Politics

Democrats ponder options

The state party clings to a Jan. 29 primary while seeking ways to keep its delegates.

By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published September 13, 2007

Having been spanked by the national Democratic Party and then snubbed by the leading presidential contenders, chastened Florida Democrats are taking another look at making their Jan. 29 presidential primary officially meaningless.

Options under review include a state party convention later in the year to divvy up Florida's presidential delegates, a vote-by-mail election, or a series of caucuses across the state. But no matter what, Democratic leaders say they will try to mobilize as many Democrats as possible to turn out Jan. 29, even if that primary doesn't really count.

"There will be a vote, and a vote that's going to be taken, and I'm encouraging all of my Democrats to show up. ... And that's going to send a message," said state Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman, who has been quietly consulting with party activists and elected officials.

But Democratic leaders may have a tricky job spinning their plan as anything but a cave-in. Thurman and other party leaders fond of the "Count Every Vote" battle cry had already declared that anything but a binding Jan. 29 presidential primary would disenfranchise Florida Democrats and be a slap in the face.

After all, presidential nominating elections are ultimately about divvying up delegates to the national convention, and the Democratic National Committee has already decreed that Florida will have no delegates if it tries to choose them on Jan. 29. The DNC allows only four states - Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina - to hold nominating contests before Feb. 5, and most of the Democratic candidates have promised to boycott Florida if the state party sticks to Jan. 29.

"We're moving forward with the position that the Jan. 29 primary's extremely important," said Mark Bubrisky, communications director for the state party. "No one should be worried about the delegate issue. That's a party insider issue that we're working through."

Indeed, few voters even understand that delegates pick the presidential nominees.

But they do understand when leading presidential candidates sign a pledge to boycott Florida unless it comes into compliance with DNC rules. Unless Florida comes up with an alternative delegate selection plan to Jan. 29, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the other Democrats may wind up bypassing America's biggest swing state.

Clinton, Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson have all signed a pledge to the four early primary states not to campaign after the end of September in any state that violates the DNC schedule. So far, that's Florida and Michigan.

"The biggest change that has occurred was this four state pledge. That has changed the context of our conversations," Bubriski said of the renewed interest in considering the DNC's demand that Florida find an alternative delegate selection process:

But while the state party is downplaying the delegate issue, Sen. Bill Nelson is working off a different script when it comes to the DNC stripping Florida's 210 delegates to the convention.

"This would essentially take away our right to pick a Democratic presidential nominee," he wrote in an e-mail from his campaign committee. "... Take a stand today. I need your help. Demand that the DNC allow Florida a fair say."

The only clear consensus among Democratic leaders so far is that they will not do anything to downplay the importance of Jan. 29, when not only will presidential candidates be on the ballot, but also a major property tax initiative, and a host of municipal elections across the state.

"It's important that there be interest by voters in coming to the polls on Jan. 29, if for no other reason than for the property tax amendment," said state House Minority Leader Dan Gelber, D-Miami, who said he's less concerned about how delegates are picked.

Rick Boylan, a St. Pete Beach Democratic activist who used to serve as the DNC's national director of party affairs and delegate selection, said his ideal would be for Florida Democrats to hold a mail-in election. The potentially multimillion dollar cost, he said, might be offset by asking people receiving the ballots to help defray costs with a small donation.

"The great thing about it is it gets people more familiar with mail-in voting, which is something we need to do in Florida," Boylan said. "And it also gives the state party a huge list of people who care to participate."

National party rules forbid Florida from holding a later delegate selection process designed to mirror the Jan. 29 results. But Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller said he would like to avoid the possibility of Florida Democrats holding a later party-run election where the results differed much from Jan. 29.

"It's much easier to control a convention than a mail ballot or anything else," said Geller, whose main priority is doing nothing to discourage turnout on Jan. 29.

Jon Ausman, a DNC member from Tallahassee, is among those advocating for caucuses, to be held in congressional districts across the state between February and early June. He proposes they be run by Leon County elections supervisor Ion Sancho, be funded with roughly $880,000 from the DNC, and estimates they would attract 50,000 to 100,000 of the states more than 4-million Democrats.

Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com or 727893-8241.

[Last modified September 13, 2007, 00:10:47]