JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — “Florida, Florida, Florida!” the late NBC host Tim Russert scribbled on a white board throughout election night time 2000, predicting the nailbiter presidential race would come right down to that state — and the phrase was used for about twenty years afterwards as pundits debated its swing-state standing.
Occasions have modified and a giant a part of the explanation why: a state Democratic Social gathering that’s been perpetually in reactive mode, two steps behind the Republican Social gathering not simply politically however electorally — as epitomized by the GOP holding each Senate seats and a supermajority of each the congressional delegation and the state Legislature.
After a collection of feckless and forgettable chairs, Nikki Fried took helm of the Florida Democrats some months again. However it was solely a matter of time earlier than the previous agriculture commissioner came upon what nationwide Dems actually consider the occasion constructing happening there.
That brutal reckoning got here final week, because the occasion sought to weaponize the anniversary of the Supreme Court docket’s 2022 Dobbs choice — one which reverted abortion laws to the states and paved the best way for Florida’s present ban on the process after six weeks of gestation.
The predictable parade of press releases hit a serious nationwide roadblock when President Biden’s chief marketing campaign aide, Jen O’Malley Dillon, dismissed the occasion’s probabilities within the state with one phrase.
“No,” she instructed Puck Information when requested if Florida’s in play.
The interviewer thanked her for not mendacity, however Florida Democrats and even the Biden marketing campaign itself took longer to formulate responses.
“Donald Trump can’t win the presidency with out profitable Florida. We’re not naïve in regards to the challenges forward, however we’re constructing the inspiration of Democratic success, not only for this cycle, however for the years and many years to return. Don’t rely Florida out,” Fried mentioned round 3 p.m., eight hours after the bombshell dropped.
Optimistic reply! However for Biden, on the fallacious aspect of 80 and going through questions on not solely whether or not he can serve one other time period but when he may even supply a simulacrum of govt perform between now and November, “years and many years to return” is pure, uncut hypothetical.
The Biden marketing campaign was even slower, taking till the tip of pleased hour to cobble collectively its response to a key strategist saying it must look elsewhere for electoral votes.
“Florida is in play for President Biden and Democrats up and down the poll,” Group Biden claimed. “The President has a robust story to inform on the problems that matter most to Floridians, which is why our marketing campaign continues to scale up our presence and investments into the state.”
Presence? Investments? To this point, there’s little proof of both.
We all know Biden, for varied causes, isn’t a very lively campaigner as his political profession involves a detailed. However there may be nothing on the bottom right here to counsel he’s keen to wade in personally and make a concerted effort to pitch Florida voters on why he wants 4 extra years.
Democrats within the state have arrange a collection of tomato cans to run for legislative seats with Republican registration benefits, with the concept being they’ll synergize with the highest of the ticket and convey voters out.
However these political neophytes haven’t any clue — not about fundraising, not in regards to the mechanics of a marketing campaign and never in regards to the idiot’s errand they’ve embraced for causes that appear extra like ego achievement than electoral success.
All that is to say the state Democratic Social gathering and Biden marketing campaign spokespeople actually shouldn’t have bothered with responding to what Jen O’Malley Dillon mentioned — particularly on condition that they failed to interact or perceive her central level.
In a recreation with restricted assets and a restricted candidate, it’s foolhardy to financial institution on a GOP-controlled state that developments extra Republican with every passing month.
She will admit that, but the professionals tasked with pretending a simulacrum of a marketing campaign will likely be shut on Election Night time don’t appear ready — or keen — to inform the reality about the place the president’s votes are and aren’t, in a state the place no ballot has proven Trump behind this cycle.
It’s as in the event that they assume political reporters are silly. By no means thoughts the voters themselves.
Supply hyperlink
