TBTimes John Romano: In FL Republicans make up only 34.9 percent of the registered voters [View all]

[madfloridian]

yet "the GOP somehow has the Governor's Mansion, the entire Cabinet, a majority of the state Senate and a supermajority in the state House. You don't have to be a math expert to realize those numbers don't add up."

He's right, they don't add up.

John Romano's column in the Tampa Bay Times today is pretty scathing toward Florida Democrats. He makes some good points.

Romano: Lots of excuses, little real message in Florida Democrats' playbook

Now I realize a good chunk of the equation involves crooked voting districts that almost guarantee Republicans an advantage in the Legislature. And the reality that corporations pour more money into GOP coffers is an undeniable factor.

Yet it is also true that Democrats contribute to their own demise by allowing Republicans to define them.

"People look at us as if we're the party of welfare,'' said state Rep. Amanda Murphy, D-New Port Richey. "How did we go from trying to help people to being accused of being the party of giveaways?'' How? By ceding the middle to Republicans.

Democrats have allowed the opposition to paint them as the party of special interests. Meanwhile, Republicans make themselves look like the responsible ones. The ones looking out for the average Joe or Jane. The ones with a vision for the future instead of just a partisan agenda.

Romano is on a roll. He posted more about the losses on November 5.

Romano: Good grief, how could Democrats lose Florida elections so badly?

Hapless, hopeless and oddly passive. They didn't just lose an election, they had the ballots pulled out from under them.

This was a nationwide trend but, naturally, Florida led the way. A more thorough butt-kicking is hard to conceive.

Unpopular Republican governor? He won. Controversial Republican attorney general? She won. Two Republican Cabinet guys you can't remember? They won.

The state Senate? It had 16 Republican incumbents, and all 16 won. The state House? It had 65 Republican incumbents, and all 65 won.

Only six sitting lawmakers lost and, of course, all were Democrats. I believe it was Charlie Brown, D-Palm Harbor; Linus, D-Tampa; Peppermint Patty, D-Maitland; Lucy, D-Orlando; Schroeder, D-Miami; and Pigpen, D-Lake Mary; but I might be wrong.

Overall Romano tends to be pretty fair, so I think our Florida brand of Democrats should listen to his words.