It doesn’t feel like it, but it’s been less than two weeks since an election that saw former President Trump hand the Democrats a total ass whooping. Last Friday at Ybor City’s Cuban Club, Tampa’s Tiger Bay Club gathered for its last meeting of 2024 where local politicos—plus Bay area political scientist Dr. Susan MacManus, and this writer—did a mini-autopsy on the ballot. Tampa Bay Young Republicans’ Jake Hoffman took home the session’s Garfield award for his question about whether or not the Democrats’ decision to not hold a primary after Joe Biden dropped out of the race hurt the party (TLDR: Yeah, it did.)

Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Dr. Susan MacManus at Cuban Club in Ybor CIty, Florida on Nov. 15, 2024. Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...