Florida: Gov race '06...(and, just as important, Sec. State)

[6th Borough]

Any ideas for a legit Democratic canditate for Florida governor in 2006? Jeb will be gone as well as his hand-picked sec. of state(s).

Unfortunately, Broward County has the only true "Democratic Machine" in the state...there are zero Repubs elected to county-wide office.

Fortunately, there aren't any really big names in the state, period (with the exception of Jeb...).

I know this battle is 2 years in the making, but it has the potential of being one of the most important of the mid-terms; since Lawton Chiles died, we've put up some truly pathetic challengers.

Perhaps Bill Nelson? He's got name recognition, a syrupy drawl, and wide respect from his tenure as Insurance Commish.

Jeb won't be around any longer, but we <b>need</b> to control the position of Secretary of State. No more Harris's or Hood's.

Any names to throw against a wall?

[jdj]

1. We need to run an athlete...

or an actor. It worked for them.

[okieinpain]

4. now see your thinking, now you're thinking. we need somebody

like you running the DNC. this is the way it should be all over the country. don't have a strong dem for an area, run a repug like. don't have a repug like run a third party candidate that way to the right. fundies just can't turn down those folks, get a three way race and you can probably squeak by.

[RBHam]

2. IT DOESN'T MATTER!

The votes have already been "counted".

When are you going to fight the fraud?

[shraby]

3. Do you actually believe a Democrat will

EVER win an election again?????????????

[okieinpain]

6. hell yeah, man. but our shit has got to be together.

we should have had this shit down to a science man, all we had to do is pick the close states like fla, ohio, ark, nm. man we should have had this shit down to like "okay sir, what time would you like to be picked up to go to the poll, we have an opening at 10 pm, is that okay for you."

"don't have a babysitter, well that's no problem ma'am"

lawyers should have already have their lawsuits filed and answered on whether or not we could inspect the evote machines right after the election.

absentee ballots should have been turned in months before the election.

our groups should have went over the ballots themselves and double checked them before turning them in. any of them that didn't pass mustered should have been redone, or if they couldn't thrown in the trash. that is how it should have been. we had 4 years to do this shit, 4 years to get ready. somebody's head needs to roll.

[Spangle]

5. yes.. Daryl Jones

He was a Florida State Senater for south Florida. He ran in the Democatic primary against Reno and McBride. People loved him, supported him.. but was afraid to vote for him becuase they were told the race was ONLY between Mcbride and Reno. A vote for him was a "toss" vote.

He did better then Reno and McBride during the Democratic Debates.

During the vote count, the Head Republicans told us that if Jones was our Democratic Canidate, it would have been real Hard for Jeb to beat him.

Daryl Jones will be Florida's first Black Gov!

ps... he shows well on TV, speeches, debates, etc..

A few of us are all ready working on him to run again. It's a good possiblity!!

[JohnnyCougar]

7. Why not Bob Graham?

[BOHICA06]

20. Because he doesn't want to work that hard.

Bob doesn't have the fire in the belly for being Governor. Even if popular, the Gov always has to take sh!t from the press & even more from the legislature (which will be overwhelmingly Republican). Bob passed in 98 & 02 when he could have been easily elected - he liked the slowish pace of a Senate.

[r_u_stuck2]

8. How quickly you forget

Think about who will be running for governor from the repug side.

Katherine was promised something if she would not run for senator.

Bill McCullum might be the repug choice also.

Katherine will either run for governor or against Bill Nelson.

[bullimiami]

9. if we dont fix the voting machines

forget it. we wont win.

if we fix them.....

how about.....

wexler?


ok i have the winning strategy. set up a country full of republican moles. then we have a democrat on both tickes. we cant lose.

[roguevalley]

10. Unless the voting is fixed, its all irrelevent. ANd you know they

won't take the fraud stuff and do anything about it. We just sit and let them beat us to death. We are the abused wife of this dictatorship.

[madfloridian]

11. Daryl Jones would be good.

[Spangle]

22. Link with info about Jones

http://www.whoseflorida.com/djones.htm

[Malikshah]

12. FL in 06 going Dem? Not if the current dem party in FL changes

Just remember-- McBride.

Reno was by far the better choice, but the Dem machine didn't like that she wouldn't play their game.

Daryl Jones is a joke.

You need to buck the system and oust the useless Dem machine in this state.

Anyone who defends the McBride decision is no better than the Daschlists out there. Yeah--it's a nasty thing to say, but it's the truth.

It's time to get Democracy for America down here and working--

[Spangle]

14. What?

I wasn't so rude as to call your canidate a "joke". Please be just as respectful. 2002 is over. McBride is history. Reno is doubtful will run. Is Reno considering running?

By all means, throw Reno's name in the hat. But let's not bash our democrats. That's the republicans job.

[Malikshah]

18. What democrats?

I'm calling the democratic "leadership" in this state out--

They have been a miserable failure and deserve no respect for putting up McBride. History or not-- as a historian, it is clear that we must learn from past mistakes.

This discussion of being respectful is where we have lost. It is not a matter of respect, to be honest, but a matter of looking ourselves in the face and realizing that the Florida Democratic leadership needs to be changed or it will simply be dead in the water for coming generations.

The most populous counties in the state have been repeatedly shut out for not reaching out and obtaining support state wide. They toady up and try and be republican-lite and ask the other party to "play fair" The fact that Martinez beat Castor after having endorsements rescinded for bigoted hate-mongering is shameful
The fact that Glenda Hood and the Jeb regime can get away with murder is shameful
The fact that Florida voters are repeatedly disenfranchised is shameful

THe Florida Democratic Leadership has missed countless opportunities and to argue otherwise is counterproductive.

One could see a mile away that Jeb wanted to face McBride in the election. The Democratic Leadership handed McBride over like a lamb to slaughter. It might have taken place in 2002--but the fact that the Dem Machine in Florida still doesn't get it should make people stand up and take notice.

[Spangle]

19. Mixed Message

Malikshah,
Please read your post #12. there you seem to be saying that Florida will not go dem if the current dem party in FL changes. #18 you point out that they were a miserable failure. If you notice from my post, that is what I'm saying as well, that they are a failure.

When I commented about respect, It had nothing to do with Fl leadership. But being respectful to others about their choice of canidates. Trust me, when you start speaking disrespctfuly, you all ready lost a persons ear. I"m sorry.. what was the point?? Oh yea, getting people to LISTEN. Hmmm...

Other then that, your preaching to the choir.

[Malikshah]

21. My apologies

The initial message should have read unless the FL Dem ldrship changes-- hence the second message

As for respect and getting others to listen-- I stand by my earlier statement concerning the fact I cannot respect McBride as a viable choice or those that would tout him as such. It was clear from the outset that he was only the viable choice for the FL Dem ldrship. They should be held accountable for their role and ousted from any position of influence in Florida.

Getting others to listen? I agree with you there to a point, but the problem is that the niceties and "playing the game" methods do not work at all in Florida.

I might be preaching to the choir in some instances--but there are times when the choir needs to be reminded of what they are praying for--and the more effective ways by which they may see their prayers met.

In the end, I believe it may be a lost cause. We do not have any viable alternative leadership in Florida.

[Spangle]

23. we are Grassroots group anyway.

Tee hee, after you blasted me, It didn't take me long to figure out the problem. No biggie.

About the McBride thing, as I said, your preaching to the choir. And it does also point out our leadership problem. They expected us to be sheeple and I also agree that it smelled like a set-up.

About being nice. And "playing the game". Remember where your at, who your chatting with and what the topic is about. Right now it's about coming up with names of possible canidates. No game involved. But serious business that we can NOT afford to set back and wait for that so called "leadership" to do. Which, by the way.. is part of their "job." They dragged up McBride last time. And destroyed any attempt to bring in anyone else. They refused to give anyone else a chance from the get go. Which is why this "momment" that "we" are sharing is so important. We have to come up with the possiblitys NOW. Research them NOW, and give them a chance before our "leadership" kicks them to the curb. Another words, WE are not playing 'Nice' with the leadership. <wink>

This is just the begining. Trust me.. By this time next year.. we will ALL be choking each other over the "choices".. Tee Heee.. So there is time enough for that later. I'm sure the mods will be yelling at us again, etc. etc.

But for now.. Serious business. No games. Who are the possiblitys. Then, are they WILLING to do it. Can we get them the support they need, etc. Some of the best canidates really do not want to run. Either they or their family don't want to deal with the nasty that will happen to them. Bringing up names doesn't mean you WILL support them. Just that they might be a good canidate. We are all in different parts of the state. Which means we all know about different possiblitys right off the bat. That clues others in, so they have a chance to "check them out."

Reno may or may not want to run again. If she is all ready your canidate, find out if she is "intrested" or "thinking" about it. But at this point, we need to pull as many possiblitys as possible.

Serious folks! WE have got to get behind some canidates RIGHT NOW and get them on the path. We can't afford to wait on Fl Leadership. The canidates need to spend the next year getting out and meeting people.. just to see what the "peoples" reaction to them is. And if they should "go on" and run. If they are not out in the next 6 months, then forget it. Leadership will already have a "hold" on the "whose, who". We are grassroots, so we can do this from the ground up.

[Doctor_J]

13. i think FL is best written off

i hate to say it, and can't really speak with authorty from suburban Chicago, but florida is gone. it's a banana republic. the state-wide election results from FL mean no more than those from Saddam's Iraq or Idi Amin's Uganda. We would be better off ptting our resources into areas where there is some semblance of law and order. think of OH or CO or NH or even VA. Sorry :-(

[madfloridian]

15. Write off FL and GA and SC and NC and TX and AL and MS and so on.

Just write them off. Oh, I forgot VA and Arkansas.

A little sarcastic, as I feel we are part of America as well....though I don't feel like it now.

[6th Borough]

17. Exactly...why don't we write off the whole fucking country?

...and get perhaps 200 EV's from now unto eternity?

Not to mention FL will have more EV's than New York after the next census.

AND WE AIN'T GOING TO FIX THE SYSTEM WHILE WE CONTROL ZERO BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT!

The very least we need to do is to have some honest Sec. of state's.

For those who think this is a lost cause, you might as well move to Canada. We will never win again if we only rely on the bluest of blue states.

Besides, why would a governor we didn't vote for advocate cleaning up this mess of a voting system? A dem governor in Florida is quite obtainable; and then, just perhaps, he/she will be more willing to listen to the people who PUT HIM THERE.

Mcbride and McCay (sp?) were losing candidates from the get go. We can do better, and we can win.

[Doctor_J]

24. I am not talking about the quality of candidates in FL

I'm talking about the fact that Jeb and his henchmen have turned FL into a banana republic. THe FL elections are a sham. THAT's why we'll never recover down there during this generation.

IF Rove were to try here in IL what he's done in FL (sending FBI to black voters' homes, purging them from the voter rolls, using bogus voting machines, staging riots to stop elections unfavorable to repubs), there would be a lot of GOP blood spilt. For now, FLoridians have not figured out what to do about blatant election theft, so we are going to have to work within the parameters of FL being red for the forseeable future.

[IronLionZion]

16. I think we need Nelson in the Senate

How about pulling Bob Graham out of retirement. He can just write "get elected as governor again" in his little book and it would be a done deal.