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Fear & Frustration Loom Large in South Florida
Growing up Jewish in Western Pennsylvania, there were always two things I could count on: Jell-O being served at all family gatherings and having a grandparent "winter" in Florida. Now that I'm an adult, I have both parents and a grandmother living in Palm Beach County year-round. As I headed to visit them for Rosh Hashannah, I wondered what the political climate was going to be like. My mother, grandmother and most of her friends were staunch Hillary supporters and were bitterly disappointed when she suspended her campaign. In the months since, was there still anger? Had they come to Obama's side? Were they moved by Sarah Palin? This is what I hoped to find out.
What I found when I started poking around surprised me. While there is still frustration that Hillary is not their candidate, what frustrates them even more is the sense that it doesn't matter what they do at the polls on November 4th because their vote probably won't even be counted. This is not because Hillary isn't on the ballot. It is because of the mistrust of the entire Florida election process. The hangover from the infamous 2000 Gore v. Bush election is still sharp and painful. Having their votes in the Democratic primary be discounted has only served to sharpen their tongues.
"Florida has the worst way of elections." says S.H. of Boynton Beach. "Every time I go to the polls it makes no difference. Every time we vote there's a discussion, a recount and nothing seems to work."
This year many Floridians are planning on voting early (voters in Florida can vote in person starting 15 days before the election date) as they are predicting long lines with heavy voter turn-out. The state has also instituted new voting processes including the introduction of optical-scan machines hoping to streamline voting and alleviate voting irregularities. However, in the face of a recent judicial race vote recount in Palm Beach, these stopgap measures have done little to ease fears or instill trust in the process.
DW of Boyton Beach refers to elections in Florida as "an atrocity" and plans on voting early in hopes that her vote might count.
As the economic crisis hits retirement funds and Sarah Palin's interview gaffs headline the news broadcasts, many Hillary supporters find themselves backing Barack Obama with more and more conviction. They see McCain as another 4 years of "Bush politics" and are even more fearful of Sarah Palin being a heartbeat away from the Presidency.
"She has no experience and it is frightening to think that she could be the President." says L.D. of Delray Beach. "Comparing her to Hillary is insulting; especially as a woman. It also doesn't give me a whole lot of faith in McCain's ability to make decisions that are in America's best interests."
So whether in support of Obama or in opposition to McCain, these Hillary Clinton supporters will go to the polls and vote for the Democratic candidate in hopes of helping put America back on track to being a leader in the world. However, these votes comes with a great deal of cynicism and doubt.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was phony again. McCain is a good friend of [Governor Charlie] Crist and they're gonna do funny things I think." says LS of Boynton Beach.
Can Florida conduct and deliver a fair election? Palm Beach residents aren't so sure. As SR of Delray Beach says, "They don't call it Flori-Duh for nothing."
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Don't let any scammers take your vote away. Don't fall for erroneous and misleading registration before and during the election. Be skeptical and report anything that looks suspicious. I'll be taking my phone which has a picture/videocamera to record any shenanigans. Keep them honest or in jail.
This is encouraging but everytime I watch a Palin rally in Florida, there are so many people there and they all seem so excited about her candidacy. I hope the huge crowds do not indicate support and votes.
See Rachel Dunn's Profile
Palin was just here in Los Angeles and a lot of the crowd (witnessed by an Obama protester at the location) either was bussed in or drove in from Orange County (a very conservative county here in Southern California). I'm going to assume (hope) that it's the same in Florida... that they are brought in from all over to show big crowds.
I also think that because the press was not let near her supporters that many of them are supplied by the campaign. I live in Naples and there is no way there were 13,000
people there.
The Great Schlep!
They can't steal it if it's a Landslide!!!!
Anyone know what the impact of the post-Hurricane Ike gasoline-shortage has been on political sentiment in Florida?
Could this be one reason for what seems to be slight movement toward Obama?
See Rachel Dunn's Profile
I cannot speak for the whole of Florida but I did not get any sense of the move toward Obama being due to the effects of Ike. Truly almost all of the people with whom i spoke who had previously been undecided were moved toward Obama because of the Palin choice and the state of the economy. The thought of another 4 years of what we have had (or heaven forbid worse than what we've had) just pushed people away from McCain.
We have had huge campaigns at the college's for Obama, all very sucessful and there is a drift by the older folks (the ones that live here year round) to support him because of his honesty and his health care policy and there absolute disdain for Bush.
Funny that you didn't mention age. I know the topic is taboo but the "older" people I know in Florida feel strongly that McCain is too old. In the corporate world there are age limit for board members on the boards of public companies and I yet have to find a person over 70 who doesn't agree.
All the people I know over 65 feel should be a maximum age to seek the presidency. In addition they seem to feel strongly that this is the time to go with a young man who sees the future as opposed to and old man who lives in the past.
I am only in my 40's so I don't know what it feels like to be over 70 and have to go with their assessment that 72 is too old to run for president.
Needless to say that none of my older friends consider Palin a valid substitute for president.
I'm not yet 70, but I saw my 40s years ago. For me it is delightful to vote for someone younger who happens to be of the quality of Obama.
I was excited by the gorgeous Democratic dilemma: either vote traditionally, for the male -- who happens to be black; or vote traditionally, for the white -- who happens to be a female. I was excited because there was no way, this time, to avoid it: either a black, or a woman.
I was originally for Hillary -- she's qualified, and I like her. But Obama is the most impressive candidate I've seen in many years: intelligent, calm, informed, and competent.
See Rachel Dunn's Profile
I did not mention age specifically but can tell you that a majority of the people with whom I spoke were over 70. There was/is a definite air of concern about McCain's health which makes the Sarah Palin choice that much more frightening to them. It has also made them question his decision making abilities. It's a scary idea... President Palin... but at least that idea has made a lot of undecided voters think.
The other day we went to the library and I looked at an AARP voting/supporting record of both senators Obama and McCain. Hey people over 60yrs please take a look at it, it's very startling. Do the research. Then vote.
thanks
I think we need Goverment regulators of Both party's out in force in states like Florida, Ohio, nh, New Mex,Virginia and such to stop voteing fraud! Republicans are good at such things, and won't stop!
I think it's an absolute disgrace that a political party in these United States should resort to third world tactics to cheat their way into power against the will of the majority. Do they truly believe it's worth it to win like that? Ask 'W' how it worked out for him in the long run. Ask the GOP how the party faired in the big picture. There's a place in the future where you reap out of the field you sowed in and as fate would have it, it's harvest time for the GOP.
Well, at least this time Jeb Bush and the Harris woman are no longer in FL to steal the election for Republicans. Although, I'm quite sure other Republicans are thinking of something deceitful to do during the election.
There should be one nationwide voting method in the general elections. Paper ballots are the best choice, because there is then a hard record. We use paper ballots here in NC....have you ever heard of voting irregularities here??
I live in South Florida and I voted in Palm Beach County in 2000. People in Palm Beach are no more stupid than people anywhere else, and the punch card voting system then in use was commonly used in many, many places. The problem in Palm Beach, both in 2000 and the recent judgeship contest, is that the votes were very, very close. I don't care where you live, a manual recount of hundreds of thousands of votes is not likely to come out the same twice (especially with Bush's team of lawyers hanging over the shoulders of the vote counters).
What worries me is Republican tactics aimed at keeping likely Democratic voters away from the polls. That thought literally woke me in the middle of the night and made me wonder if my vote will count.
See Rachel Dunn's Profile
It is a frightening thought and one that many like you share. Hopefully, since the whole country will be watching, Florida (and the other 49 states) will deliver a fair election.
I'm a Palm Beach County resident myself, and there is SO much Obama activity down here, you can't believe. Out of idle curiosity, I went on to the McCain website to see what kinds of local events they might actually be running in South Florida. Within a 100 mile radius of West Palm Beach, there were 14. Yes, 14. Aside from one Debate Watching party (yes ONE) and two sign waving events, all of the rest were "come over to my house and let's talk about McCain" parties.
Know how many events are scheduled on the Obama website for the same 100 mile radius of this area? 341
This includes: gazillions of voter registration drives and canvassing, phone banking, debate watching parties, fundraisers, sign waving parties, golf tournaments, women's discussion groups, Town Hall rallies with local Democratic officials, a bake sale, multiple fundraising concerts, a bowling event, Jewish outreach events, a talent show, an art exhibition, an art fair, prayer meetings, a Miami Dolphins game voter registration, a fish fry, LGBT mixers, a video game marathon fundraiser, new citizenship ceremony voter registration, an international food festival, and a walkathon!
Gee, it's not too hard to see who is really making an effort around here, is it?? We're taking Florida for Obama!!
Aw, what kind of 'experience' is community organizing?
I live in a surburbs outside of Miami and I will be voting early for this election. I am African American and the other side try to dilute AA into thinking that their vote doesn't count. I am so proud to stand up and vote for Barack Obama! I am a single parent, highly educated and unemployed- I am appalled by the McCain/Palin ticket and how they see fit to discuss false and disrespectful accusations about Obama. I am a proud mother of an 8 year old and I am teaching her to believe in yourself and be honest- Palin and McCain are as untruthful as they come. As a woman, I am ultra-offended by Palin and how she parade her baby around due to his condition- I am extremely offended by her rise to power. She reminds me of a woman who sleeps her way to the top and scouf at women who actually went to one university and obtained a degree and later attended post -graduate- the nerve of us women to think that we are on the right path other than the one that Palin is marching down.She's a DISGRACE!!
The world and the country is ready for a change- not the change that the dingbats are offering. I know that here in South Florida were are ready for change.
Support.Donate.Vote Obama/Biden '08.
My prays goes out to the Biden family during this difficult time- May God bless.
See Rachel Dunn's Profile
I love hearing that you are going to stand up and be heard. It is so important for everyone, who can vote, to vote... especially in Florida!
I live in Florida. I plan on writing Obama/Biden on the ballot so that there isn't any question!
Be very careful! Your best bet is to follow the instructions carefully. Lots of people write on the ballots as you suggest, but those writings don't get seen unless the race is so close a manual recount is ordered. I think for a manual recount to be triggered the vote must be within 1/4 percent.
Since most of Florida's Jewish population are ex- NY'ers ( or at least a sizeable chunk shlep south for the winter of their years), I can understand their frustration. I think general elections should be federalized- leaving it up to the states to decide what voting machines to use leaves too many stones unturned. State governance can use whatever the heck they want.
See Rachel Dunn's Profile
I agree. It also leaves far too many local politicians open to influence. A Bosnian friend of mine said that if you took Florida out of the post, it could be a story from another country. Scary.
I believe even with DIEBOLD tactics, O will win Florida. It's good to hear the jewish community is coming around.
See Rachel Dunn's Profile
They are but slowly. Many are still resistant leaving a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks.
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