All is happy among the Florida Democratic leadership. They are fine with how it all happened. The only ones who are confused are the people of the Democratic Party in Florida...some of whom are fearful that
Democrats can not even vote here.They wanted Florida to be more relevant during the early primaries. They said we are such a big state, and New Hampshire and Iowa are so very little.....that we should have a bigger role. Fine and good, but do it the right way, not disrupting the primaries.
In effect, the bottom line, the Florida Democrats traded the voters' right to choose for the chance to be a media darling and influence the election by their vote as a big state....instead of by the selection of delegates. Media one, Democrats in Florida zero.
With Florida’s presidential preference primary barely a month away, Lee County elections and political officials say they’re alarmed at the level of confusion among voters — especially Democrats — over the voting process.
“Everywhere I go, even at the grocery store, people ask me why Democrats’ votes won’t count, or why should they vote if their votes don’t count,” Lee Elections Supervisor Sharon Harrington said. “I tell them everybody can vote, but it seems like a lot of people don’t understand that.”
The Florida legislature, the Democratic congresspeople from Florida, and the state party gave up the people's right to make a choice in the primary with their vote....and went for gaining more importance as a very large state which will get lots of media coverage for being so big.
Bill Nelson is fine with what he did.
Nelson said he is still glad he sued the DNC, even if he lost, because he stood up for the right to vote and called attention to a broken system.
It "will give us the momentum as we try to change the primary system from the chaos that has developed now into a more rational system," said Nelson, who is sponsoring a bill to set up a national primary schedule.
He took away our choice to get the momentum he wanted. He forced the DNC to use valuable time and money on one of the many lawsuits against Deam's DNC. (As an aside...why are there so many lawsuits??)
And the party chairwoman, Karen Thurman? She's ok, too.
"I don't have any regrets," said Florida Democratic Party Chairman Karen Thurman. "It was for maximum participation, it was for the purposes of not having a chaotic system and it was to keep the fiscal responsibility of the party also in mind."
Florida's Early Primary Draws Candidates, Political FightsAnd has the media told the truth on this yet. No, they have not.
Many Democratic leaders also liked the idea of Florida having more sway, but the state party officially took the position of favoring a Feb. 5 primary to avoid breaking national party rules. Democratic lawmakers halfheartedly tried to change a bill setting the primary date, knowing they didn't have the votes to overcome their Republican colleagues' will.
Media still spinning this. The Democratic party and the Democratic lawmakers here were totally on board with this issue. The vote was 115 to 1. And they worked with Marco Rubio, Jeb's right hand man,
as early as March 2006.Rubio already had Democrats on board.
"Florida Democrats are all for it," Mark Bubriski, spokesman for the Florida Democratic Party, said at the time. (The time was March 2006)
And Palm Beach County is admittedly feeling a pinch. They predict lowered voter turnout.
Palm Beach County expects lower turnout"The reason our state’s delegates are getting the cold shoulder is that Florida Democrats and Republicans decided to move up the state's primary date this year, hoping to make Florida more relevant than it was in the 2004 primary elections.
But the idea seems to have backfired. Instead the national parties decided to punish Florida for cutting in line, so to speak, making the state almost irrelevant. How? Republicans say only half the states delegates will be counted at their national convention. And democrats say none of Florida’s delegates will be counted at theirs.
Dr. Arthur Anderson, supervisor of elections for Palm Beach County says the negative impact is clear. “Absolutely, without a doubt, without a doubt,” says Anderson, “They do feel disenfranchised.” In a typical primary election year they'd issue about 30,000 absentee ballots to eligible voters in Palm Beach County. But this year, demand for those ballots is half that with just over 15,000, “So I think that does indicate somewhat of a low interest level,” says Anderson.
My absentee ballot is on the way. I don't know yet how I will vote. It will either Obama or Edwards for sure.
There is a vital tax amendment on the ballot as well. I was hoping the Democratic state party would send out information on the issue. It appears to be good on the surface...you know...lowered taxes. But it really not that good at all. It would be a great rallying point to get voters out.
