Lessons for Florida in Scott Brown's win

Jane Healy

Feet to the Fire

January 31, 2010

Scott Brown's stunning victory in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race has lessons for more than just that election. It has clear messages for races here:

Lesson No. 1: Voters hate backroom deals.

It should be clear to everyone by now that Brown was able to play on voters' anger in his decisive win against Martha Coakley. And why not? Voters are very angry. But it's not just about the economy. Brown, a state senator, honed in on the proposed health-care reform in Congress, arguing that he would be the defining vote against it, robbing the Democrats of their filibuster-proof 60 votes.

But wait a minute. Massachusetts is not a place against health-care reform. It already requires that just about everyone carry health insurance, and most of the voters support that initiative. So what gives?

Well, how about the wheeling-and-dealing that got the Democrats their 60 votes? The Democrats secured the vote of Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, for instance, by agreeing to pick up Medicaid costs for Nebraska that other states would have to shoulder. And it wasn't just that. The whole process surrounding the health-care bills has smacked of secrecy, lacking the transparency that should exist for such an important piece of legislation.

In Florida, that voter anger will likely be clear in the fall. And it wouldn't be at all surprising to see voters vent their frustration by supporting constitutional amendments that go right to the heart of the matter.

One is Amendment 4, the Hometown Democracy initiative, that would allow voters to veto a development that local elected officials approve even though it conflicts with their own plan for growth. Voters aren't dumb. They realize that elected officials often approve these unplanned projects after the developers cozy up to them with generous campaign contributions.

In fact, this is even more outrageous than the health-care reform shenanigans because the result is worse. Instead of finally getting health insurance, a voter gets yet another traffic jam. Oh, well.

Another effort that should benefit is one that stops legislators from drawing district lines for their own advantage. What a con this practice has been. The very people who draw new boundaries every 10 years are the ones whose re-elections depend on having likely supporters in their districts. As a result, incumbents almost never lose.

And it's not just legislators drawing districts for their next legislative race. They also draw maps that ensure their election to a congressional seat.

That happened with Tom Feeney, who was state House speaker when the last districts were drawn. He drew a congressional seat that had all the elements of an easy win for him. Feeney got thrown out last time, but that's only because he was embroiled in a scandal, usually the only thing that upends an incumbent.

The districts became even crazier after the 1990 census when they were drawn to favor minority representation. It was needed, but the districts went too far in trying to ensure it. These constitutional amendments would fix that without hurting minorities.

Lesson No. 2: Message matters more than party.

Brown's Republican victory in a state as Democratic as Massachusetts was incredible. But it wasn't Republicans who put him in office, it was the independents and Democrats who did. They tossed party labels aside to support the person they thought best represented their interests. And it's happening not only in Massachusetts or only to the Democrats. In the presidential election, usually reliable Republican states such as North Carolina and Indiana went Democratic.

Candidates can take advantage of parties losing their luster by actually sticking to their own ideals. For Democrats, this might mean bucking the unions if the unions' position is counterproductive to a vibrant Florida. For Republicans, this could mean rebuffing narrow corporate interests that aren't in Florida's best interests.

It's an opportunity not to be squandered.

You can contact Jane Healy at janehealy49@gmail.com. She'd like to hear about public officials who need their feet kept to the fire.