When all is said and done, like it or not, that is the ultimate question the new FDP chair is going to be asked by Democrats in this state.
At the end of the day, how many regular voters actually care about the machinations of the party? How many regular voters actually care about the nuts and bolts of what goes on at party headquarters?
Zero. Zip. Nada.
What people care about, those who don't have their hands in the pocket of the party, is whether the party HEARS their voices.
Why is that so hard to understand?
What people care about is that the party is not taking their votes for granted, and is actually working to protect their interests and issues.
Why is that so hard to understand?
People are always looking for something, or someone, to believe in.
Right now, that isn't the Florida Democratic Party.
Whoever takes over for Allison Tant has to be able to inspire people.
It wasn't that the party couldn't raise money. To her credit, Allison did that.
It wasn't that the party didn't have connections. We had President Barack Obama.
There was no inspiration.
Zero. Zip. Nada.
The chair of the party HAS to be able to inspire people to want to participate again.
While the total has declined, Democrats have consistently outnumbered Republicans in this state, yet we can't get to the polls to have a Democrat in the Governor's Mansion?
When I look at the candidates for FDP chair, I ask myself if they will be able to inspire people and get them fired up in 2018.
There is only one truly inspirational candidate running in that race, and that is Dwight Bullard.
People have already started rallying around him. As I have already noted, the press went wild when Bullard got back in the race.
Since he returned, everything has centered around HIM.
(With an honorable mention to yours truly, of course! Hi, haters!)
He is that guy! He brings a cross-section of people to the table. Progressives, moderates, unions, minorities, etc.
All of them want Dwight Bullard. The calls I get in support of him are crazy!
No one is going to rally around Stephen Bittel.
No one is going to rally around Alan Clendenin.
Milquetoast doesn't win elections. Milquetoast doesn't inspire people.
2018 will see (former) Sen. Bill Nelson gone. It will see another round of statewide losses, if we can't get people out to vote.
Whoever the party chair is will assemble his/her team. That team will put the nuts and bolts of the party together.
I'm not worried about that part.
It's the inspiration that concerns me. People want someone/something to believe in again.
You have to be able to get people to the polls in order to win elections.
Unless we have an inspirational person at the helm of this party, the losing streak will continue.
Happy New Year, and happy reading!
Leslie Wimes is founder and president of Women on the Move and the Democratic African American Women Caucus, www.daawc.com. Follow Leslie on Twitter: @womenonthemove1.
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