Florida Republicans have found what voters want; state Democrats better do the same
If you ran a restaurant and no one liked what you served, what would you do? Continue dishing out the same slop while scolding customers for their poor taste? Or switch up your menu? This is the dilemma facing the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) after a disastrous midterm cycle, which led to the resignation of party chair Manny Diaz this month.
It isn’t Diaz’s fault that he was forced to sell unappetizing candidates. He was held captive by an ultra-progressive wing that insists on rejecting pragmatism at every turn. Still, it will take strong leadership from the next FDP chair to correct course, and it needs to happen quickly before Florida’s “red state” status becomes self-sustaining.
Despite what many Democrats want to believe, Gov. DeSantis’ 19point victory isn’t merely a statement on his personal brand. Exit polls showed DeSantis winning Latinos in the state by 13 points, a colossal 20-point swing over Trump in 2020. DeSantis also won Florida’s independents, whom Trump lost by 11 points while still winning the state.
Small statistical changes can be attributed to a candidate’s personal stylings, but numbers of this magnitude are about something deeper. They signal that key Democratic constituencies are no longer enticed by what their party is serving, no matter who is serving it, and they like what Republicans have placed on the menu.
DON’T DIVIDE PEOPLE
Floridians new and old, red and blue, are clear about what they want: safe streets with empowered police, schools that listen to parents, capitalism over socialism and controlled borders. The FDP could hire Barack Obama as its next chair, and if their candidates continued to neglect these needs, they would fail just the same.
Consider that throughout the 2022 campaign, Florida’s Democratic candidates spent much of their ad time criticizing a booming state economy. This didn’t make friends with voters who like jobs. They also spent time dividing their customers along superficial lines — Black, gay, poor and so on — forfeiting the chance to focus on what unites all Floridians to “buy Democratic.”
These are unforced errors. Democrats can be pro-people and pro-business at the same time, like they once were. They can champion the American Dream through capitalism, safe communities, strong borders and parental control, like they once did, while still drawing a sharp distinction with Republicans. The FDP should listen to customers as Bill Clinton did in 1992 and once again become the party that celebrates success, opposes crime, believes in smart immigration reform and stands on the side of parents.
This won’t happen on its own. It will require the incoming FDP chair to stand up to progressive Democrats, whose product appeals to a very slim customer base that in turn alienates the larger market. Mainstream media, which the Republicans ignore, love to highlight these left-wing views for the clicks and advertising revenue, but the attention comes at the expense of Democratic success.
DEMS HAVE A CHANCE
Florida is still a purple state, but it’s up to Democrats to keep it that way. The adage holds true: As goes Florida, so goes the nation. This is because our state is a microcosm of America. Miami is “new New York,” representing the American Dream to so many, whether immigrants from the South or northeasterners escaping increasingly chaotic cities. The entire state, far from your traditional red state, is a melting pot of people from all over the country and the world.
If Democrats want to continue winning nationally, they must win here.
National concerns aside, a healthy Florida will always require two healthy parties. Voters want an alternative to the Republican culture-war agenda, one that differs on things that matter — the rights of workers, a strong social safety net and defense of the environment — without abandoning patriotism, capitalism and basic common sense.
Last year’s midterms were important, but they were not “the most important election of our lifetimes,” as many claimed. The next presidential cycle will be vastly more important, and its downballot races will determine whether our state stays forever red or returns to its purple roots.
Democrats in Florida need to shape up, starting with a strong party chair who stands up to the radicals. If they do, they can save themselves — and, perhaps, their country.
Philip Levine is a former two-term mayor of Miami Beach and onetime Democratic candidate for governor of Florida.