 Medium
Marion 45 55 44 56 -1 Medium
Martin 44 56 42 58 -2 Medium
Miami-Dade 58 42 57 43 -1 Metropolitan
Monroe 52 48 50 50 -2 Small
Nassau 28 72 29 71 -1 Small
Okaloosa 28 72 26 74 -2 Medium
Okeechobee 40 60 43 57 3 Small
Orange 60 40 56 44 -4 Metropolitan
Osceola 60 40 52 48 -8 Medium
Palm Beach 62 38 60 40 -2 Metropolitan
Pasco 48 52 45 55 -3 Large
Pinellas 55 45 53 47 -2 Metropolitan
Polk 47 53 44 56 -3 Large
Putnam 41 59 40 60 -1 Small
Santa Rosa 26 74 26 74 0 Medium
Sarasota 50 50 48 52 -2 Medium
Seminole 49 51 47 53 -2 Medium
St. Johns 34 66 34 66 0 Medium
St. Lucie 57 43 53 47 -4 Medium
Sumter 36 64 35 65 -1 Medium
Suwannee 28 72 34 66 6 Small
Taylor 30 70 38 62 8 Small
Union 25 75 49 51 24 Small
Volusia 53 47 49 51 -4 Large
Wakulla 37 63 48 52 11 Small
Walton 26 74 28 72 2 Small
Washington 25 75 25 75 0 Small

12 thoughts on “Comparing Obama to Sink Numbers”

  1. Jefferson

    Sink lost because she didn’t fire up the base and tried to win moderate Republican votes.

  2. ct

    Most folks won’t admit to voting for Scott….however, Alex Sink did an outstanding job during her screening by the Orlando Sentinel. Most folks probably didn’t view it, but will know that she was an executive with Bank of America.

  3. The Prophet

    Alex Sink like her husband gave activist Democrats very little reason to campaign actively for her other than that she wasn’t the other guy. That’s not a winning campaign strategy, hence in every big county her numbers slipped from Obama’s.

  4. Trey

    The two point drop in Broward is more votes than all those double digit gains in the panhandle. Same goes for drops in Duval, Orange, Palm Beach, etc.

  5. Blue Dog Dem

    Sink rightly and morally took a centrist course on the biggest issue of our day. Should the Federal Government MANDATE every American have health insurance. It’s the largest tax increase in history and it was brought to you courtesy of the socialists Obama and Pelosi.

    Most Democrats don’t buy the Obama/Pelosi agenda. But a few loudmouths like Debbie Wasserperson Schultz jump up and down barking angrily and the guilible activist Dems in southern and central Florida listen.

    We need to get back to common sense. Stop bashing bankers like Sink and bashing I durance and corporations.

    The unions have now taken over the party. Good riddance.

  7. The Prophet

    “Rightly and morally”?

    I had no enthusiasm for her for that reason.

    “Most Democrats don’t buy the Obama/Pelosi agenda. But a few loudmouths like Debbie Wasserperson Schultz jump up and down barking angrily and the guilible activist Dems in southern and central Florida listen.”

    Why are you a Democrat?

    “The unions have now taken over the party. Good riddance.”

    Then switch.

  8. Cris

    What percentage of the panhandle D are outright racist?

    16% in Calhoun
    14% in Franklin
    23% in Liberty

    Etc, etc

  9. Danny

    The issues of race combined with Sink’s accent accounts for those wild swings in rural north Florida.

  11. Adam

    Let’s me honest. Sink lost because of many factors:
    1) Her husband
    2) She worked for Bank of America-during the banking crisis and when bank of America was increasing fees
    3) She pretended she was not a female or a feminist
    4) She was boring and her husband is nuts
    5) She cheated during a debate
    6) Helped Crist
    7) Didn’t define herself
    8) Did anyone go to the JJ…what a fool her husband is.

  12. Jennifer

    Sink was about as uninspiring a candidate as you could possibly find. That’s why she didn’t sell well in urban Florida.