[CzarNicky]

wish i one hand and crap in the other dems and see which fills up first. and when it comes to crapping on your hands no one beats the dems.

[Polybius]

"Those people," he said, referencing stridently Republican Cuban-Americans, "are going to die off."

Yeah, but not for 15 years after the Red Diaper Babies in Miami Beach die off. :-)

[JohnLongIsland]

has the florida democrat party anounced that elian will be giving the opening remarks and fidel will be delivering the keynote address on closed circuit tv with janet reno introducing, of course?

[Mr_Moonlight]

"If you can control the Hispanic voters in years to come ...

Thats an interesting way of putting it

[RayChuang88]

Given the major PR fiasco of the Elian Gonzalez incident as shown by this infamous picture:

The chances of the Democrats getting support from the powerful Cuban-American community in Florida is going to be low for a long, long time.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

many of those cubans have first hand experience of what happens to a country when you put communists/socialists in charge.

[goresalooza]

"all-star team of the party's power hitters: national Chairman Howard Dean" yada yada yada.

Coward dean is a "power $hitter" but the writer forgot to type in the S in the article.

Hint to LSM: there are no power hitters on the left. None, nada, zip.

[decal]

"But Emilio Perez and other members of the state's party's Hispanic caucus noticed something was absent: a prominent Hispanic speaker."

Howard Dean: "You mean Obama's not Hispanic?? His name ends in "a," doesn't it??"

[Clemenza]

He said the problem is identity politics within the party, with African-Americans and whites focusing on their own causes rather than the whole of the party.

Actually, Jewish-Americans are the second largest voting block in the Democratic Party in Florida, and the largest voting block in Palm Beach (31% Jewish, 23% black)and Broward Counties, two of the most heavily populated counties in the state. Secular Jews dominate the state legislative delegations from the southern part of the state.

The Democratic Party has an image problem among Latinos and Anglos in Florida. To many, at least at the local level, it is seen as a party of Condo Commandos from New York (South Florida) or the "black people's party" (North Florida and the West Coast of Florida).

What is changing is the Latino/Hispanic electorate in Florida. Puerto Ricans are already the largest single ethnic group period in Osceola County (think Disney World) according to the census, and have a large presence in Orange and Volusia Counties as well. Meanwhile, the Latin population of South Florida continues to diversify, ranging from wealthy Columbians and Venezuelans in the Tri-Counties, and poor Mexicans, who are concentrated on the west coast but do not tend to vote.

The GOP has done an excellent job at courting the affluent and middle class Colombian and Venezuelan emigres, factors that may help us in places like Broward and Palm Beach, that have been Democratic strongholds over the past 25-30 years. The Puerto Rican population may be more of a problem, but their is anecdotal evidence that even they split their votes in the 2002 gubernatorial election.

[Political Junkie Too]

"Those people," he said, referencing stridently Republican Cuban-Americans, "are going to die off."

And then they'll suddenly start voting Democrat.

-PJ

[Caipirabob]

Too late. All of the religous Latinos I know who follow politics can't relate to the Dims anymore. There was a total disconnect with the Latino constituency here in SOFLO for the past 5 years, and anyone who payed attention won't support the dims anymore. This, if for no other reason than their attack on Christian and family values. I've seen some friends beating their fist on their desk reading articles I've sent them.

These folks don't forget too easily either...

*grin*

[Joe Boucher]

Republicans own every office in Florida except for Dem. Senator bill Nelson and if the repubs ran a competant candidate for that office they'd win that too.
Cubans vote repub. Mexicans vote dem. Florida is full of old blue hairs and Cubans, both routinly vote repub. cept for West Palm Beach and Broward county.