Darryl Rouson was ousted last night as Democratic Leader Designee and now the party caucus is reportedly ready to name a successor before the week is out. My personal preference would be that Rep. Mark Pafford (D-West Palm Beach), the most progressive voice in the entire legislature to take the reigns of leader. Besides being the most progressive voice, Pafford’s vote and rhetoric is the least prone to manipulation in the entire body, and he is a shining example of what other Democrats can be if they bothered to try.
Pafford has the complete package to be an effective leader of a caucus which has stood for virtually nothing over the course of the past few years. The Democrats need to strongly define their brand and differentiate themselves from the Republicans in a way that gives the voters of Florida a clear choice between the parties. Should Pafford become leader you would on one hand have the Republicans in the House who have proven to be an out of touch, arrogant and entitled majority. On the other you would have a party out of power that is providing new ideas, energy and vitality to the marketplace of democracy.
The Democrats in the legislature have for the most part avoided taking strong stands that would alienate corporate lobbyists, the Insurance industry, polluters, home builders and developers. While the party’s legislators have picked spots be heroic, more often than not they have simply caved. A caucus led by Rep. Pafford would reclaim the positive policy agenda to help Florida’s working families and protect our environment that the Democrats have ceded almost completely in the last few years.
While a criticism of Pafford is sure to be that he cannot raise money and his positions do not allow the Democrats the ability to network with typical Tallahassee donors, it is about time House Democrats stopped making decisions based on finance and fundraising. I am not naive to the realities of raising money but do feel the party’s message at the legislative level has been diluted by the influence of money from lobbyists. Even if a Pafford led caucus meant raising substantially less money, the difference in clarity of message and choice for voters should offset the downturn in finance.
Democrats wonder why they continue to lose elections for the Legislature. While the public mantra seems to always revolve around reapportionment, privately many know how badly the party has performed in the biggest races. My feeling about this is simple. While many factors have contributed to the Democrats repeated failures in this state, the biggest factor is when one party advocates something and the other advocates almost nothing, the party that advocates something will usually win even if that something isn’t in line with the views of the majority. Should Rep. Pafford become the Democratic leader, the something vs nothing debate could very well disappear in the 2014 House elections.
Personally, I don’t see many other good options for leader besides Pafford. Certainly many reps can raise money but who else can lead? I am not sure the Democrats even have another viable option unless they want to continue to bumble and stumble in the minority.
The Florida Squeeze 
Rhom Emmanuel wrote a book detailing what it took to change Congress from R to D. It starts with recruitment, includes fund raising, well run campaigns with successful consultants, lots of encouragement and nagging from him, good ideas to build on….Pafford should follow his example.
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Take a look at the DINO recruits that Rahm pushed, and the record of wins by his candidates. Would not want to recommend his strategy. Look to Howard Dean for advice, not Rahm Emmanuel. I have MUCH respect for Mark Pafford!
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I agree wth you 100%. Mark Pafford is the best legislator, leader, and Progressive in Tallahassee. He won’t sellout or cave-in as so many other deal-making, self-servng “Democrats” have done. However, to select Pafford as their leader, the Dems of Florida have to make a prudent decison; what’s the chance of that happening?
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I agree 100% Mark is a good leader and he works hard for the people. He helps lead the younger representative when they first start. He is just been put on some very important committees in the Tally. He deserve to be the leader. It is time that the Democrats work together and support a real Democrat for this position . Yes, we need a good amount of money to get Democrats elected but I don’t see the party doing that great on that end either. Some important issues that are coming up this session and we need someone who will speak out.. Not support The Republicans to make hay for themselves. Good Luck Mark and hope you get the job.
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Why didn’t Pafford reach out to Rouson and offer this expertise? Why wasn’t Rouson given another opportunity to lead and raise money. Does this mean Charlie Crist has to raise his own money to run? Tant has proven she can’t raise the money, but this is what the democratic party elite wants. I see a dark cloud on the horizon for democrats.
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Charlie Crist SHOULD raise his own money if he decides to run against Nan Rich. Until a Democratic nominee is chosen through the primary process, the party should stay neutral.
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Your comment “it is about time House Democrats stopped making decisions based on finance and fundraising.” echoes my constant whining about the party for years. “Leadership” does not suggest a lean to only fundraising. It’s a balance between raising dollars (for a real purpose other than to say…:look what I did”) and determining a course of action, taking the steps towards that action, and living with results. And trying again. I can’t speak for other, but I won’t provide one more dime to this party until my concerns are addressed. We need a plan to bring on the best people who have a strong conviction about Democratic values. Not suck up values. A plan must include a real path to finding these people AND STANDING BEHIND THEM. I’d pay for that. Whether or not Mark can raise money (and who says what that means) has not been determined really. Not in the potential position of Leader.
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