Did earlier primary for Florida help cause divisiveness?

There’s an article at Sunshine State News quoting Florida Senate president Mike Haridopolos (R-Merritt Island) on the wisdom of moving the state’s primary ahead. Haridopolos suggested it was a good move for the candidates and the state.

Haridopolos also said this:

“He added that the Legislature has been shown to have made the correct choice, even at the expense of half the state’s delegates to the GOP national convention, which will be held in Tampa in August.”

I didn’t know the Legislature made the choice—that’s news to me. It was my impression a government committee made it. Did the Legislature actually vote on this? I don’t think so but I will try to find out.

One legislator who wasn't on the committee told CfNews13 he voted for the change.

Haridopolos, who is supporting former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.) for the Republican nomination, was one of three government officials, each of whom appointed 3 members to the committee.

It's fine to support advancing the primary, but it's also a good idea to keep a commitment.

Florida’s decision threw other states’ primary schedules into chaos. Other GOP officials were infuriated. NPR said Tennessee committeeman John Ryder demanded sanctions over and above the sanctions already levied on Florida. South Carolina’s GOP chair called for the loss of all the state’s delegates.

As it now stands, the activist base putting in the hard work will receive the brunt of the punishment other than the fact Florida will lose half her delegates.

Aside from that, advancing the primary put some candidates at a disadvantage because Florida is an expensive media market. Newcomer candidates had to scramble.

The state would have enjoyed a more drawn out period of “political tourism” by leaving it at the March date originally agreed upon by the state party.

The RPOF could not control the committee’s decision, however.

Florida is engaged in a bitter, divisive war right now with much of the party faithful almost equally split down the middle over the two frontrunners.

Had the vetting period been extended, things might not have been so fractious and some candidates might have stayed in longer.

The current negative campaigning can be attributed in part to the time crunch because Florida is an influential state in the nomination process anyway. Much rides on Florida for every candidate.

Related Articles

Is Florida’s early primary a positive or a negative for the GOP? –The US Report

Florida GOP delegates punished for moving up Florida Republican Primary –CfNews13

RNC may face messy delegates issue –National Public Radio

(Commentary by Kay B. Day/Jan.25, 2012)

Comments

[Hank Heinold]

Looking forward to what you find. My opinion in connecting the dots is that the FL/Natl Republican establishment pulled in the primary to help Romney sew this up early. Mitt is the establishment next in line beauty queen. He is the least conservative candidate given his governing record! Romneycare is big govt mandate and not free market - he is dead in the water in a fight on Obamacare plain and simple. Mitt has the $$ and organization and ran a scorched earth campaign in Iowa and elsewhere against Newt. Here in Florida he has dumped millions of negative ads that are blatantly false. He will get away with it. Personally if the conservative grass-roots wants to fix this for future Presidential Primaries they need to elect true conservatives to Republican office to clean out the establishment power base. Another fundamental issue is having Iowa and New Hampshire going first when they are open contests and in no way should have the influence they do on the Republican contest. Again this is all fine for the Establishment non conservative GOP as it keeps conservatives at an extreme disadvantage.

[Kay B. Day, Editor]

Hank, I share your pain. It's obvious who the power brokers chose. It reminds me of what my grandmother used to say about being careful what you wish for because you might get it.

If those brokers have their way, they have no idea what is coming at them when their nominee is official. It will be a difficult road to travel.