Spinning the Florida 13 Sink Hole

Last month, the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) sent out a fundraising letter for the Florida 13th Congressional Special Election to support their candidate Alex Sink.  This Congressional race, where Democrats outspent Republicans on television by a 4 to 1 margin, centered on the Affordable Care Act.  Sink promised to reform Obamacare whereas  Tea Party inspired Republican challenger David Jolly (R-FL 13th) advocated outright overturning Obamacare.

After Jolly won the Special Election, the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) had some fun doing red pen edits on this DCCC messaging missive. 

Democrats could not stop spinning the Sink hole.  DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL 23rd) sounded like Baghdad Bob in her spin control for the loss on the race. 

[L] DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL 23rd) [R] Baghdad Bob 

Undoubtedly, Democrats will follow an Alinskyite approach to campaigning, demonizing an archtypical opponent, be it the Koch Brothers or House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH 8th).  But even after ad hominen attacks and class warfare campaigns, Democrats will need a positive message.  The minimum wage hike is more of a minor wedge issue which pays off its union support (by raising pay scales for all unionized employees) but it will need an overarching issue.  

After the results from the Florida 13 Special Election, it will be interesting if they double down and remain all in by running on Obamacare elsewhere.  It could be, as national Democrats are encouraging Ms. Sink to run again against Jolly in the November General Election. Maybe that is a hangover from Sink's jolly concession speech. 

Sink: "Although we are disappointed, the bars are open--let's enjoy our friendship"

Alex Sink, the Democrat candidate for Congress in the Special Election in District-13, had a jovial concession speech.  Shortly after the polls closed showing that she had lost by two percent, Sink  addressed supporters to let them know that she had called her victorious opponent Congressman-Elect Dave Jolly (R-FL 13th) and thank her supporters.  All of that is standard fare. However Sink's plucky peroration  "[A]though we are disappointed, the bars are open--let's enjoy our friendship" is unusual in openly embracing drowning sorrows.


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A more subtle detail about Sink's concession speech is the lack of fellow Democrat dignitaries on the dais.   Sink was not a shot in the dark candidate.  Sink was married to Bill McBride, a Florida politician who unsuccessfully ran for Governor in 202.  In her own right, Sink had been Florida's Chief Financial Officer before gaining the Democrat nomination for Governor in 2010 and only lost in the general election by 1%.

When 22 term Congressman Bill Young (R-FL 13th) died in October, a special election was called in a Pinellas County based District that is only R+1 and had voted for Obama in the last two Presidential elections.  The Florida Democrat party cleared the field for Sink to run.

Over $10 million was spent in this Special Election campaign and Democrats outspent unknown Jolly on negative television ads 4 to 1. Democrats sent high profile surrogates, including former President Bill Clinton, to campaign for sink.  So much was invested in this race as Democrats considered it a must win since this Special Election was a test run for Democrat messaging for Obamacare.  Sink campaigned that she would help fix Obamacare, whereas Tea Party inspired attorney David Jolly advocated complete repeal.

Congressman-elect David Jolly (R-FL 13th)

Jolly can not savor his success for long.  The special election was only for the nine months remaining on the term.  Moreover, Jolly only won by two percent which is not a comfortable margin of victory in that district. However, if one considers how much Jolly was outspent along with the high profile elements of the Sink campaign, this Special Election may be a bellweather to Democrat success in the November General Election. Perhaps "[A]though we are disappointed, the bars are open--let's enjoy our friendship" may be prophetic words for Democrats.