Even though I grew up in Miami, I never really understood what made the place tick. It's gorgeous, and the Everglades has a strange and exotic mix of creatures and plants, like razor-sharp sawgrass, alligators, and mangrove swamps, that alert you to the unpredictability and variety of the natural world. The culture though is intensely car-focused, with strip malls, immense sprawl, and a developer growth focus that is almost manic. I understand Orlando even less. There seems to be a forced happiness to the city, a kind of studied air, like you are a lab rat in a scientific experiment designed to test different mechanisms for pressing joy into humans. It emanates from Disney, but the culture is pervasive, from T-shirt shops to mini-golf courses to family fun restaurant after family fun restaurant. It's a city where there isn't just Medieval themed restaurants, there are competing Medieval themed restaurants across the street from each other. All the characteristics of a Disney-based service economy are on display, the heavy immigrant population, the low wage costumed 'cast members', both young and old, and the hordes of tourists come to enjoy a prepackaged experience. But even so, the experiments work. It's a really fun place and I kind of love Mickey.
It's also very new and sprawling, and clearly in transition away from a low regulation Sunbelt economy to something else. The subprime mortgage meltdown is just awful in Florida, with huge numbers of low wage workers having bought houses that they can't sell. Apparently Celebration, Florida, the famous preplanned town, has half of its housing for sale. The state is ground zero for fraud, environmental abuse, and developer driven sprawl-nomics. And sure enough, the Republicans had a Constitutional supermajority in the state capitol until this last election, when Democrats made tremendous gains and Jeb Bush left office for a much better Charlie Crist. Even Democrats like Crist. The whole Democratic Party is actually in transition, and I was impressed with the talent I met. The Florida netroots, who are simply amazing, raved about Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink as a star and a future Governor. I spent some time chatting with state Senator Dave Aronberg and candidate Michael Calderin. Both are eminently comfortable with blogs, with Facebook, and with the open form of politics that is on the ascent. They reminded me of Daniel Biss in Illinois, Jefferson Smith in Oregon, Darcy Burner in Washington, Donna Edwards in Maryland, part of a younger new generation of emerging leadership. They are also just sort of fun to hang out with, which I find weird considering that politicians often come off like aliens to me. The Florida netroots also liked Senator Charlie Justice, who captured a state Senate seat in 2006 in possibly the most expensive state legislative race in the country and may run to fill Rep. Young's seat should he retire in Florida's 10th.
The convention was crowded, friendly, and energetic. It didn't matter that none of the Presidential candidates except Mike Gravel showed up, because this is a party that is proud of what they've gotten done within their state. I've been to a bunch of state Democratic Conventions, and honestly, they are often depressing affairs. It's usually fat middle aged guys trading development deals, a banquet with gray steak and lifeless salad, and bored kids sitting through endless politicians thanking each other for serving on commissions. This one wasn't like that.
The feeling I got was one of renewal. It's a peculiar characteristic of Florida politics that everything we experience on a national level is more extreme in Florida. It's nearly a 50-50 split between Republicans and Democrats in voting patterns, but because of gerrymandering and Governor Jeb Bush the Republicans control everything. It's intensely multicultural, with ethnic politics dominant, and there are 11 media markets, making it extraordinarily information poor and expensive. The Republicans have been so dominant in the state for so long, and the Democratic Party was so moribund a few years ago, that the effort Democrats put into their politics has paid huge dividends. In 2006, after not picking up seats for years, the party professionalized and grabbed seven seats in the House, which means the Republicans no longer have a two thirds Constitutional super-majority. I saw minority leader Dan Gelber speak, and not only did he not have that weird sleazy vibe most politicians have but was more of a charming wonky geeky type, but he was visibly excited to wield power by stopping bad Republican legislative priorities.
There were a few other interesting notable trends. One, the progressives in Florida that Dean brought into the process are renewing the party, providing immensely important volunteer and financial support but also working as a trusted group among different factions. They are perceived as wanting only to do what is good for the party and not having ulterior motives, so party officials like working with them and like to share messaging and responsibilities with them. For instance, there was a coup attempt today against party chair Karen Thurman, which failed miserably, and the progressives aren't involved in this bickering. They just roll up their sleeves and work. There was also a good deal of Clinton and Obama support, breaking down mostly along gender lines.
I spent some time late on Saturday night in the lobby with about ten progressives chatting and gossiping, and it was remarkable how connected and friendly they are with various influentials that came by. We had had dinner earlier that evening, and I was giving my DC-based cynical take on politicians, and noted that Democratic leader and Floridian Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz had given $1000 to Dan Lipinski, the reactionary Democratic in Illinois (her giving patterns are here). Wasserman Schultz is an amazingly energetic young politician that is one of twelve 'cardinals' on the House Appropriations Committee (she's a subcommittee chair, a highly sought after position). She was one of Rahm's deputies at the DCCC last cycle, and is clearly destined for leadership. She was wearing a bright red dress and has a sharp biting intelligence that everyone loves, as well as a savvy insider sensibility that brings her outsized influence. Anyway, I noted her contribution to Lipinski, which I imagine she gave to create her own political machine or because she's just friends with him (these things happen). A few hours later, she came by the lobby and said to the DFAers that she heard Matt Stoller was telling people she was a 'fake progressive'. Cynically speaking, yes, it's junior high, but progressives seem to be one of the cliques at the lunch table. Less cynically, Wasserman Schultz actually cares about what they have to offer and their service to the party. That's amazing, since Florida's prominence in national politics both in terms of money shipped out of state to national politicians and its swing status means that this is a high leverage position. I'll give a shout-out to Susan Smith, who is a clearly beloved leader of the progressive netroots in Florida, though there were so many others, from the immensely impressive meowmissy who gave an amazing presentation on research to Gene Smith to Ray Seaman, who is working successfully to rebuild Florida's local Democratic organizations (known as DECs) as 21 year old college student to the guys behind the popular Draft Katherine Harris video project. The Florida netroots is growing, and you can find a list of blogs off of the Florida Progressive Coalition blogroll. I was so impressed I joined the Florida netroots caucus with a $35 contribution (yes, Gene, I owe you an email).
Anyway, the Florida party seems to be just getting better, and Florida politicians seem interested in blogs and progressive organizing because of the hugely expensive media markets within the state. There are massive fights occurring at Adam Smith's blog The Buzz, and decision-makers pay attention to them. Certainly the party staffers themselves are unusually talented - two struck me as exceptional - Mark Bubriski, the party's spokesperson, and Mitch Kates, a tough campaign manager with a winning track record. Kates was a pro wrestler in a past life, formerly "Jason the Terrible", and I actually saw him face down one of those insane people that come to political conventions screaming things like 'Hillary Clinton is a fascist!' I was blown away by Kates, Bubriski, Smith, and so many others.
The tussle with Dean over the delegate selection just didn't seem to be a big deal, and the consensus was that Florida is definitely in play for 2008. It's actually ironic that the DNC is fighting so viciously with Florida, considering that Florida's delegates were the first group to back Dean for Chair in 2005. At the netroots convention, I gave a speech on the importance of intraparty debate, and the value of principle in politics. It was videotaped so hopefully it'll be online soon. I find it difficult living in DC to retain my optimism, because Democratic insiders obviously want to betray us as soon as they can, and we haven't found the scale or the institutions to stop their predilection to do this. But the Florida netroots gave me a strong dose of encouragement. They are really fighting and making a difference, and it's showing in a kind of cultural transplant of fun and aggressiveness in the Democratic Party.
The only part of Florida politics I remember from my childhood in Miami was Lawton Chiles beating Jeb Bush for the Governorship, which I remember being happy about since my Mom didn't like Bush. It turns out that Chiles was part of an insider group known as the Florida Blue Key society, a good ole boys club stretching back to the University of Florida. This kind of closed system is replicated all over the country, but while it sustained Democrats in the state for many years, it led to an ossified political structure the Republicans just decimated. And now, out of the rubble, a new and more open Democratic Party seems to be taking shape.
UPDATE: I also want to give a shout-out to Alison Morano and Ken Quinnell. Very impressive work! |
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