Party gives pep talk
State Democrats urge voters to "make it count" as they settle on a Jan. 29 primary.
By ADAM C. SMITH, Times Political Editor
Published September 24, 2007
PEMBROKE PINES - Boycotted by their own presidential candidates, punished by their national party and laughed at by Republicans, Florida Democrats are determined to make the best of their no-win presidential primary.
"Once and for all to settle this, we will be voting on Jan. 29, with our presidential candidates on the ballot," state Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman declared Sunday to cheers from Democratic activists in Broward County. "That's what the United States is about, making our voices heard."
Their voices will surely be heard. But in a twisted irony for Democrats in the recount and hanging chad state, their votes officially won't count in picking their presidential nominee.
That's because winning the presidential nomination is about winning delegates in primaries and caucuses. The Democratic National Committee intends to strip Florida of all its 210 delegates for scheduling its primary earlier than allowed.
In an effort to keep some control over the nominating schedule, the national party allows only Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina to hold nominating elections earlier than Feb. 5. All of the leading Democratic presidential candidates have signed pledges to party officials in those four states that they won't campaign in any state that violates the schedule.
For weeks Florida Democrats have grappled with whether to comply with DNC rules by downplaying the Jan. 29 election and instead hold later caucuses or a convention to pick presidential delegates. Finally, Thurman and other party leaders concluded that those alternatives were too expensive and problematic and would diminish voter participation in the process.
The clincher, Thurman said, came when Democratic leaders from those four states informed her late last week that even if Florida Democrats came in compliance with the DNC calendar, those states still would insist that the presidential candidates continue to avoid campaigning in Florida until after Jan. 29.
Florida Democrats hope that Sunday's hastily arranged news conference will to put to rest an embarrassing distraction that has consumed the party for months.
"Show's over. It's time to move on," said state House Democratic leader Dan Gelber, noting that even with no delegates Florida will have much more influence in the primary than it did in past elections when the primary was held later, after the nomination was already effectively decided.
The party now is determined to knock down suggestions that Florida Democrats are being disenfranchised in any way or that Florida's primary won't matter as much as others.
The party is distributing "Make It Count" bumper stickers and unveiled a Web site, www.makeitcountflorida.com, to drive home the point that Democrats need to turn out on for the primary.
In addition to the presidential primaries, many cities are holding elections Jan. 29, and a controversial ballot initiative to revamp Florida's property tax system is on the ballot.
Florida's primary falls one week before some two dozen states vote Feb. 5, so even without delegates, the Sunshine State stands to offer a major shot of momentum to whoever wins.
"The 4-million Florida Democrats will be enfranchised. We will have the most organized turnout operation that this state has ever seen," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston. "We are going to go all the way to the convention to make sure that our voices are heard loud and clear on that convention floor."
Party leaders hope that once a clear frontrunner emerges and effectively takes over the national party and convention, that candidate will make sure Florida has a delegation at the convention. Should the nomination be unsettled - rare, but viewed by some Barack Obama supporters as plausible - Florida Democrats could be left on the sidelines without a voice at the national convention in Denver.
"Karen Thurman should have held that press conference at the Seminole Indians' place, because all they're doing is gambling with this," said Jon Ausman, a DNC member from Tallahassee who had been pushing for the party to hold caucuses rather than press ahead with Jan. 29.
The national Republican Party intends to strip the Florida GOP of half of its delegates for violating the primary calendar, but that's not stopping the leading Republican candidates from campaigning relentlessly in Florida. Many Democratic activists fear that giving Republicans a six-month head start in building Florida campaigns could have repercussions in the general election.
"It's a huge problem for the Democratic Party. I think our elected officials fell into a Republican trap," said Broward County Democratic activist Lori Glasser, referring to Democratic lawmakers who went along with the Republican-led effort to move Florida's primary from March to Jan. 29.
All of the Democratic presidential candidates except long shots Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel have pledged not to campaign in Florida, fearing that to do otherwise could hurt them in the crucial earlier voting states.
The pledge does allow them to raise money in Florida, but it's unclear how much wiggle room there is for the candidates to boost their profile in Florida.
"Our election is going to be Jan. 29, and every candidate's name is going to be on that ballot. If they choose not to campaign here, and they lose? Not our problem," said state Senate Democratic leader Steve Geller of Hallandale.
Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8241.