SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

FLORIDA GOV DECIDED – FROM THE TAMPA BAY TIMES:  Nine days after Election Day, and one machine recount later, it is all but official: Ron DeSantis is Florida's next governor.  The results of the statewide machine recount which rolled by the Thursday 3 p.m. deadline, solidified what most already knew, as DeSantis has already made himself busy with transitioning to power and creating a new government.  In the governor's race, it was an anticlimactic finish to the dramatic machine recount — plagued with technical issues and an avalanche of lawsuits — with almost no change in the margin between DeSantis and his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, since this weekend. Still, about 0.41 percentage points separate the two candidates, or just under 34,000 votes.  Just after the results were released, DeSantis sent a statement to reporters declaring victory — once again. "I remain humbled by your support and the great honor the people of Florida have shown me as I prepare to serve as your next governor," his statement read, striking a more conciliatory tone than the confrontational-approach he used in the campaign.  Good outcome.  Gillum is a leftist, not a liberal, and would have wrecked Florida.

US SENATE – FLORIDA – FROM CBS NEWS:   The race for Florida governor now appears to be over, while the Senate race between Gov. Rick Scott and Sen. Bill Nelson, as well as the agriculture commissioner race moved on to another recount Thursday.  Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner declared Thursday afternoon that the results from the machine recount of the Senate and agriculture commissioner races met the statutory threshold of 0.25 percent to trigger a manual recount, which is to be completed on Nov. 20.  Oh, this will be fun – a hand recount in Florida, just like the 2000 presidential election.  Some officials in Florida, by the way, have spoken out about the horrible way the state runs elections, and the impact on its reputation.  Maybe incoming Governor DeSantis will do something about it. 

DISGRACEFUL – FROM DAILYWIRE:  The Detroit School Board voted Wednesday to open consideration into whether a handful of schools should have their "offensive" names changed — including Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine, named for former presidential candidate, accomplished surgeon, and Housing and Urban Development director, Dr. Ben Carson.  The board will seek comment over the next several months on whether to change Carson High, which was named for Dr. Ben Carson before he became active in politics, and well before he became an ally of President Donald Trump, something the Detroit School Board apparently doesn't appreciate.  The Detroit News reports that at least one school board member has been campaigning to have Carson stripped of the honor, and that the proposed name change has everything to do with how the Detroit School Board feels about Republicans.  Yup, that's just what young blacks need – demeaning and insulting a man of such accomplishment.  Shame. 

November 15, 2018