Do you think the Dems can win Florida?

[jcrew2001]

I think if we have Nelson as the VP, we have a good chance at winning florida.

However, the GOP might nominate Martinez or JEB as VP, and that would make Florida likely to go Red again.

What does everyone think?

[jgraz]

1. They've won it the last two elections

Why should 2008 be any different?

[Hand]

10. Dang! Ya beat me to it! nt

[illinoisprogressive]

2. Dems can win in any state if they try.

[anniebelle]

3. We've got to win Florida.

That's going to be the state in '08. We'll take NY and CA, so we MUST take Florida. In my humble opinion.

[Hawaii Hiker]

12. I don't think Democrats need Florida, even

though it's certainly a state that could go blue....I think Democrats need to try to focus on Missouri, Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, & Ohio....I mean, if Kerry could have won some of those interior west states, he still would have won the election, even with losing FL. & Ohio...

It should NOT be too difficult for the Democratic nominee to win the Kerry states, & hopefully pick up a couple of the aforementioned states above, then we can all say :woohoo: the day after election day!

[InvisibleTouch]

4. We did in 2000.

And with any luck I'll be living there by '08, so that's one more vote.

[morningglory]

14. Our great new Republic Governor, Charlie Crist, changed law so felons

who have done their time can vote. That was one of the vote-stealing tactics of the Bush regime. Then they went ahead and declared tens of thousands of Democrats felons, embarrassing a lot of upstanding black people (who had never committed crimes) at the polls.

[rzemanfl]

17. Think that over carefully. I moved here from Wisconsin in 1996.

The first four years were great, but the uh-ohs, not so much....

[InvisibleTouch]

21. If you'd like to come back to the great frozen northland...

...I'd be happy to trade you! :)

Seriously, been trying to make it to Florida for years. The thought of another winter in the midwest makes me want to drive off an overpass at high speed.

[CoffeeCat]

5. It doesn't matter if we win..

...it matters who owns the voting machines.

Gore won in '00. I believe Kerry won in 04.

It no longer matters who has the most votes.

[bigdarryl]

6. HELL NO

[marmar]

7. Honestly, I don't think we have to....

We'll win the Kerry 2004 states again, and I'd be shocked if Colorado, Nevada and Ohio don't go blue. Game, set, match, fuck-off-and-die Republican assholes.

[aquart]

8. Since we already have...just count the damn votes.

[Mend]

9. it is looking as though Gov. Crist is much better than jeb bush and hopefully

won't allow the outrages that occurred in the last two elections, esp. with the cops suppressing the votes. There are more Democrats here than republics, so we should win.

[rzemanfl]

11. The Dems won Florida in 2000 and 2004 but the voting was

rigged/supressed/generally fucked up.

[Bryn]

13. There was overwhelming support for Gore in 2000

in South Florida when I lived there and also same for Kerry. I cannot imagine how Bush won....TWICE!! South Florida was all BLUE and so was TALLAHASSEE, the capital of Florida.

[rzemanfl]

18. He cheated, both times. n/t

[MasonJar]

15. Now that Jeb is gone it might be possible to have an honest election

in Florida. Note: I said "might."

[madfloridian]

20. Not yet.

The Secretary of State is in total charge of elections. Answers only to Crist. Crist is not about to do anything to help Dems win here.

[LostInAnomie]

16. We don't need it.

If we can win all the states that we had in '04 (and there's no reason to believe we won't), then all we need is to pick up one or two more states. The way many of the southwestern states are shaping up, or even Virginia for that matter, Florida will become as irrelevant as Texas.

[madfloridian]

19. The plan apparently is not to depend on Florida, but to go westward.

I have written about it here.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/420

"Add it all up, and Democrats hope a new day is dawning. "We intend to contest Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada as a unit next time in the presidential because we think we can win there," Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told U.S. News. Dean's theory is that, with a combined total of 29 electoral votes, those four states would make it unnecessary for the Democrats to win Florida, with 27 electoral votes, which they have lost in the last two down-to-the-wire presidential elections. "Bill Clinton won every single one of those states at one time or another," Dean added"

[hey hey]

22. YES!

I live in Florida (transplant from NYC) and when I first moved here was distressed at the lack of progressive thought...

I was appauled how almost everyone I knew here wasn't outraged during the Clinton impeachment or with the Florida recount debacle in 2000... how they all put "support our troops" yellow ribbons on thier bumper stickers after 9-11 and when we first went into Iraq and thought that meant not questioning the adminstration about anything...

but slowly over the past couple of years I have seen even hard nosed Republican co-workers and acquaintances say ENOUGH!!

And they ghave no plans at all now for voting for a Republican Candidate for POTUS...

In many ways because Florida is a relatively new population boom (no -one lived here before air conditioners) It is a sate largely made up of transplants and truly a microcosmos of the entire united States who by recent National polls want a Democrat in the Whitehouse next time around..

I dunno about Nelson... I mean I voted for him (twice) and certainly didnt vote for Martinez but he is a pretty "conservative" Democrat... and I dont always agree with him on all issues... I'm not sure how close he and Hillary are or if he is even posturing for VEEP... but who knows it;s so early..

no matter what I think we are taking Florida in 08..

Florida is also voting early in the primaries and will be excited they helped chose the nominee this time for the first time...