Democrats Idea For Election Planning: Drink Liberally
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Local Democrats are having such problems that a party official has suggested a way to plan for next year’s election drink liberally.
The idea comes from Randy Fleischer, the Broward Democratic Party’s new area leader for Weston, Davie, Cooper City and SW Ranches. He has invited Democratic activists to a Happy Hour at Gatsby’s restaurant, University Dr just south of Interstate 595, 5-7pm on Monday March 28.
Randy Fleischer
The meeting is supposed to be the first step in creating a GOTV (get out the vote) plan for Fleischer’s four cities.
According to Fleischer’s e-mail, it will also be a meeting “where we will be drinking liberally!
I don’t know if he was joking. He didn’t return an e-mail to his law office for comment.
After I posted this item, a reader pointing out that Drinking Liberally was a movement where progressives get together in clubs to socialize, talk politics and plan.
However, I am told that Fleischer stood up at the last Broward Democratic meeting and bragged that his meeting would include lots of alcohol.
The meeting is a good idea. So is Fleischer’s idea to start planning for next year’s election NOW. The turnout has been abominable lately and if Fleischer can energize Democrats to work he’ll be doing the party a service.
If meeting in a bar encourages heavy drinking, its not a good idea.
In my experience, drinking often brings on improper behavior, belligerence and fighting. It doesn’t seem appropriate for a serious meeting.
Then again, the Democrats don’t need drinks to be at each others throats.
The party is badly divided, with a very small faction always complaining about the organization. No surprise here, since these are Democrats!
Republicans have the same divisions with their Tea Party members.
In the local Democratic Party, a few members — this includes Fleischer — believe Mitch Ceasar’s party leadership hasn’t done enough in recent elections.
Democrats have suffered losses in Broward in recent years. Broward is key to statewide Democratic candidates’ fate , yet the local party has been unable to stem the Red Tide.
And some party officials are on the take from candidates, which is inexcusable.
Ron Mills, an area leader, worked for a Republican in the city elections in Oakland Park earlier this month. It was a violation of his party oath and I’m willing to bet someone will file a complaint against him with the Democratic organization.
Ruth Lynch, the First Vice Chair of the party, has been asking for thousands to introduce candidates to voters in the black community and work the polls. I thought it was the duty of party officials to work the polls for free as volunteers!
There are other examples.
Amid this mess, at least Fleischer is planning. I just don’t believe drinking and serious planning go together.
I’m no prude and I’ve been known to take a drink or two. I worked on newspapers with some of hard-drinking people you ever want to meet. I started in an era when a number of reporters and editors were clearly alcoholics and drank on the job.
One editor who came in at 4 a.m. drank triple vodkas for breakfast and went back to work. I even witnessed a drunken fight in the newsroom.in the middle of the day.
With that history, I believe his plan has more chance of success if the participants at the meeting are clear headed.
I wish Fleischer good luck.
March 24th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
I think you’re missing the point.
CHeck out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_Liberally
FROM BUDDY: I absolutely missed the point. I thank you for pointing it out.
March 24th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Buddy – It must be a slow news day if this is what you’ve decided to write about.
You don’t think the “drink liberally” comment was a play on “liberal” for a Democratic group meeting happening at a bar/restaurant?
There’s so much more real stuff happening in town – can’t believe you’re trolling facebook for funny comments by people to write about.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
FROM BUDDY: I wanted to plug his meeting. What is so bad about that?
I didn’t get this from Facebook. The e-mail was passed to me by a Democratic activists who thought it was “terrible” that Fleischer was encouraging drinking at a party meeting. This person obviously had never heard of Drinking Liberally either.
March 24th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
You don’t think he’s going to talk about drinking “conservatively” do you? Obviously it’s a play on words, moderately speaking.
March 24th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Fleischer does have energy and ideas. He also is not using his position to get lobbying contracts, like our esteemed chair Mitch Ceasar. If Ceasar cared more about elections and less about lobbying Democrats might do better.
March 24th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Mitch Ceasar appointed all three of the party officials mentioned in this article. He made two mistakes and made one good choice. A .333 batting average would be great in baseball, but not in politics.
March 25th, 2011 at 9:14 am
Randy Fleischer is out for one person and one person only and that is Randy Fleischer. He is like hail ceaser looking to build his lobbying business. How come we cannot find leaders out to advance the party and not their pockets
March 25th, 2011 at 10:21 am
Tosslebaum is wrong – Fleischer was NOT appointed by Ceasar. All Area Leaders are ELECTED by the party activists within that Area.
There is great tension between Fleischer and Ceasar. Fleischer ran against Ceasar for Party Chair. Fleischer has repeatedly filed complaints against Ceasar with the State Party Headquarters. And although Fleischer requests certain appointments, Ceasar consistently refuses to appoint Fleischer to positions Ceasar has control over, for example the Bylaws Review Committee.
Tosslebaum’s claim that Ceasar appointed Fleischer is simply ludicrous.
March 26th, 2011 at 9:45 am
Fleisher is not a lobbyist and does not make money from Democratic causes. What Randy Fleisher really is, is Mitch Ceasar’s worst nightmare because Ceasar cannot control Randy like he does the rest of the Management committee. Maybe Fleisher will run for party chair next.