Melissa Ross
Hillary Clinton may be the Democratic frontrunner in Florida (and nationally), far outstripping all comers in terms of fundraising, organization, name recognition, and campaigning experience.
But in terms of sheer enthusiasm and excitement, perhaps the campaign story of 2016 is the grassroots groundswell surging behind Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders has jumped from a meager 5 percent in most polls back in the spring to 27 percent today, a stunning leap for any candidate.
And #FeeltheBern is growing here in the Sunshine State, even in conservative North Florida.
Jacksonville organizer Ben Weaver says the volunteer effort in Duval County for Sanders is unprecedented and is largely being driven (so far) via Reddit.
“Initial efforts tapped social media to organize kickoff events statewide with solid results,” says Weaver. “Here in Jacksonville the kickoff event turned out many who are new to this level of engagement.”
Weaver tells Florida Politics that in ten years of political activism in Jacksonville, the excitement he sees among local Dems for Sanders, a Democratic Socialist, is a new phenomenon.
“I’ve worked in this market for over a decade. I’ve never seen some of these people. They don’t show up on donor lists. That isn’t because they are under 30, that demo only made up 35 percent or so of the initial attendees. This is a new group of people. If they are voting in the primary, they will have to register as Democrats. That means there is a whole new crop of people that are eligible to be members of the local Democratic Executive Committee.”
Weaver says the Sanders Southeast Regional Political Director, Marcus Ferrell, was part of the core field team for Alvin Brown‘s 2011 mayoral race where the canvassing efforts were credited by many as the key to Brown’s close victory over Mike Hogan.
“Ten years ago when I was the President of the Young Dems in Jacksonville, the local DEC was putting together a marketing plan for going into the 2006 election cycle. They wanted to make bumper stickers. I floated a talking point I had recently developed: ‘No one who works 40 hours a week should be poor.'”
“Then, a few months ago I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I saw a Sanders meme that said: ‘No one who works 40 hours a week should live in poverty.’ I was floored. It had taken ten years, but there it was, the talking point that represented my view of what the Democratic party should represent.'”
Weaver believes that as the party has come around to Sanders’ worldview, he will win delegate votes – but concedes it’s a long shot for him to win the nomination.
“But remember, Democratic caucuses and primaries are just that, Democratic, which means there are no winner-take-all states for D’s like there are with R’s. While Republicans are attempting to change this, the Democratic side is more…democratic.
Since Bernie will have delegate votes, even without the nomination, he will automatically be on the Democratic Party Platform Committee at the convention. Now, maybe he doesn’t get all twelve of his policies on the Party Platform, but there will be at least four or five policies that will.”
“That’s how a movement takes over a party, and it wouldn’t be the first time.”
