In Florida as in the Real World things are rarely Black and White. even if one happens to be color blind. In the world of American politics, things are never Red and Blue. It is our two party system - and, Presidentially, the Electoral College - which makes things seem as simple as that to children and the part time thinkers who make up so much of our adult population.
Ideally, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party each represent coalitions, "Tents" if you will, of the reactions, philosophies and interests which permit our legislative process to proceed.
Our two major parties provide the same service that coalition governments provide under different parliamentary systems around the world.
Unfortunately, many voters - AND THE CARTOON CHARACTERS THEY SOMETIMES CHOOSE TO VOTE FOR - don't seem to understand or want to understand the process.
I mention this because what the Republican Party is doing to itself is not new. And, although various people keep predicting the GOP's demise, it hasn't happened yet. But, I won't go into the GOP's "ancient history" from 1948 through 1996. Current affairs are instructive enough.
Walking the Beat - I am currently volunteering for a number of Democratic candidates. The politics of most of these are considerably to the right of my own.(I am just slightly to the left of Obama. In other words I am a moderate Democrat.) However, I watched political litmus tests tear apart the Democratic Party on and off since 1968 before Dean returned the National Party to FDR's "Big Tent" in the form of his 50 State Strategy. Before supporting challenges against even corrupt creatures like Ben Nelson and Chris Dodd, I would want to be sure that the people issuing the challenges were willing to be Democrats, to work with and for other Democrats even if those other Democrats are too rightish, too leftish or too centerish to take home to mother. To me that would mean potential political candidates for the Senator, Governor or President would be people who had worked for their nominations by working their future constituencies and working for their party, without announcing any political ambitions for higher office, for years.
Steam Call Volunteering - I will never, ever run for office; but, I have volunteered to help others run for more than forty years. I abhor robo-calls. And, I detest doing "cold call" live phone calls; but, I mail literature and do other traditional low level campaign volunteer scut work. I am willing also to pound the pavement properly badged so that people, my potential victims, can avoid me if they wish. I willingly knock on doors and politely ask if any of the adults in the house are interested in spending a few minutes talking about this that or the other Democratic candidate here in the particular neighborhood of Florida that I happen to be working.
The Senate Seat That's Getting Away - When the Tea Party tossed Charlie Crist out of GOP down here, I thought for about two weeks that the Democrats would do the "Dean 50 State" thing and work a deal with Crist. I would have campaigned for Charlie Crist as an Independent or a Democrat for these reasons: He is more moderate than many Democrats already in Congress. He keeps his word even if it goes against his self-interest; but he will listen to and be swayed by a well reasoned argument. And, he probably would have won the general election one on one against Rubio. Is he an ideal Democrat? NO! But, he is someone who can be trusted(far more than Joe Lieberman, for instance) and his vote could have helped pass a lot of legislation in the Senate. The Florida Democrats chose not to work a deal. They chose to let Kendrick Meek star in the role of Ralph Nader instead.
I hand out Meek's literature on my pavement pounding even though I know that in the neighborhoods I work, I may as well toss it directly into the trash. I know that Meek has no chance of winning even if Crist drops out. Most of the people who will vote for Crist will not cross over to vote for Meek whereas most of the people who would vote for Meek will vote for Crist if Meek is not a candidate. Apparently, Meek believes this as well because his campaign to date is not about going to places and addressing crowds where he might or might not change hearts and minds. It is about talking to people who will vote for him or Crist or not vote at all.
The Big Heat - It is the Democratic Gubernatorial candidate, the other big horse, Alex Sink, who makes my walking and sweating worthwhile. It feels very good to be for someone and not just against the utter villain who is her opponent, a fellow who would be in jail except the peculiarity of our laws which allow corporate executives to be honored for the magnitude of their crimes and to be given bonuses for the misdeeds done on their watch instead of being given opprobrium and penal sentences.
Sink is what many folk here at Kos would call a Blue Dog. She is an environmentalist; but, mainly, by nature and experience, she is a fiscal conservative. However, she is by no means a phony deficit hawk. For instance, if she were looking at the federal budget, she would home in on the Defense. Why? Because that's where the money is. She has a degree in mathematics, not accounting; so, she knows when not to get fancy. Simple familiarity with the news would cause her to suggest that we immediately stop supplying drones to the "contractors" who keep blowing up civilians. Then, fire those contractors forthwith, figuring that not "wasting" expensive missiles on unsuitable targets, not paying inept contractors and not making enemies of the people whose hearts and minds we are trying to win over would constitute a "not-lose, not-lose" situation at the very least. This would be a clear advance over the present scenario regardless of the President's policy, aside from providing a clear, compelling and immediate cost savings.
As Florida's CFO, Sink has gone after financial programs which were formerly considered sacred cows; but, never produced any concrete results except for various politicians' and lobbyists' clients. This has not endeared her to the Republican controlled legislature. Her very first effort in that area was to terminate and write-off an $89 million boondoggle to out-source many of the state's automated systems. Jeb Bush came up with the idea in 2003. When Sink took office as Florida's CFO in 2007, one of the first things she did was review this effort, known as Project Aspire. Despite three years and all that money spent, she noticed, among other things there was no project plan, not much had been accomplished and there was no end in sight. To say that the only the thing that had been delivered to date had been the project name and series of invoices is an exaggeration; but, not much of one. She notified Charlie Crist of her intention to shut down the project; and he concurred. Project Aspire became history.Sink started her term as she meant to go.
As of the eleventh, Fox News has Sink up by eight points. As of yesterday, Nate Silver gives her a 63.8% chance of winning. Let's hope that Great Dog Alrighty concurs. I think the Divine She-Dog will. Alex Sink is the kind of Democrat, Florida tends to elect to statewide office: a centrist to moderate Democrat with a strong commitment to the environment, financial prudence, law and order and economic growth. In addition, to being endorsed by virtually every police organization in Florida. Alex Sink has also been endorsed by Emily's List because of her pro-choice stance. This does confuse some voters because of the Emily's List progressive mantra; but, Alex Sink has overcome that the past.
On the political spectrum the colors don't lay out quite the way they do on the rainbow. True, at one end there's red. At the other, blue. But, the purple haze is where they meet. Or, miscegenate, as the disparagers would have it. All along the spectrum's watchtowers, yellow, orange, brown and green gambol, and white as well. Black used to; but, no one has seen it for a while. And, the rainbow of diversity has become a color of its own and demands to graze throughout.