Politics

Parties split on primary reactions

Democrats are angry. Republican say ho-hum. Why?

By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published September 7, 2007

Both of Florida's major political parties stand to be punished for holding their presidential primary earlier than the national Democrats and Republicans allow.

The reaction from Florida party leaders could hardly be more different:

"This is simply a disagreement within a family, the Republican family," shrugged Florida Republican chairman Jim Greer. "The sky is not falling on the Republican Party. ... In the unlikely event that we lose half the delegates, the half that remains will continue to be an extremely influential part of the convention."

Then there's Florida Sen. Bill Nelson on the Senate floor Thursday:

"This means the country's fourth largest state will have no say in picking a Democratic presidential nominee," he said. "Unacceptable. Unacceptable. Unacceptable."

While Democrats across Florida are angry and confused about arcane party rules, and the major presidential candidates are boycotting the state's Jan. 29 primary, most Florida Republicans either don't know or don't care that their party also faces penalties for setting an early primary.

The Republican National Committee is poised to strip at least seven states - Florida, South Carolina, Michigan, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and Wyoming - of half their delegates to the national convention for violating a restriction against scheduling a nominating election before Feb. 5.

Greer is pushing to bring Florida's full slate of 114 delegates to Minnesota next year - and Republican National Committee officials are skeptical of his argument - but Gov. Charlie Crist this week summed up the prevailing sentiment about possibly having a few dozen fewer delegates: ho-hum.

"Even if there may be some party leaders in Washington, Democratic or Republican, who want to put more emphasis in process than people, that's their right, but I just think they're wrong," Crist said. "I think that a statewide vote for the next leader of the free world on the Democratic or Republican side is a significant event."

Part of the difference in how Florida Democrats and Republicans are responding to their national parties boils down to the punishment. National Democrats are being especially harsh. Winning the nomination requires winning enough delegates after all, and the worst case for Florida Republicans would be to have 57 delegates to offer, compared to zero for Florida Democrats.

Nelson, who on Thursday announced his sponsorship of a bill to revamp the entire primary process in 2012, is threatening legal action if Florida loses its delegates but has repeatedly declined to explain the legal grounds for such a suit. National Democrats dismiss it as an empty threat.

While Florida Democratic leaders have been threatening lawsuits, belittling "party insiders" and shouting about the national party disenfranchising voters, the Florida GOP has been relatively mute.

"If I was the decisionmaker on the Democratic side, I would be promoting a different strategy. ... I've made an effort to keep the rhetoric down," said Greer. He said he hopes that even if the RNC rules against him this year, that decision may be overturned when a nominee emerges later.

"If we haven't solved the issue the day before the convention, when we have to get on the plane, 114 delegates are getting on that plane," Greer said.

The DNC wants Florida Democrats to declare the Jan. 29 election officially meaningless and schedule a later, alternative election - congressional district caucuses, for instance, or a vote by mail to divvy up presidential delegates.

After rejecting those alternatives as too expensive, confusing or problematic for voter turnout, state Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman is now reconsidering. There appears to be no consensus among party regulars, however.

"Ultimately, by the time November comes around, I'm hopeful this will all be a distant memory," said Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, who thinks the party should forget about caucuses and concentrate on Jan. 29. "I say full speed ahead and let's send a message to the party and provide a huge turnout in January. We all know that the delegate situation will work itself out whoever the nominee is."

Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com or 727 893-8241.

[Last modified September 6, 2007, 23:55:14]