Florida, a swing state only a few years ago, has turned so Republican — at least on paper — as to make some people doubt whether it’s worth President Joe Biden’s time in 2024.

They’re spooked by Donald Trump having won the state twice, by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ easy re-election two years ago, and by the GOP now leading the Democrats by nearly 900,000 voters.

Much has changed since Barack Obama won Florida twice. One factor appears to be migration of Republican voters from Democratic-leaning states where living is more expensive and taxes are higher. Another is Trump’s hypnotic appeal to resentments.

Finally, over the years, the Florida Democratic Party has been only marginally competent — a record of futility that party chair Nikki Fried promises to change.

Joe Biden's optimism

Biden is an optimist by nature, and judging by his campaign visit to Tampa last week, his optimism extends to fighting for Florida.

And it should, even though Florida’s 10 television markets make it one of the most expensive states in which to campaign. The 13.5 million people registered to vote here deserve to be taken seriously rather than for granted, especially the 3.5 million who have no party affiliation.

What could put Florida back in play is abortion rights, the issue Biden chose to emphasize in his speech at Hillsborough Community College.

No state is doing more to deny those rights. Florida’s new ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy — a time when many women don’t even know they’re pregnant — kicks in on May 1. Trump made that possible by stacking the Supreme Court — as he said he would — with justices who would repeal Roe v. Wade. He claimed all the credit when they did, and now he deserves the blame.

DeSantis did the same to the Florida Supreme Court to create the majority that effectively erased the privacy rights the voters put in the state constitution.

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