Last week, a former co-worker and political commentator extraordinaire, Joy-Ann Reid penned an interesting opinion piece about the state of the top two Democratic campaigns, Alex Sink and Kendrick Meek.
In her op-ed, Reid addresses some of the frustration among Democrats about the pace of the campaigns. I hear it too, nearly everywhere I go, to which I have one basic response: Relax.
The 2008 election, particularly for Democrats, was a non-stop event. The sheer amount of advertising, as well as staff, created an all-consuming political environment. But that isn't how campaigns actually work, especially in non-Presidential elections.
So to my Democratic friends, I would remind them of two things:
1. Despite the attention paid to the Presidential campaigns, the operation in Florida didn't start until late June/early July. Both McCain and Obama campaigns had tiny staffs in May, but neither campaign got going in earnest until well into the summer. Heck, now President Obama didn't make his first real general election visit to Florida until July 31st. It is only February.
2. In the words of my friend Paul Tewes, "polls are shit." Sure, Sink is trailing McCollum, but then again, a lot more folks know who he is. But more importantly, the election isn't for eight months. Both parties should remember that as late as May 1, 2008, McCain held an average lead of 12 points over Obama in Florida.
For Democrats, Sink and Meek have plenty of time to define themselves to Floridians, assuming they have the money to do so. This is why the uncontested party nominees (McCollum, Sink and Meek) are focusing on really the only thing they should be doing: raising money, and all three are doing that well. From an activist stand point, this might not be as exciting as the kind of hand to hand combat that defines the latter months of a campaign, but without the resources, they wouldn't have a shot in a state that is as big and expensive as Florida.