Daniel TilsonNot long ago I had a brief, casual conversation about politics (yeah, I can be brief and casual about politics, stop laughing), while getting my car serviced. I and another middle-aged guy were sitting in the waiting room watching news on an overhead TV, waiting for our cars.
A story about Florida’s soon-to-be-new “Warning Shot” gun law came on. Then the guy starts shaking his head and muttering to himself.
“Guess that’s why they call us the Gunshine State,” I offered cheerfully.
He looked at me for a moment, and then turned back to the TV. “Guns aren’t the problem,” he said. “It’s the idiot politicians, wish I could vote them out all at once, start fresh.”
“Well, seems like some are worse than others,” I said.
“So, you’re a Democrat, huh?” he said, and I nodded as he continued. “Listen, I’m a Republican all my life, always thought your guys were the problem, but lately…”
In the next few minutes, I found out that since losing a friend to gun violence two years ago, he had grown increasingly angry at the GOP’s unwillingness to consider basic gun reforms, such as universal background checks.
“No compromising,” he said. “These characters won’t give an inch on anything, like all that health care money they turned down from D.C., $50 billion or something?”
“Yup, that was the House,” I said. “The House Republicans did that.”
“Crazy,” he said, shaking his head again and adding, “You’d think they’d put people’s lives first more often, more than politics.”
I couldn’t help asking if he’d considered voting Democratic in recent years.
“Yeah, I’ve considered it,” he said, with more than a hint of sarcasm, before hitting me with, “but they never even run Democrats where I live. How do you like that?”
Hmm. Now it was my turn to do some headshaking and say “Crazy…”
I reminded him that even if Democrats didn’t run for state representative and senator in his district, he could still vote for presumptive Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist over Rick Scott come November.
He turned from the TV, flashed me the hint of a smile, and winked.
“We’ll see…”
A moment later he got called for his car and left saying, “Good talking to you. And hey, remind your friends the Democrats, ‘You got to be in it to win it’, right?”
So, I’ve looked at the latest candidate filings in 120 House and 20 Senate elections being contested in 2014. The results are a sobering reminder of the Florida Democratic Party’s (FDP) perpetual problem in gaining anything approaching legislative balance.
As of now (if I counted correctly), there’s no Democratic candidate for state representative in 46 of 120 House districts. And of 20 state Senate seats up for grabs, there’s no Democratic candidate in 14 of those “contests.” Comparatively, there’s no Republican running in 28 of 120 House and 3 of 20 Senate races.
FDP analysts and experts can talk till the cows come home about “gerrymandering,” “candidate recruitment” and “allocation of resources.” But unless and until disengaged Democratic and independent voters — much less discouraged Republicans like my auto shop pal — have Democratic candidates and principles to at least consider in every single election and district, our supposedly “purple” state is going to remain forever stuck with an overwhelmingly, uncompromisingly Republican-red Legislature.
If the Democratic brand can’t at least try building affinity and loyalty, locally and everywhere, regardless of demographics and against all odds, then that would explain why No Party Affiliation continues to be the hottest, fastest-growing brand around.
Daniel Tilson has a Boca Raton-based communications firm called Full Cup Media, specializing in online video and written content for non-profits, political candidates and organizations, and small businesses. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
