TheVillages

TheVillages https://www.dailykos.com/news/TheVillages News Community Action Copyright 2005 - Steal what you want Sun, 26 Jan 2020 11:37:39 +0000 Sun, 26 Jan 2020 11:37:39 +0000 Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) Blissful Ignorance - At the Villages, the Developer Owns the Paper And Reality Never Intrudes https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/1/17/1912148/-Blissful-Ignorance-At-the-Villages-the-Developer-Owns-the-Paper-And-Reality-Never-Intrudes Visiting my brother at The Villages, the massive retirement community increasingly dominating central Florida. Its well known as a community heavily supportive of Donald Trump…..he included a stop here as part of his perpetual campaign for a second term and this morning’s issue of the Villages Sun, the newspaper distributed throughout the complex daily, gives you a clear understanding of why. This is the front page of today’s Sun and on a day with articles of impeachment just delivered to the Senate by House managers, you would think that this issue would be one of those “keepers” — a document your heirs might treasure as a marker of a major moment in our nation’s history…..the start of only the third impeachment in the history of our country. Well, it’s a keeper but not for reasons you might expect. On Friday, January 17, 2020, the front page of the Village Sun does cover the impeachment….if you look very carefully at that green box up there in the left corner: <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="IMG_0548.jpg" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/757136/large/IMG_0548.jpg?1579272296" title="IMG_0548.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> Yep….that’s the coverage….Page A 13. Not far from this story: <div class="align-center"> <figure class="image-captioned"><img alt="IMG_0553.jpg" src="https://images.dailykos.com/images/757135/large/IMG_0553.jpg?1579272287" title="IMG_0553.jpg"> <figcaption></figcaption> </figure> </div> The article begins by noting that the Govt. Accounting office has ruled that The Office of Management and Budget (run by the infamous Mick Mulvaney) broke the law by holding up military aid to Ukraine, stating the President did not have the power to hold it up. Next paragraph: The OMB responded that the hold was appropriate and necessary. Villages Sun headline in big type: OMB Takes Issue With Watchdog’s Ukraine Report One thing you need to understand about the Villages newspaper. It is owned by the Villages developer. And frankly that’s all you need to know about the Villages newspaper. It is a publication relentlessly focused on two things….happy news and selling more homes in the Villages. (2010 population 28,000….estimated today….over 130,000. It’s a lifestyle, it’s retirement, it is a blissful community of innocence, well shielded from the winds of reality. And most of its residents are just fine with that. All is well in Disneyland for White People With Gates. rss@dailykos.com (dweb8231) MediaCoverage Newspaper TheVillages VillageSun _1912148 Fri, 17 Jan 2020 15:15:12 +0000 The Villages, Florida.. I want SEX now... Used Sig Sauer 9mm semiautomatic handgun https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/6/21/1541184/-The-Villages-Florida-I-want-SEX-now-Used-same-rifle-as-Orlando-shooter This guy used a semi automatic and he gets charged with criminal mischief and burglary. Of course he is white and probably claiming to be Christian but terror is terror. This man in the elite community of The Villages riddled the home with bullets to the tune of 3000 dollars worth of damage because he wanted sex and did not get it. Coming from RawStory <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/2016/06/69-year-old-florida-man-riddles-womans-home-with-bullets-after-she-refuses-to-have-sex-with-him/" target="_blank">www.rawstory.com/...</a> <blockquote> According to <a href="http://www.clickorlando.com/news/man-69-shoots-up-home-of-woman-who-refused-his-advances-deputies-say?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">ClickOrlando.com</a>, Sumter County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of gun fire at the woman’s home and arrested 69-year-old Howard Sparber. Deputies said that Sparber fired dozens of gunshots to gain entry to the house, but the woman turned out not to be home at the time. The suspect was said to still be holding Sig Sauer 9mm semiautomatic handgun when the deputies arrived. He was taken into custody without incident. Two magazines — one with 15-round capacity and another with 20-round capacity — </blockquote> The article went on to say <blockquote> Deputies estimated that Sparber caused at least $3,000 in damages by firing rounds through the front door and into the kitchen cabinetry. He was charged with armed burglary, aggravated stalking, shooting into a dwelling and criminal mischief </blockquote> Republicans say guns are not the problem.. Well many people who own them ARE the problem and between the Stalking of a female and Blowing her place apart because she did not want to lay down for him is terror I would think. The Villages are made up of mostly Republicans. This place is the largest gated community in Florida and I wonder how many feel they are any safer being locked in with this type of maniac. rss@dailykos.com (Vetwife) florida.guns Recommended semiautomatic Terrorism TheVillages White _1541184 Wed, 22 Jun 2016 03:55:55 +0000 The Most District: What's America's oldest congressional district? Florida's 11th https://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/1/1/1461768/-The-Most-District-What-s-America-s-oldest-congressional-district-Florida-s-11th <figure class="image-captioned align-right"><img alt="Florida's 11th District" src="http://images.dailykos.com/images/187110/large/Screen_Shot_2015-12-17_at_10.46.14_AM.png?1450370794" title="Florida's 11th District"> <figcaption>Florida’s 11th congressional district</figcaption> </figure> The nation’s oldest congressional district is Florida’s 11th Congressional District. The 11th district covers a wide swath of central Florida, facing the Gulf Coast in places but mostly covering the state’s interior north of Tampa and west of Orlando. It’s an area of mostly nondescript suburbs, many of which are planned retirement communities, and much of this district was simply empty several decades ago. Case in point, the largest town in the district is a place you’ve probably never heard of: Spring Hill, Florida. Spring Hill had a population of 98,621 in 2010 … and a population of 6,468 in 1980. The best-known place in the district isn’t really a town at all: it’s <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/18/1121337/-Paul-Ryan-hunts-for-votes-in-Republican-utopia-or-dystopia" target="_blank" title="">The Villages</a>, a sprawling retirement community of around 50,000 people, which isn’t incorporated. Instead, it’s a “community development district,” which is basically a fiefdom where the developers have all responsibility for the local infrastructure, where the residents don’t have a voting interest in what happens and where all public space is essentially privatized. But, on the plus side: endless free golf for the residents! The Villages is also known as one of the epicenters of the conservative movement in Florida, and Republican candidates, both at the presidential and state level, regularly trek to the Villages to make appearances before legions of fans. When one of the nation’s largest retirement communities is the heart and soul of a district, it’s a pretty good bet that that district is going to be the oldest in the nation. There are several different ways to approach the question: does “oldest” mean the highest median age among all residents, or does it mean the highest percentage of senior citizens? Well, either way, the 11th takes the honors. It has the highest median age (52.8 years), and it also has the highest percentage of persons over 65 years old (32.8 percent). (The 11th doesn’t, however, have the highest percentage of persons 85 years or older; that honor goes to Florida’s 21st district (4.2 percent), further south in Palm Beach County, which was already a retirement destination back when the 11th was mostly just orange groves.) And when one of the nation’s most notorious Republican strongholds is the anchor of a district, it’s likely that the district will be dark red. Under the slightly rejiggered lines resulting from the court-ordered re-map of Florida that'll take effect in 2016, Mitt Romney defeated Barack Obama 59 to 40 in this district in 2012, while John McCain won it 56 to 43 in 2008. It’s also likely that the district would elect a Nugent to the House, although in this case, it’s Rich Nugent, previously the sheriff of Hernando County, not Ted Nugent. Nugent, a social-conservative Republican backbencher who has attracted little attention, has represented this area since 2010. However, Nugent is <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/12/09/1458295/-Morning-Digest-The-Club-for-Growth-wants-to-help-tea-partiers-devour-one-of-their-own#6" target="_blank" title="">retiring</a> in 2016, meaning an open seat, though given the district's lean he’s almost certainly going to be replaced by another Republican. Nugent is trying to hand the seat off to his former chief of staff, Justin Grabelle, but he’ll be joined in the primary by well-connected rancher Kelly Rice, who has the endorsement of Nugent’s predecessor, ex-Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite. What could really shake things up here, though, would be if Republican Rep. Dan Webster, who currently represents the next-door 10th district, decides to move over here. Webster’s 10th district just got radically remade in the 2016 re-map, moving from a mostly suburban district to one that takes in central Orlando, becoming a 60 percent Obama district with a large African-American population. If Webster wants to stay in the House, carpetbagging next-door into the 11th may be his only hope. “The Most District” is an ongoing series devoted to highlighting congressional district superlatives around the nation. <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/tag/TheMostDistrict" target="_blank" title="">Click here</a> for all posts in this series. rss@dailykos.com (David Jarman) DanWebster FL-11 Florida GinnyBrown-Waite JustinGrabelle KellyRice RichNugent TheMostDistrict TheVillages _1461768 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 15:25:20 +0000 The Villages' Idiots https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/29/1165698/-The-Villages-Idiots Leesburg, Florida area is very Republican. All of Lake County is very Republican. The towns in Lake County have quaint names: Howie In The Hills, Chain O'Lakes, Okahumpka, and The Villages, to name a few. Most of the homes built in Lake County over the last 15 years have been in planned communities. Emphasis on planned. How much "planning? A lot. Think of the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0751076/reviews">X Files episode</a> where Mulder and Scully go under cover as a married couple in a planned community....Yes, pink flamingo lawn ornaments can be banned from Lake County yards especially if they feature flapping wings activated by a breeze. Mailboxes do not clutter up the streets, they reside in their designated gazebos near the community's common areas. People are restricted to painting the exteriors of their homes to an exciting palette of 280 shades of grey and/or beige with the occasional, lightest shade of sky blue sneaking onto the palette. This town could be/should be called Scooterville. Many homes have a golf cart parked beside their cars so they can scoot around their community to the various pools, private marinas, ball courts, classes, or golf courses. The Hawthorne in Leesburg is a development of about 3,000 triple wide and quadruple wide "manufactured homes" formerly referred to as trailers. Don't. Call. These. Homes. Trailers. The Hawthorne has a private marina, nature trail, putting green, club house, a heated pool, community vegetable garden, exercise room and an abandoned shuffleboard court. This glorified <strike>trailer</strike> manufactured home park is fairly typical of the area. Most developments in this area have at least this much or more. I must admit that most of the people I encounter here are very nice. It's their politics that I object to. These are people who love the Tea Party and despise "big government". They are staunchly anti-abortion, pro-church and mourn the loss of the simpler times where June Cleaver was a celebrated domestic goddess. Kids here have fewer tattoos and piercings, but they are just as addicted to texting as the rest of the teen populations elsewhere. It's a highly regulated environment that appeals to old white people that used to live in your neighborhood where they yelled at the kids for walking on their lawns. Although these communities are 95% white and over the age of 55, a few younger people and people of color are sprinkled into the communities for reasons beyond my ken (meaning, why anyone younger and/or hipper would want to live there is beyond me). It's not the amenities, which are many, but the highly regulated and obtrusive rules that bug me. Yes, this is Republicanism at it's most stifling. Although the entire area is not a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327162/">Stepford</a> development, sometimes I feel like I've stepped into the embodiment of a Rockwell nostalgia that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120382/">never existed</a>. Those who live without repressive home owner's associations tend to be a conservative as their counterparts who safely ensconce themselves behind their community's gates. Those gates are about as secure as a sieve. One homeless, shoeless person, pushed a grocery cart filled with all their worldly possessions across that development's nature trail into the community where she started stopping at every home asking for assistance. Rather than doing something faith based like clothing and feeding her, the "good" people of this community called their front gatehouse and complained. Rather than help her, security unceremoniously ejected this poor woman from their picture perfect world. The Huffington Post did a piece on this area of Florida and despite some of the gripes in the comment thread, I have to say it is a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/the-villages-florida_n_2076715.html">fair representation</a> of the people and attitudes that prevail in the Leesburg area. The Villages Sun is a <a href="http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/">fluff piece</a> of a newspaper. This superficial community doesn't like reality based news. It doesn't fit their world view bias. My mother-in-law lives in this area and due to her illness, I've spent some weeks here leading up to the election. This was a Romney town and I was was fairly outspoken in my support for President Obama. It didn't win me many friends. One of the more notable exchanges I had was over the repressive aspects of these home owner associations which I will tell you on the other side of the squiggle. rss@dailykos.com (JDWolverton) Big Government BigGovernment Florida leesburg Recommended Republican smallgovernment Tea Party TeaParty TheVillages _1165698 Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:52:10 +0000 Daily Spin: Paul Ryan’s Medicare Speech in The Villages, Florida 8/18/12 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/8/18/1121692/-Daily-Spin-Paul-Ryan-s-Medicare-Speech-in-the-Villages-Florida-8-18-12 Politics isn't just about ideas, or having the right idea.  It is about how you frame those ideas, and sell it to the American people.  Today, in Central Florida, Paul Ryan gave a speech to a Republican audience in The Villages, a 55+ retirement community on the borders of Lake and Marion counties.   As there was no official transcript of this speech, I had to listen and transcribe it myself to analyze the speech.  Follow me below the fleur-de-kos for my analysis.   rss@dailykos.com (Jorybu) Framing Jobs Medicare Paul Ryan PaulRyan Spin TheVillages _1121692 Sun, 19 Aug 2012 03:26:55 +0000 Paul Ryan hunts for votes in Republican utopia (or dystopia) https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/8/17/1121337/-Paul-Ryan-hunts-for-votes-in-Republican-utopia-or-dystopia <div class="dkimg-c"><img src="http://images1.dailykos.com/i/user/96305/Villages.jpg" alt="Golf cart overpass, The Villages, FL" height="413" width="550" /> <div class="dkimg-cap">Golf cart overpass, The Villages, FL</div> </div> The selection of Republican Rep. Paul Ryan as vice-presidential nominee has left behind-the-scenes Republicans concerned that he and his budget open up new vulnerabilities for the GOP on Medicare. That might be what the professional pants-wetters inside the Beltway are saying ... but is the midwestern manly-man concerned? Not at all! He plans to go on the offense and charge right into the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/paul-ryan-set-to-appear-with-mom-at-worlds-largest-retirement-community-defend-medicare-plan/">middle of Florida</a> on Saturday morning, to face legions of angry seniors and win them over. There's just one thing that Ryan is taking along with him, though ... a human shield. In the form of his mother, who'll be accompanying him to Saturday's event. You might be thinking "Awww, that's nice," or you might be thinking "Dude, that's weak, hiding behind your mom," but it's more than just a display of either familial love or cowardice; it's also a page right out of the Republican strategy memo. Politico's Charlie Mahtesian recently got his hands on an NRCC <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/charlie-mahtesian/2012/08/inside-the-ryan-budget-pushback-131951.html">strategy video</a> that was released last Sunday, providing advice to Republican campaigners on how to fight back the coming Medicare onslaught. You can watch the entire 10-minute presentation below if you're a real glutton for punishment, but if you don't want to, they break it down into five handy bullet points (although note that only three of those are usable action items): <blockquote>• Inoculate by pledging to save and protect Medicare; use credible third party validators (mom or seniors) • Collect hard evidence that your Democrat opposes repealing 'Obamacare' • Create a clear choice with your Democrat for backing 'Obamacare' and $500 billion in Medicare cuts • Republicans can actually WIN the Medicare fight • Once Medicare is litigated, the race focuses on economic issues</blockquote> (Continue reading below the fold) rss@dailykos.com (David Jarman) Florida KathyHochul MarkAmodei Medicare NV-02 NY-26 Paul Ryan PaulRyan Retirement TheVillages _1121337 Sat, 18 Aug 2012 02:59:03 +0000 Ryan Celebrates One-Week Anniversary at The Villages in Central Florida https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/8/17/1121225/-Ryan-Celebrates-One-Week-Anniversary-at-The-Villages-in-Central-Florida <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/16/1121015/-Chris-Matthews-LOL-Mitt-Romney-s-Blind-Date-with-Paul-Ryan" target="_blank"><img src="http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae293/hungrycoyote/BlindDate2.jpg" border="0" align="right" alt="Blind Date" /></a>I remember it well! It was Sunday, July 1, 2012. I woke up, made a cup of coffee, and sat down in front of my computer to read the latest diaries here at DailyKos. The first diary I read, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/01/1104886/-My-millionaire-boss-hit-me-up-for-a-Romney-donation" target="_blank">My millionaire boss hit me up for a Romney donation</a>, was at the top of the Recommended List. It turns out that the "Boss" the diarist, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/user/ObamOcala" target="_blank">ObamOcala</a>, was referring to was Billionaire H. Gary Morse, developer of a place called The Villages. <blockquote>Morse owns the local newspaper, a television channel and an AM radio station. His realty company controls 60 percent of the re-sale market in the Villages, whose commercials have been fixtures on the Golf Channel. His bank lends to retirees fleeing south; his insurance company provides them coverage. He even gets paid to pick up the trash and organize tee times. For all his ubiquity, most outside of Florida have never heard of him. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-04/hidden-billionaire-morse-a-man-behind-curtain-at-villages.html" target="_blank">Billionaire Morse Behind Curtain at Villages</a> </blockquote> Morse had sent a letter to all his employees asking them to contribute up to $2,500 to the Romney campaign. The diarist, it turns out, was a part-time employee who had worked there "with no benefits, no raise in six years and no paid vacation or sick days," and had a delicious response to the letter. I finished reading that diary, and the next diary I read (also on the Recommended List) was <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/01/1104846/-Rick-Scott-Rejects-All-Branches-of-Government-Appoints-Self-Dictator" target="_blank">Rick Scott Rejects All Branches of Government; Appoints Self Dictator</a> by <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/user/SemDem" target="_blank">SemDem</a>, which included this passage: <blockquote>You may recall during the budget signing ceremony at the Villages, several residents who dared to wear anti-Scott T-shirts in a PUBLIC square were <a href="http://youtu.be/q7-8fKQHcBA" target="_blank">threatened with criminal charges of "tresspassing"</a> by the Sumter County Sheriff's Office on the orders of one Rick Scott.</blockquote> It <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/comments/1104846/46627929" target="_blank">struck me then that it was</a> quite a coincidence that I had just read two diaries that mentioned this place called The Villages. I live in Central Florida, and until that Sunday The Villages had never registered on my radar. I read about things that had happened there, but never connected the dots. And, I honestly haven't really thought much about The Villages since then, until last night when Rachel Maddow talked about The Villages in one of her segments. Follow me below the fleur-de-orange. <blockquote><a href="http://www.thevillages.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae293/hungrycoyote/Villages.jpg" border="0" align="center" alt="The Villages" /></a> A Marks the Spot! <a href="http://www.thevillages.com/" target="_blank">The Villages</a> bills itself as Florida's Friendliest Retirement Hometown, but one wonders how friendly this Republican-heavy community would be if a Democratic candidate scheduled a stop here, or if he/she would even be allowed to schedule a stop here.</blockquote> rss@dailykos.com (hungrycoyote) 2012 HGaryMorse Mitt Romney MittRomney Paul Ryan PaulRyan RachelMaddow TheVillages _1121225 Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:44:40 +0000 My millionaire boss hit me up for a Romney donation (UPDATED w/company name) https://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/7/1/1104886/-My-millionaire-boss-hit-me-up-for-a-Romney-donation I work for The Villages, a large retirement community in Central Florida, and one of the top 20 privately held corporations in the state. My employer records annual sales of over $1 billion dollars, and the company's CEO, H. Gary Morse, is a multi-millionaire (possibly even a billionaire). In contrast, the company's employees are underpaid and have no benefits. I haven't had a raise in six years. I am a part-time hourly employee, which means no paid vacation and no paid sick leave. This year, thanks to cuts in my hours, I'm on track to gross less than $10,000. I have already decided to start my own small street food (ice cream) business next spring and quit my job. But a letter I got this weekend from my employer merely solidified my decision to part ways with this company. Follow me below the orange squiggle for more. rss@dailykos.com (ObamOcala) Barack Obama BarackObama Campaigndonationbundling CampaignFinanceReform employeepoliticalcoercion Mitt Romney MittRomney Recommended TheVillages _1104886 Sun, 01 Jul 2012 12:52:58 +0000 With apologies to Lee Greenwood (Not!) https://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/1/23/829527/-With-apologies-to-Lee-Greenwood-Not Being a progressive when you are required to spend a great deal of time at The Villages, the massive retirement community in the heart of Central Florida, isn't easy. This is one of the most reliably Republican areas in the entire state of Florida, and I'm sure Gary Morse is already salivating at the fact that he can now donate limitless amounts of moolah to Republican candidates. You have to be clever to maintain your sanity. Follow me below the fold for one way I do it. rss@dailykos.com (ObamOcala) Florida GodBlesstheUSA LeeGreenwood musicparody Snark TheVillages _829527 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:01:49 +0000 [UPDATED]: Beck announces plan to "Save the Republic" https://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/11/21/806652/--UPDATED-Beck-announces-plan-to-Save-the-Republic I work at The Villages, the sprawling retirement complex in Central Florida which is one of the most reliably Republican places left on the planet. So I guess it comes as no surprise that we recently hit the "wingnut trifecta." Mike Huckabee held a book signing at the Barnes & Noble store at Lake Sumter Landing last Monday. Sarah Palin is scheduled to "go rogue" at the same location this coming Tuesday. And today was originally scheduled to be just another book signing at the same Barnes & Noble with Fox News weeper Glenn Beck. But it has since morphed into something much more. Follow me below the fold. UPDATE:If you read this diary when I first posted it this morning, jump to the update at the end to see Glenn Beck's big "plan" revealed! rss@dailykos.com (ObamOcala) 2010elections Florida Glenn Beck GlennBeck TheVillages _806652 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:48:35 +0000 Joe & Caroline's Excellent Villages Adventure https://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/30/646578/-Joe-Caroline-s-Excellent-Villages-Adventure On Tuesday, after leaving Ocala, FL, enroute to Melbourne, vice presidential candidate Joe Biden stopped at Florida's mega retirement community, The Villages, for an ice cream cone. Then, on Wednesday evening, Obama campaign surrogate Caroline Kennedy visited The Villages to give Democrats there a pep talk. Follow me below the fold to find out what happened. rss@dailykos.com (ObamOcala) Barack Obama BarackObama campaignstops Caroline Kennedy CarolineKennedy crowdsizes Florida I-4Corridor Joe Biden JoeBiden Ocala TheVillages _646578 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:36:07 +0000 The Empire Strikes Back - Villages, FL Edition https://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/16/632376/-The-Empire-Strikes-Back-Villages-FL-Edition A little more than 2 weeks ago, I wrote about the modest success volunteers were having in a Florida Republican stronghold, the massive retirement community known as The Villages. Well, the McCain crowd has finally organized their response. And while they've been moderately successful in pushing back, Obama is still picking up supporters in a place where Democrats, in the past, have pretty much kept to themselves. Read on below the fold for the latest news from our storming of the ramparts of this Republican bastion. rss@dailykos.com (ObamOcala) AnAmericanCarol Barack Obama BarackObama Florida Ground Game GroundGame John McCain JohnMcCain Sarah Palin SarahPalin TheVillages _632376 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:59:15 +0000 GOP's Vee Pee Candi Vamps Viagratown https://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/20/604519/-GOP-s-Vee-Pee-Candi-Vamps-Viagratown Or, The Mystery, Passion, and Resurrection of Our Lord Sarah Palin, Her Ascension into Paradise... <img hspace="6" align="left" src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l68/floridaworkforce/villages.jpg" /><a href="http://www.thevillages.com/">The Villages,</a> an hour north of Walt Disney World, bills itself as "Florida’s Friendliest Hometown." The largest residential real estate project in the U.S.---40 square miles sprawled across three counties---accommodates 30,000 houses and enough pharmacies, convenience stores and chain restaurants to serve 80,000 demanding residents 55 and older. Locals in nearby Leesburg call it Viagratown. A gynecologist reported <a href="http://www.local6.com/news/9283707/detail.html">she treats more STDs at the Villages</a> than she did in Miami, thanks to God’s little blue miracle. In Viagratown, they believe in miracles. Tomorrow---Sunday---they hope to witness Sarah Barracuda’s resurrection and ascension to paradise. And today, Viagratown is throbbing with excitement. rss@dailykos.com (doorguy) Propaganda Sarah Palin SarahPalin TheVillages _604519 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:51:16 +0000