Look at a national county map. It's the Deep South.
Correct. The Panhandle merely conforns with regional geography. It's Southern Florida that's the aberration.
This is correct. Having lived there a little bit, I was always aware of how "northern" south florida was. it wasn't until spring break 2 years ago when i went to the panhandle (destin) for the first time...i couldn't believe it was the same state!!
Orlando (Orange County) used to be alot more conservative than it is now, heck even Dole was able to win Orange County. Tampa is a little more conservative. Volusia County is pretty Democratic.
They say if you live north of Orlando, you're not a "real" Floridian. Well with the exception of Broward, Palm Beach, and Dade, demographically it doesn't look any less conservative than the rest of the South. The people in Polk County (between Orlando and Tampa) and around Lake Okeechobee are just as redneck as rural Mississippi and alabama