Where's AFL-CIO Going?
It's the anachronistic ritual of Democratic primary time in Florida that candidates start talking an awful lot about auto workers, federations of physicians and dentists, and various international brotherhoods as if this were Michigan or Iowa. Today's installment: The Jim Davis campaign announced an endorsement from the 3,000-member Transport Workers Union Local 568, representing airport crew chiefs and fleet service clerks at American Airlines in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa.
It all leads up to this weekend's gathering in Tampa where the AFL-CIO will decide which candidates to endorse. The safe bet is that AFL will play it safe and back both Davis and Rod Smith, like its biggest member, the teachers union, did last week. Still, former labor lawyer Smith has the edge in labor support and could yet pull off a surprise endorsement.
Update: Smith announced the backing of the North Central Florida AFL-CIO, consisting of 12 counties and nearly 3000 members.
It all leads up to this weekend's gathering in Tampa where the AFL-CIO will decide which candidates to endorse. The safe bet is that AFL will play it safe and back both Davis and Rod Smith, like its biggest member, the teachers union, did last week. Still, former labor lawyer Smith has the edge in labor support and could yet pull off a surprise endorsement.
Update: Smith announced the backing of the North Central Florida AFL-CIO, consisting of 12 counties and nearly 3000 members.
18 Comments:
At 11:09 AM, May 17, 2006, rationaldemocrat said…
The smart move would be to endorse Smith...but expect another dual endorsement...sad really...wish our unions would stand strong as they once did.
At 11:23 AM, May 17, 2006, buzzgrump said…
Standing strong by endorsing the underdog who's behind in the polls and money?
How does that make sense for labor?
If they like Smith better, and that's an if, they have to know Davis is likely to win.
The smart thing to do, therefore, is back them both and save your dollars for the General Election where getting union members to vote for Davis could actually mean something.
It's high time unions acted smart instead of blind. Throwing your endorsement and resources away on Smith won't help anyone.
At 11:30 AM, May 17, 2006, rationaldemocrat said…
Buzzgrump
You honestly think a few hundred thousand in hard dollars makes Davis a frontrunner? Do you have any idea how much more soft money Smith has and will continue to raise? Davis' marginal lead now is completely insignificant.
As for the polls...65% undecided makes Davis a frontrunner? I guess you were beside yourself excited with Janet Reno 4 years ago when she had a 35%+ lead over McBride.
To support Davis is to support the same tired Democratic nominee...
McKay,McBride, McDavis...all losers
At 11:44 AM, May 17, 2006, buzzgrump said…
News Flash, my good buddy: the AFL/CIO supported McBride over Reno.
So I guess your position, rationaldemocrat, is that the AFL/CIO is great but they sure blew that McBride deal because he was a sure loser.
Or you want their endorsement because you want Smith to be the next McBride by knocking off the frong runner with the help of labor.
But you said Davis was McBride. Or was Davis Reno?
If you're so rational why can't you get your story right?
And for the all the time the Smith people spend insisting Davis is not the front runner, I'll ask just one question:
Is there any poll anywhere that shows Rod Smith ahead of Jim Davis?
Just one?
There was one a few months ago that showed them "tied" and about three dozen showing Davis with substantial leads over Smith and growing.
What's the hang-up on denying Davis is leading? He is.
And name calling (McDavis) won't help that.
At 11:58 AM, May 17, 2006, rationaldemocrat said…
Buzz Grump
Your rant reminds me of the rest of the Davis campaign...one that knows their day as "frontrunner" is about to end.
My point (as any rational reader whould know) is that the AFL-CIO should endorse Smith...the ONLY candidate who can beat the GOP. To dual endorse at the FEA did is a feeble attempt of trying to placate a few Davis supporters. (BTW: Reno would have lost to Bush as well. If Democrats ever want to win again, they must nominate someone who has proven they can beat Republicans, not one who is made a career out of being a pedestrian politician.)
As for the frontrunner status...it makes no rational sense to suggest that someone with 25% support is the frontrunner. This race (for the time being) is wide-open. This is why 65% of the primary voter is undecided.
Davis is a loser. Plain and simple. Nominate him and the Democrats will lose.
At 12:04 PM, May 17, 2006, buzzgrump said…
rationaldem:
What flavor is the Smith cool-aid this week?
I hear they changed it to grape this week to keep the staff motivated after the teacher melt-down. It takes a real "winner" to blow a sure thing.
At 12:06 PM, May 17, 2006, rationaldemocrat said…
The teacher "melt-down". You call over 50% of the vote a "melt-down." It seems to me that the "frontrunner" should have gotten the endorsement.
The flavor is victory. Your candidate will not win. I know it. You know it. The GOP knows it.
At 12:20 PM, May 17, 2006, jpublic said…
rationaldemocrat,
"My point (as any rational reader whould know) is that the AFL-CIO should endorse Smith...the ONLY candidate who can beat the GOP."
...Indeed the bigger picture, well put...
At 12:52 PM, May 17, 2006, moderate said…
Face it McBride had a better chance to win the General Election than Janet Reno, and everyone who had half a brain new it.
The problem was, McBride had to run against the "Cult of Jeb" and neither of these candidates have to do that.
McBride would have beat both Crist of Gallager if that were the race then.
The Rs are licking their chops to face Jim Davis, no matter what the polls say. Davis is easier to attack than Smith is.
Davis gets absolutely no crossover, end of story.
As for the endorsement, its going to be either Smith, both or none.
I doubt Davis has the votes or confidence to get the sole endorsement.
At 1:23 PM, May 17, 2006, jpublic said…
moderate,
“As for the endorsement, it’s going to be either Smith, both or none.”
… Dead-nuts-on moderate, dead-nuts-on…
I expect they’ll follow the FEA lead to be safe, but if they go for Smith it confirms three very important realities…
1. There is no “Frontrunner” in the (D’s) race at this point.
2. The Davis team had better clear the arrogant confidence and pay attention.
3. And most importantly… stop believing and reacting to polls.
At 2:43 PM, May 17, 2006, Campaign Manager said…
To call Jim Davis the same tired nominee is unfair to a man who has been standing up for Florida and his constituents in Congress for years - as has Rod Smith in Tallahassee.
Both candidates are strong on issues affecting middle class families and both have strong arguments for deserving labor's support. Saying so does not make labor weak.
At 3:24 PM, May 17, 2006, moderate said…
Jim Davis was the "Majority Leader" when the Democrats lost all control of Florida's Government.
There were two reasons for this, and Jeb Bush wasn't one of them.
1. The Democrats lost touch with what the average Floridian cares about.
2. The anglo democrats, in an effort to save themselves, ignored tha african americans.
Prior to the 1992 Reapprotionment process the white Democrats tried to make their single member districts so strong that the african americam legislators cut a deal with the Republicans to make seats where essentially only blacks could win.
This took the black voting block out of what had long been strong white democrat districts and forced the white democrats to run in districts which up until then had been 75% democrat (including the black voters) and forced them to run in new districts that averaged only 50% Democratic voters and they started to lose seats based on pissed of middle of the road crossover white Ds.
Think about how a state with more registered Ds than Rs has become so completely controled by Republicans. The Rs took over first, then controled reapportionment in 2002 and fortified their advantage.
The White Democrats ignored the african americans and it turned around and bit them in the ass.
And who was in charge of the Ds when this happened?
JIM DAVIS
At 5:23 PM, May 17, 2006, Congresswatch said…
what are you davis people gonna say when the polls tighten -- "oh, we believed them up until now"
digging yourselves a mighty deep hole kids
At 6:22 PM, May 17, 2006, 1sourcem said…
Normally, this endorsement would easily go to the "establishment" candidate, Jim Davis. But since Smith announced, he has been picking up labor endorsements all over the state -- not just North Florida, but South Florida also. If the union leaders vote their hearts, it will be Smith. If they play it safe, it will be a dual endorsement. But notice no one is suggesting a Davis endorsement.
My guess is the union wants a fighter, and Rod Smith is fighting harder for the nomination than Jim Davis. Sure, the union lost with McBride, but Reno would have lost by twice as much. And remember how quickly she lost her staggering lead as "frontrunner" in the primary?
Smith is the scrappy underdog. Davis is sleepwalking. Still.
At 7:10 PM, May 17, 2006, uberpol said…
i'm neutral in the davis-smith race. as far as primaries go, i'm an adherent of darwin.
i just gotta say that i find it hilarious when i hear people imply or say outright that davis will somehow crumble like reno did against mcbride.
no fundraising (as in no soft money), no fighting back, no nothing.
davis ain't reno. and, thankfully, smith ain't mcbride.
can't wait till this race heats up!
At 7:43 PM, May 17, 2006, moderate said…
of course Jim Davis isn't Janet Reno.
He's not half the man Janet Reno is.
Davis couldn't carry Reno's jockstrap!
At 9:14 PM, May 17, 2006, LDWilder said…
I don't know is Smith will/can win.....but I do know that Davis has no killer instinct.
His campaign HAS NOT impressed AT ALL!
At 8:27 AM, May 18, 2006, uberpol said…
if davis -- or any other candidate -- has no killer instinct, then he/she deserves to lose.
i still wudn't underestimate him.
Post a Comment
<< Home