Email FL Dem Party at [e-mail] and tell them off in a BIG way !

[RBInMaine]

I hear the FL Dem Party totally SUCKS. ZERO excuses for losing the Sink special election.

They MUST hear from EVERYONE whether or not you're from FL. That state has HUGE national implications and yet their state Dem party SUCKS.

Someone needs to get FIRED over this TOTALLY BLOWN race. I sent several donations from WAY out of state.

Also, rank and file Dems need to GET THE HELL TO THE POLLS !! This is BULLSHIT.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Nothing surprises me in this state. It's FILLED to the brim with right wingnuts nt

[elleng]

2. I agree,

and consequently haven't sent anyone any $.

[TheNutcracker]

3. Here is a good post re the FLA Dem party from the other Jolly won thread explaining this...

"Well, when you realize the Democratic Party of Florida is run by a former ChoicePoint lobbyist,

And her husband was on the Bush legal team during Bush v Gore, it goes downhill from there.

They had a good candidate initially for that race, until Sink decided she wanted the job. Sink was perceived by many to be a carpet-bagger from a district 40 miles away, on the other side of Tampa.

The other Dem candidate had all the right endorsements and Emily's list support. But then they withdrew their support for some reason (Sink being a board member wouldn't have anything to do with it, would it?).

And $11 million in negative ads turned a lot of people off."

************************
The "other candidate" in the race before Alex, raised 100K and only suspended her campaign. She could jump back in, as the race is still on. Her name is Jessica Ehrlich. Now maybe she can continue what she started???????

[flpoljunkie]

16. Good point. Jolly has to run again in November to keep his seat in Congress.

[DonCoquixote]

4. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

She needs to be fired. If she cannot even help win her own damned state, what use is she to the party?

[Fuddnik]

17. Wasserman-Shultz and Bill Nelson hand pick the FDP Chair.

They tell them right out of the box, that their first and only job is to get THEM re-elected.

[delrem]

24. A lot of big-names in whatever political party were chosen by big $$,

Last edited Wed Mar 12, 2014, 10:11 PM - Edit history (1)

long before they became big-names. The $$ asks for a meeting, a meeting at a spread that'd shake a Puritan Father or Mother to the bones and is designed to feed an addiction to what such meetings with $$ will always deliver, and at that meeting $$ proposes that the anointed candidate should agree to the job.

(eta: note the diametrical opposition to what a normal "job interview" entails, which most often includes incredible personal preparation to prove that one is best, after which one knocks on the door. In this case the potential candidate is already approached, before the knock, only after an equally assiduous investigation into the candidate's potential. The winning candidate can exclaim "eureka! a synthesis of opposites!&quot

A responsive initial meeting requires a followup or several before the wheels hit the road, then requires a friendly relationship continue. And that explains the lifeblood of and deepest thinking of all too many politicians. Perhaps the massive majority of politicians in both US political parties, and likewise throughout so-called "Western Democracies".

Sometimes the big $$ already owns a political party, and sometimes it sees a political party ripe for the picking, to take over the name. I've seen both in my own local politics, expanding outward. It's the name of a very much existing game.

[ancianita]

5. I spend winters south of Tampa Bay, but will be registering as a Democrat here soon.

My ex is from Pinellas, and he'd tell us that it's packed with racist, anti-abortion, gun rights, anti-Obamacare Fox watching conservatives who love spite voting. My sent email below might be a lame response full of naive advice, but I call it a kind of 'drop in the bucket' feedback.

" Dear Florida Democratic Party leaders:

When the national DNC Chair is from Florida and STILL endorses sanctions against Cuba, she doesn't inspire Democratic voters nationally. Beyond her cautious, status quo cover as a corporate shill of the type national Dems detest most, it's clear that she didn't exert enough effort toward improving the GOTV, and thus, you people look bad.

It's one thing for Dems to be angry with her overall national performance. But you Floridian Dems need to get your own leadership together on the GOTV. Fire your GOTV leader. Open up to get more fired up university students, minorities and progressives into your campaign network. Recruit every registered Democrat you can for more than just donations.

You either represent Democratic Party citizens or you represent your wealthier donors, who get their goals met no matter which party is in office. This party can afford who and what it wants to afford. You can pay, and then pay closer attention to the campaign machinery. You can afford to lawyer up on the district vote counters. You know your registrants in that district, and should have better organized phone banks for vote mailers and transportation. Challenge precinct counts and the voting machinery. Your priorities in hiring good GOTV campaign people are not evident to the rest of us.

As it is, Florida is seen by most of the nation as a crazytown. Democrats all over the country are beyond angry with both Wasserman-Schultz and you for blowing the GOTV. Your messages don't show fight, instill trust, and aren't saturating. Don't think you'll have job stability or political credibility with voters whom the DNC chair benignly ignores. Citizens of the fourth largest state in this politically sold out country deserve a party that represents them. Get it together by November. "

[delrem]

6. They're not going to change, you know - until their asses are kicked out.

Which has to be done locally.

I doubt the "FL Dem Party" movers and shakers will bother reading such emails - and why should they when so clearly they don't have an opposition "base" within the FL Dem Party to listen to either.

To change the situation so-called "rank and file Dems" (whoever *they* are) in FL have to overthrow their leadership, while at the same time they have to admit that they've been asleep at the switch (not fucking *there* - which raises today's question "who the fuck are you, now, to complain?&quot , and that isn't so easy as to ask for emails from across the US to express some nebulous, gassy, concern, in case some FL Dem Party mover and shaker might deign to read it.

[ancianita]

7. It's still important to let them know that Democrats everywhere are paying close attention.

If enough bitch and show anger toward them, they just might have to stop thinking of their work as some j.o.b. and start actually working.

[delrem]

8. I don't agree. My repeated and final statement: THEY WILL NOT CHANGE.

To hope that they might change is to PUT YOUR HOPE IN A FALSE SOLUTION.

For change to happen: THEY HAVE TO BE OUSTED! People who have shown actual commitment and caring should be elected in their place. This has to happen at the grassroots OR IT NEVER HAPPENS.

[ancianita]

9. Ousting. How is that done. First, by anger and threat as warnings. Then fire their butts.

[delrem]

10. It's done at a constituency level.

It requires building up a base.

And if a base can't be built up solid enough to oust such bad actors as these, then that base isn't worth the breath it takes to name it.

It requires understanding that people who've been selling you and your political kin down the river are exactly that, they are the type who'll sell you down the fucking river *every time*. It requires a no holds barred effort to get rid of these bad actors, because they've *proven* themselves to be bad actors.

It does NOT require sending the bad actors to rehab, after which with a few new tag-lines and memes they can come chuckling forth once again to sell you down the river -- rinse and repeat!

[ancianita]

11. You're right. Half the problem seems to be the base.

[RBInMaine]

14. OK, so what are YOU doing to help get that grassroots-led state party change going?

[delrem]

22. I work for the left at a constituency level in BC, Canada. Thank you for asking. nt

[RBInMaine]

13. Fine, then contact local and county party committees to urge the ousting. But DO something.

[delrem]

25. "oustings" occur at a democratic level, after a vote.

An "ousting" requires putting forward a new leadership, that wins the vote.

It is *fact* (by *definition* it is fact) that it's only through a majority compiled by the smallest scale democratic (small 'd') action, that a majority of progressive leadership can emerge. And from that widespread base a progressive leadership can emerge with sufficient power to engender change on a more general and larger scale level.

[RBInMaine]

12. Then email or call the party Chair directly. Sure, the FL rank and file in the local and county Dem

committees there need to lead the way. So contact them too. Every little bit helps.

[rtracey]

15. Face Facts

Face this piece of reality.... 2014 is going too be a bombshell for our party. We are going to lose the Senate, Right Wingers are going too keep the house, and Obama is going too be a walking veto stamp for 2 years, and its all because this party is so damned complacent. We refuse too push agenda, we just muttle through, most of us don't openly support our president, and guess what...tough crap... maybe its time too be looking through the outdoor. I have been pushing on facebook and other sources to get the vote out in 2014....every page I see, I have been hitting it, I see friends in the store, I hit them, at work, at recreation, etc.....I am seeing very little push... ok so good luck in 2014, and really good luck if you are retirement age, because, the right wing are coming for your retirement, your healthcare and going too make you pay higher taxes (middleclass). the only good thing that can come of a GOP sweep is now their own people will soon feel the ax too. (not the Kochs), but the lower, middle class.....seeya

[RBInMaine]

29. I think your prognosis is hyperbolic. Chill down.

I agree the party needs to push a clear agenda, but your prognosis is premature and hyperbolic. The lessons to be learned from
FL are three: recruit candidates with more pizazz, in SPECIAL elections do more to rally BASE voters and get them to the polls, and, for rank and filers, VOTE. It is a very important STATE but this was a LOCAL race.

Sink was a nice person but a lame campaigner and debater. Yes, they did need to do more to rally and excite the base and then mobilize them to the polls in this kind of special election which are known for low turnout. And it is NOTHING NEW that Dems more than R's are more apt to sit out off cycle elections like this. Remember, Sink won the Indies and won the early vote. The problem was not enough Dems showed up on election day, and the R base voters did in much larger numbers just as anticipated.

The FL Dem party should have recruited a better candidate from INSIDE the district, and they should have done more to target voting blocks less apt to vote such as young people, young women, minorities, etc.

But remember, this is red a leaning district in most elections and has been for decades and for the first time in decades they damn near won it.

You can not gauge the national scene in this very large and diverse nation over one election in one county in one state.

Again, I do agree the party has some real responsibility here and they need to get their act together.

[rtracey]

34. premature and hyperbolic

Ok perhaps, but in the scheme of things...who do you want pushing to stop complacency? someone preaching gloom and doom, or someone passively say its going to be ok.... This Florida election is just the tip of the iceberg. If we (democratic party) cant get our voters out to vote in a special election, (one DUer said he saw 0, no lawn signs, no billboards, he said he even asked and many didn't even know there was a special election) whats going to happen when we need the voters in mostly red states to vote for the blue senator, and there are many up for reelection in red states...forget all the house races this year, our need is to make sure the Senate stays under Democratic leadership, and it is going to be a major uphill battle. Will the people view their national Senate race like a local candidate race, or like a special election race....i believe so.... there tends too be a smaller % of voter in a midterm election cycle, and that is where complacency will take this party down....Premature and Hyperbolic...maybe, but as I reach retirement age in a few years, I do not want the Right Wing controlling the purse strings.

[RBInMaine]

35. Your dooming and glooming only feeds the right wing corporate media mantra. Enough already.

This was Florida 13, and I have provided the correct analysis. In fact, with you saying how bad it was from your perspective, you should be THRILLED that Sink got as close as she did. Remember, the RePUKE in this race did not have a banner turnout either. It was very close. With all that money the RePUKES spent they could only muster a very narrow win?

You, like so many others, are extrapolating too much from this. Remember, just last year VA Dems swept the state offices against all historical odds. FL should have learned their lessons. See my other post for how they did it.

Yes, with the Dems it will be about rallying base voters and GETTING PEOPLE WHO ONLY VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL YEARS OFF THEIR ASSES AND THE HELL TO THE POLLS. Dems can do this IF they do as VA did, and as I say in my other post, and GET LOUD on some key issues that will rally the base and do a more effective turnout operation, AND if rank and filers GET OFF THEIR ASSES. THEY have some responsibility too.

Yup, Sink, her people, the FL Dem Party, and rank and file Dems in FL 13 blew this one. There is blame to go around. They needed a more energetic and charismatic candidate, they needed to get MUCH LOUDER on some key base issues, and they needed to aggressively target not only reliable die hard Dem voters, but also voting blocks that are less likely to show up such as young single women, young people in general, parts of the minority communities, etc. A special election is a TURNOUT election, and, in the end, the R's dumped in a lot of money and got more of friendly voters to the polls to eke out a win here. It COULD have been won, and the FL Dem Party, more than ANYTHING else, needs to learn from this. They have a GOOD chance to win the governorship IF they LEARN from this error.

[Fuddnik]

18. When you try to expose their corruption, you get chased out of town. Video

http://vimeo.com/88703809

I've had first hand experience with them actively undermining good candidates.

[liskddksil]

19. They had a great candidate in Jessica Ehrlich and they blew her off

to support the milquetoast Alex Sink. She was a candidate who had already demonstrated an inept campaign style when she couldn't manage to be Rick Scott who had admitted to Medicare fraud in Florida of all places.

[DonCoquixote]

20. I will agree to that

As much as I hate the wolf in Democrat clothing Charlie Crist, he who got Rubio elected, I would rather have him against Scott than sink. At least Crist will have no illusions that he can run from the liberals.

[juajen]

21. Don't blame the dems. It's probably dirty voting machines, as usual. NT

[BlueDemKev]

23. No, it's turnout

Florida overhauled their voting machines in 2001 following the Bush-Gore disaster a year earlier. The problem is that too many Democrats didn't bother to vote. Too many folks in our voting base believe that only presidential elections matter. Until we fix that problem, we will continue to lose elections and we will never be able to get enough wind out of the far right's sails.

[RBInMaine]

30. Bullshit. It was low Dem turnout due to THEIR apathy AND poor campaigning and mobilization work.

[oldandhappy]

26. Did you tap into their phone banks and help them??

[liskddksil]

28. If her facebook page is to believed, the phone-banking was inefficient and was losing her votes

because people were being called repeatedly to the point of harassment.

[RBInMaine]

33. They needed to be expanding the map, calling people who don't normally vote in odd cycles like this.

[oldandhappy]

36. understand

Same problem in the recent San Diego, CA mayoral election. I do not live in the voting area but al close enough to care and do the phone bank thing. Too many calls to some folk.

[RBInMaine]

31. Not this time, though I have for out of state elections before. I sent several donations. I am VERY

involved in my own local political work and have been out getting signatures to get our candidates onto our ballots for the June primaries.

I've spent a lot of time in FL and a lot of bucks there.

[doc03]

27. The Republicans spent more money and face it Obamacare

will lose the Senate for us in 2014. It is a disaster, you can't sugar coat it. I was there the last three weeks the Republicans ran against Obamacare and cuts to Medicare to pay for Obamacare.

[RBInMaine]

32. It's a red-leaning district in local races like this and the D nearly won. Your doom and gloom on

that point is premature. Nationally, it is becoming MORE popular all the time. That district is filled with affluent elderly who tend to vote R and yes, they did turn out in better numbers than the D's who are TYPICALLY more apathetic. But the R's didn't turn out in vast numbers either. It was only 37% turnout in TOTAL. Don't read too much into this.

In Maine, we going to CRUSH the GOP for refusing to expand Medicaid here. We are the oldest state in the nation, and Mainers WANT that expansion.