Democrats in Florida today are of one voice: “Well here we are.”
The day we all dreaded has come and gone, when the DNC would decide what to do about the fact that Florida’s legislature mandated the state’s primary move ahead on the calendar. And the decision we’ve all been waiting for said, “We are rigid and terrified and if we act reasonably with Florida, all the other states will expect us to be reasonable with them. Mayhem will ensue. We must stay the course.”
At least one DNC member seemed to understand why it’s not a good idea to cut Florida adrift.
“We have to enforce our rules, but we don’t want to shoot ourselves in the head trying to heal a little cut on the hand,” said former DNC chairman Don Fowler of South Carolina, worrying the move could have long-term consequences. “You put the Republicans down there for a couple of months just humming and drumming and shucking and jiving and there’s an absence of Democrats, that’s going to give them a great advantage.”
Probably so. But now that it’s happened, now that our silver-tongued state party chair has failed to persuade, now that the national Dems have turned their backs on us, I say, “Who needs ‘em?”
Florida Democrats don’t. We will vote in our state primary, regardless of whether our votes translate into delegates for a convention whose only real purpose is the official kick-off of the general election campaign cycle.
After all, the convention is either a fun show to watch if you’re wonks like us at Pensito Review (and likely you, dear reader) or a big pain in the butt if you’re like most of the viewing public. Either way, its main value is in entertainment since the “nominee” is long known beforehand.
The drama being acted out now is that everyone has 30 days to think of a way for Florida to send delegates to the DNC’s miniseries. FDC Chair Karen Thurman is exploring pay-to-play caucus options, which the DNC will pretend to accept reluctantly rather than reveal its relief at not having to ax a main cast member in its lavish and irrelevant production.
We’re being asked to stay tuned with hints of a surprise ending. Given the state of DNC leadership, not to mention go along to get along types like Pelosi and Reid in Washington, I will probably reach for the remote.
As a life long Florida Democrate This just gave me my Indepedence I Don’t want anything now to do with this party hope they no they just lost Florida lost this vote I no after 32 to yrs
It’s times like these that I am oh so glad to be an Independent. Keeping states like Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa at the forefront of American politics is absurd. None of those states is representative of the contemporary U.S. Let’s just set a national primary day and let the buffalo chips fall where they may.
I subscribe to Democrat ideas much more than Reps however these current Dems are a waste of space.
Reps atleast fight for their voters Dems prefer to lay down and die. I will go Independent
[...] The Democratic Primary: Tally’s diary – Primary Candidate, Left Side Out – dnc leaves florida flappin’ in the wind, Tally’s diary – Primary Meaning, March on Politics – Dem Delegation Reinforces Lawsuit Threat, Independent Report – DNC strips Florida of delegates, Blast Off – The primary controversy heats up, Broward’s Blog – Tell the DNC we do not need 30 days, the seminole democrat – DNC Plays into GOP Hands in FL Primary Move, Reidblog – Florida kicked in the a… donkey, Florida Kossacks – Let’s All Take a Deep Breath, Pushing Rope – FDP Punished, Pensito Review – DNC Leaps Ever Closer to Irrelevancy as It Pledges to Stay the Course and Aikane Leo – DNC to Florida voters: Drop dead. [...]