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At grass roots

There are 40,000 more registered Democrats countywide than there are Republicans. So why does the GOP dominate?

By BILL VARIAN
Published March 19, 2006

TAMPA - The Democratic Party establishment in west Florida's largest county gathers under the yellowy light of a basement restaurant in Ybor City, chairs turned haphazardly toward the back of the room, opposite the cash bar.

With about 60 members, there's barely a quorum. With less than $4,000 in the checking account, the Hillsborough Democratic Executive Committee hardly has enough money to be a player in the looming elections.

They usually open with the Pledge of Allegiance, but the guy with the flag can't make it. Soon, they get down to the chief business at hand: An update on the longstanding feud between their top two officers.

Later, actual Democratic candidates speak, for two minutes each.

The meeting, as haphazard as its Republican counterpart is efficient, is emblematic of state party politics across Florida as the election season begins and Democrats and Republicans start spending millions to sell voters on their candidates:

Why are the Democrats, who once ran the state top to bottom, so hapless? Or why are the Republicans so dominant?

The answer is open to spin, and invites finger-pointing and unjustified claims of credit. But the meetings of both major parties in Hillsborough, a political bellwether nationally, offer some clues.

Rewind a few months, to a few days before Thanksgiving.

The party chairman almost apologizes for the small crowd assembling at a North Tampa conference center for the monthly Hillsborough Republican Executive Committee meeting. There's not quite 200 people out of roughly 400 members who make up the state's largest county GOP committee.

There is no food or cash bar. The sustenance is tables offering candidate brochures and bumper stickers with slogans such as "I think, therefore I vote Republican."

After some mingling, everyone takes seats in neat rows of folding chairs, facing the flag. They recite the pledge, pray, then quickly move on.

The assistant treasurer's PowerPoint report shows $55,276.38 in the bank, with another $100,000 expected to be raised at the coming Lincoln Day Dinner.

Nine new members are sworn in.

Afterward, they break into nine groups to discuss their grass roots activism. When's the next neighborhood meeting? Where's the door knocking? In the group that takes in most of Brandon and parts of Plant City, the Brandon Republican Club and Plant City Republican Women are organizing their annual Christmas parties.

"You have a much more targeted audience this way," Patty McClure, a committeewoman and president of the Brandon Republican Club, says later. "It makes more sense than getting up and announcing it to everyone in the room."

Finally, state party chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan, who has stopped by for a visit, heaps praise on the locals. They adjourn in a little more than an hour, marching orders in hand, and confident about the upcoming elections.

Which are still more tha n a year away.

Despite their 40,000-voter edge among registered voters in Hillsborough, Democrats hold just two elected offices in races decided countywide. And the GOP has a 5-2 majority on the County Commission.

Janee Murphy, the Hillsborough Democratic Executive Committee chairwoman, acknowledges she has work to do, that her meetings lack the focus and purpose she would like, and the party lags in street-level organizing. She says she's working on all that.

"The Republicans took a page out of our playbook. That was grass roots," Murphy said. "I want to take our damn page back. Then I want to up it."

It's Washington's Birthday, Feb. 20, and the Democrats file into the LaTam at the Centro in a historic Ybor City building around sunset.

They sign in, look at campaign fliers from candidates, then go through the buffet line for sandwiches and fried chicken fingers. A few grab cocktails.

With much prodding, Murphy calls the meeting to order. After a moment of silence in lieu of the pledge, Monroe Mack, chairman of the credentials committee, tells Murphy that 56 members have signed in, enough to conduct business. She thanks him, saying she was surprised they had a quorum.

Bob Keenan, vice chairman, disputes whether they do. He has filed a grievance against Murphy over party finances. The two rarely look at one another.

"If there's a discrepancy, we can take that up later," Murphy says, without looking his way. "Right now, I'd like to get on with business."

Business includes an oral accounting of the party's finances, which, thanks to recent donations, have swelled nearly threefold - to $3,861. Murphy says she needs $3,000 just to buy voter records from the state and equipment needed to use the data for neighborhood canvassing. Pony up, she tells the Democrats. No amount is too small.

"This voter file is finally going to put us at a position to be out there with the Republicans going door to door," she said.

After announcements, Mack stands to report on the grievance filed by Keenan, which state party leaders are trying to resolve. A Murphy supporter, he reports he expects her to prevail.

Mack then swears in three new members. He doesn't have the loyalty oath handy, so they pledge together "to say no evil about Democratic candidates."

The meeting is lumbering past the 90-minute mark when the last of the waiting candidates steps forward to speak. Some members slip out.

At every meeting they hold a raffle, and tonight's take is $64. Enough to mail about 300 fliers, in a county of 624,000 registered voters . Then Murphy steps up to rally the faithful, leading chants of "Go Democrats!" and "I like Democrats in 2006."

Before you go, she adds, hug a fellow Democrat.

Murphy took over in the void left by the death of former Democratic Party boss Mike Scionti in 2002. The party was factionalized and losing membership.

Murphy insists much of her work takes place in smaller gatherings in between meetings. She said she's reaching out to groups with shared interests, such as the Hispanic and black caucuses, to coordinate efforts.

This month, the Democrats held a workshop to teach candidates and backers campaign basics. And during the January executive committee meeting, members broke into groups to talk about ideas for a county platform on education.

Much of that discussion involved reacting to Republican measures, such as vouchers and standardized testing.

Mainly, Murphy says, she's trying to generate some enthusiasm among Democrats.

"Right now, the Republicans are considered the party in control," Murphy said. "Everybody wants to be in the in-group."

Like Murphy, Al Higginbotham took over a sharply divided Hillsborough GOP in October 2003 under trying conditions. Margie Kincaid, the longtime leader who helped build the local party, had been forced out amid a financial controversy.

When the executive committee elected Higginbotham, he promised greater openness about money, and he has delivered, with detailed financial summaries. He also promised to recruit new members and maintain civility.

Higginbotham created the regional caucuses after realizing members often didn't know their neighbors, and so weren't working together locally. This also allowed older members to shepherd newer ones.

"There is a feeling of unified focus and purpose," said McClure, who has served on the committee since 2000 and is running for vice chairman. "When you go there, you know that the meeting is going to be about making a difference. It's real short and sweet and to the point and you go home."

Committee members are encouraged to back their favorites in the primary, then rally around the victor against the Democrats. There is a sense that the issues don't need to be discussed. Everyone agrees the party stands for lower taxes, less government and personal responsibility. They focus on winning.

Higginbotham, a motivational speaker who stepped down last month to run for the County Commission, explained his strategy by quoting a famous football coach. "Vince Lombardi said attitude is a product of preparation."

Bill Varian can be reached at 813 226-3387 or varian@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 19, 2006, 01:06:13]