Duh! Rod Smith Is The Perfect Democrat To Chair State Party

How could we have missed him? Yesterday's blog enumerating potential replacements for Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman failed to mention Rod Smith.

Now reports are surfacing that the ex-state senator has an inside track for the job. One Miami Herald blogger plumped Smith's candidacy this way today:

"Smith, an electrifying speaker and former prosecutor, is a good fit. He's well-respected. He knows the legislative and electoral process. He understands the state, having run twice statewide. He's a strong fund-raiser. He's well-liked by the gun lobby and agriculture community."

Electrifying speaker? Well-respected? Really? With that rock-solid resume, why didn't the party nominate him for governor? Or senator?

Though Smith has indeed "run twice statewide," let the record show he lost both times, most recently as Alex Sink's running mate. Here's betting that most Floridians still don't know who he is, or care.

Smith's home and power base is Alachua County, arguably the most liberal enclave in the state. Yeah, he's a big winner in Gainesville. It's the other 66 counties he and the Democrats ought to be concerned about.