This is how you can tell if you are a Republican or Democrat in Florida right now. If you are Republican, you know of the special legislative election for District 44—a district that Hillary won. You know that district has no less than four GOP candidates competing. You know this because the GOP is out there, campaigning like crazy. They are out there spreading their message of vitriol and hate. They have also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars between them.
But if you are a Florida Democrat, you likely don’t know there is even an upcoming race. The state party didn't even bother to recruit a candidate. They decided to sit this one out. (They tend to do that a lot.)
One guy in the district decided to run. Paul Chandler. He’s all in, putting a few K of his money. The Florida Democrats haven’t given an ounce of help. His largest donor was a $500 check sent to him by the former head of the Orange County Democrats. He is also livid over our state party’s defeatist attitude:
We need to rethink some of our basic assumptions and maybe we’ll have a chance. You need to put good players on the field in as many places as possible.
Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel columnist, was blunt and called our state Democratic Party a bunch of losers: if the Democrats don’t even try in a competitive race like this, then they are basically waving the white flag.
And that’s exactly what we are doing.
Want another example of our stupidity?
In yet another special election, the Hillsborough County head said the state Democratic Party’s House Victory committee only really tried to recruit one candidate. When he turned them down, she said they were no longer interested in backing a candidate in what they described as a “strongly GOP-leaning district.”
The damn district is split in registration 35K/32K GOP to Dem. That is NOT hopelessly GOP! A motivated candidate with a good message can absolutely win—and it only takes 236 signatures to get on the ballot!
Still need more?
State Rep. Kionne McGhee (D-Miami) is the incoming House minority leader who’s in charge of recruiting and helping Democratic state House candidates. I should not have to tell anyone how wildly unpopular Trump has become, even in Florida, and lot of vulnerable state House candidates were worried about the surge of Democratic anger across the state.
Well, Mr. McGhee essentially told them to rest easy. He announced his goal for the 2018 cycle is NOT to gain House seats, which traditionally favors the opposition party, but just to hold onto those the party already has:
We’re not going to play in a district just because we can. We’re going to go after those races that we believe we can win.
The great Bill Maher summed up this attitude in one phrase:
“The Democrats not only don’t bring a knife to a gun fight, they bring a covered dish.”
The GOP knows how to fight. They always run, and they always back whomever is running because they know it’s not all about winning. A vigorous campaign spreads your message, allows debate, and builds infrastructure you need to win a future race. The GOP was the minority party for decades in Florida, but they crawled out of that by fighting everywhere and constantly—even when they were told it was hopeless.
Just look at where they are now. In a state where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans, we haven’t won a statewide race in over a decade. We are at 79-41 in the House, 24-15 in the Senate. Clearly, the defeatist strategy that has permeated our party hasn’t been working.
I wish the Florida Democratic leadership would have joined me here at #NetrootsNation. I just attended a panel that had a campaign manager for a successful Democratic campaign. He too was told going after Henry Hyde’s seat in Illinois was beyond pointless. He was simply too powerful and the Democrat would get crushed. That was true—but they kept running. Henry Hyde won, but by less and less every time. Then a young woman tried. She came close, but lost. She said the infrastructure from the past campaigns made a huge difference, and would try again. This woman not only won the next election, but moved on up:
I can’t put all the blame on the Florida Democrats.
After the November election, my despair turned to hope when I saw a gigantic surge in the monthly meetings for my tiny Seminole County Democratic Party. Hundreds of people showed up and continue to show up. We have an army of volunteers, but what we lack is candidates:
“I’m really disappointed in Seminole County,” reports Democratic Committeewoman Marian Williams. “With the hundreds who have turned out this year for our monthly meetings, and signed up for various committees, we have two announced candidates and only a few more planning or even considering campaigns.”
Commissioner races, mayoral races, school board races are going to be ceded, and that is not okay.
Dammit, Democrats!
If you are waiting for permission to run, you will never get it. If you are counting on help from your party, forget it. There is never going to be a better time or better chance. Run. Fail. Or win. But dammit, get out there. Elected office is one job where long resumes and experience don’t count for much. Passion and the willingness to fight for your ideals gets people and fundraisers moving. Even if you are in a R+22 district, that needle will never move if we don’t compete.
You have a choice: keep bitching or do something.
Please do something.
- Candidates needed in Seminole County FL: Email campaign@semdems.com
- Oct 10th Special Election for District 44: www.paulforflorida.com
- Oct 10th Special Election Jose Vasquez for District 58: www.facebook.com/...