But will two groups from the Hillsborough Democratic Party hurt or help its candidates?
By DAVID KARP
Published August 7, 2004
TAMPA - On any Saturday this summer, Democrats can be found walking precincts around Hillsborough County.
On the same days, in a different part of the county, other Democrats are doing much the same thing. They are canvassing neighborhoods to find likely Kerry voters. Only this group does not hand out fliers that say, "Vote John Kerry."
Their fliers say, "Vote. 537."
In one of the key battleground counties in Florida, two separate Democratic Party organizations are operating independent of each other.
An organization called the "537 Group" - named for the 537 Florida votes that handed George Bush the White House - has broken off from the Hillsborough Democratic Executive Committee.
The 537 Group has its own precinct captains, voter lists, absentee ballot requests and events. It operates almost as a parallel political party.
Publicly, Democratic activists say this shows the party is reaching beyond its traditional union, minority and liberal core.
"I saw Democrats that would never be caught dead at a DEC meeting" at a recent 537 Group event, said Clay Phillips, an executive committee member and political consultant.
Quietly, some Democrats wonder, however, if splitting volunteers could hurt the party's chances in the Tampa area, a politically volatile region that literally could decide the presidential race.
The Bush-Kerry race in Florida, like the 2000 election, could turn on a fraction of votes. Nuts-and-bolts organization could be crucial. Some activists say the party needs a disciplined operation like the Republicans have - one that devises a strategy, targets precincts and identifies likely voters to contact on Election Day.
"I am glad to see a lot of people working, but if we could ever get everyone under the same umbrella, then we could institutionalize this," Phillips said.
"That is the strength of the Republican Party. Things that get done one year are around for the next cycle," he said. "We lack continuing institutions. We have campaigns."
The 537 Group's emergence mirrors a national trend, with groups such as Moveon.org spending millions of dollars on TV ads and canvassing thousands of votes separate from the national party and presidential campaigns.
"For the first time in my watching of politics, Democrats have discovered decentralization, rather than centralization," said Susan MacManus, a government professor at the University of South Florida and expert on Florida politics. "I think it's a sign of strength."
Hillsborough Republicans also see local Democrats more determined than ever.
"I think they are working a lot harder than I have ever seen them work," said April Schiff, vice chair of the Hillsborough Republican Party. "There is a lot of anger. Emotion fuels political campaigns."
After Bush's election, local Democrats recognized they needed to be better organized. Two more votes in every precinct would have beaten Bush.
The local party's work for Al Gore had been disorganized. Democrats were "horrified" about running a campaign like that again, said Phyllis Busansky, a Democratic Executive Committee member and former Hillsborough county commissioner.
This was the impetus for creating 537 Group, which began as a club within the Democratic Party.
For years, the DEC has been a fractious organization divided by personalities and egos. Candidates said the party did not do enough to back them.
At first, 537 met as part of the DEC. Not for long.
Democrats say Busansky clashed with DEC chairwoman Janee Murphy. Both women can be charming, and outspoken.
"I do not believe that Janee believed in a club - or this kind of club," Busansky said.
So Busansky formed her own group.
There were advantages. The 537 Group did not have to follow the same rules as the local party.
To become a DEC member, people must sign loyalty oaths. They must attend a certain number of meetings - or risk being removed.
People with families and busy jobs don't have the time, said Jason Busto, a DEC member who helped start the 537 Group but is no longer active.
"We need to streamline the process," Busto said.
There also is a difference in style that could affect the comfort level of newcomers to politics.
Democratic Executive Committee meets at Valencia Garden Restaurant, a traditional gathering spot for politicians and activists. The meetings often run long and late, and can be dominated by partisan rhetoric and factional debates.
The 537 Group meetings have been held at Blackhawk Cafe in Old Hyde Park Village, the Carrollwood Recreation Center, and the Diplomat on Bayshore Boulevard. For Kerry's acceptance speech, the 537 Group threw a party at Mise En Place, a trendy restaurant downtown.
The 537 Group draws Republicans and independents, who dislike Bush but might not vote for all Democrats, Busansky said. They hold meetings in South Tampa and the suburbs, closer to people's homes. They also operate in a gray area outside campaign finance laws. They are a volunteer group that has not registered formally as any kind of entity.
On weekends, the 537 Group walks neighborhoods to identify registered Democrats and independents who will vote for Kerry. They don't hand out Kerry literature, although the group's brochure says it was formed to defeat Bush. If a voter seems likely to back Kerry, they check their name on a precinct list. They are supposed to enter all names into a database so members can call likely Kerry supporters near Election Day.
Meanwhile, DEC members also are walking precincts and entering names into their own lists.
Busansky said there's plenty of work for both groups. "This county is so huge," she said.
Murphy agrees: "The more, the merrier."
Florida Democratic Party chairman Scott Maddox isn't concerned. "We are glad to have them working," he said.
Both groups promise they will work together. And yet, Busansky and Murphy have not spoken to each other in months.
"Right now, it's so crazy, I don't even get to talk to my family," Murphy said.
The split also could affect local races.
Busansky, for example, is backing Democrat Ed Austin's bid for the Hillsborough County Commission. Austin, a former Tampa Bay Rowdies player, has never run for office before.
He's challenging fellow Democrat Bob Buckhorn, a former City Council member and mayoral candidate who's known by thousands of voters.
Activists say this is a needless primary fight. There are two countywide commission seats open. Austin and Buckhorn could have run in different races and made the party more competitive.
Buckhorn said the groups need to make peace.
"I think when different groups have different agendas sometimes folks lose sight of what their mission is," Buckhorn said. "This is not time for petty personality spats."
