As the first quarter of the year passes by and Rick Scott continues to destroy our state, I got to thinking -- how's the new Democratic leadership handling the situation. The easy, quick answer stuck in my mind. The jury is still out. Why? Because we still don't have that clear alternative to the craziness that has consumed the Florida GOP and that is personified in Rick Scott. Where is the vision, the values, and the platform for what a Democratic Florida looks like? Where is the picture of a better tomorrow that regular, hard-working and middle-class Floridians wish for?
As I was thinking more and more that the jury was still out on Rod Smith (sometimes literally as he still practices law despite making a hefty state party salary), I happened to get an email from Rod himself about the new Florida Dems website and that simply holding Rick Scott accountable "isn't enough" and that this new effort would help Democrats fight for Florida.
Here's the email:
Friends –
Over the past several weeks, I have been traveling our state listening to grassroots activists and Democratic leaders on how we can best prepare for 2012.
We are working everyday to hold Rick Scott and the Republicans accountable for their extreme, job-destroying agenda, but it isn’t enough to focus on how the Republicans are continuing to take our state down the wrong path.
That is why we are launching our newly redesigned website to ensure Floridians can get up-to-date information on how Democrats are fighting for Florida.
Please visit http://FlaDems.com today.
Rod
Great news! Or is it?
I initially got excited because as bad as Rick Scott is - and he's as bad as it gets - the public still doesn't really know what the Florida Democrats' alternative is. Here's what I found in very short-hand, quick thoughts:
1. Staff - we can see the list of names, but no emails, no contacts -- just the standard regular phone line to the FDP and try to catch them or leave (seemingly endless) messages.
2. Chair & Party Officials pages - could we add some pictures so we know who you all are? I know the site is very personable already, but this could help put the "face" on Fla Dems.
3. Volunteer sign up - very vague, I signed up at 10am and still haven't gotten an email or anything about it. Also, there was no chance to say what I was signing up for, or to do, or what I would like to do as a volunteer...which makes me wonder what this process will turn out to be.
4. Activist Resource Center - sounds like a great thing, and it very may well be...if it worked. Every link gave me an "Access Forbidden" error in loading the page. So, I guess there's no resources, yet. In fact, as an update, it looks like they took it down, hopefully to repair the links.
5. Events page - bummed me out that there were ZERO events within 100 miles of Orlando...
6. Share links - share by email, with a very lame standard message. Twitter & Facebook links but nothing else...
7. Newsroom - a little weak, if we're "holding Rick Scott accountable" shouldn't there be some hard-hitting statements on Rick Scott? Like a whole LOT of calling the GOP out?
8. Vote by mail - It says you can no longer request a vote by mail ballot. Yet, isn't this a major component of the FDP's plan for absentee ballot collecting?! Confusing and unnecessary.
9. Nowhere does it actually say WHO we are as a party or WHAT we stand for. Not one page.
10. There are ZERO pictures of Florida Democrats, actions, events, or anything. In fact, in no way does it actually show how Dems are fighting back. Fail.
Are the FlaDems serious? The fact that the FlaDems would send out this new website the day after President Obama announces his re-election, yet have no reference to Obama or the campaign is also interesting. It also outsources almost every link from Bill Nelson to the Florida House of Representatives' bill page (I wonder if you can search for Uterus)
Look the website was literally JUST released, and everything is going to have some kinks to work out. That's not my beef, even Facebook still has errors. But what it shows us once again, is that our party is quick to put things out that aren't polished and they seemingly don't really care about the depth of the matter. Overall, I was disappointed, and left right where I started: the jury is still out on Rod Smith and the FlaDems.
I bring all this up because we are IN the 2012 cycle right now. This is the launch of the Florida Democrats' election cycle ramp up. And while we may think we have plenty of time to go - we really don't. It's now April and time is moving fast. There's so much going on in the state in response to Tallahassee, yet it seems like our own team in Tallahassee still doesn't quite get it either.
We needed a strong Chair to lead a re-energized party. At every Awake the State rally or local event I go to, no one is talking about the Democratic Party or their leadership. At a time where it's hard to find someone who's proud to say they are a Republican who supports Rick Scott (unless they are a Tea Partier), it's just as hard to find anyone who can articulate the Democratic alternative. And if you think, "we're not Rick Scott" or "look how evil Rick Scott really is" will be enough - you need not listen to Rod Smith's email above, you need only look at the Alex Sink results from 2010. It's not enough. We need a clear alternative. We need leadership.
I'm not saying Rod Smith isn't that guy. I really hope he turns into him. When I met Rod along the campaign trail in 2010, he sparked the crowd, he pledged to fight. We need that spark for our party. We need someone who will put it all out there and fight for every single Floridian.
(This blog cross-posted at Florida Progressive Coalition Blog)