Billy House and William March/Media General News Service
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TAMPA, Fla. -- While Republican presidential candidates battle for the votes of Floridians, the Democratic candidates, sworn not to campaign here, are battling over whether the primary matters.
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who expects a big win in Florida on Tuesday, wants the nation to pay attention.
She announced Sunday that she's coming to Florida the night of the primary, underscoring her contention that the contest matters even though it will award no delegates.
"We now turn our attention to the millions of Americans who will make their voices heard in Florida" and in the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday states, she said after Saturday's South Carolina primary.
Meanwhile, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who's expected to lose in Florida, wants everyone to think it's a meaningless beauty contest.
"The next step in this nominating process is Feb. 5," Obama's spokesman Bill Burton said after the South Carolina primary - verbally leapfrogging Tuesday's Florida vote.
There are good reasons for their strategies.
Clinton needs a big win to offset the momentum from Obama's lopsided South Carolina victory, while Obama hopes to go into Feb. 5 as front-runner, and wants no intervening headlines.
But the strategies have risks.
Experts say Obama's attempt to minimize the Florida primary could backfire by alienating Florida voters. Analysts say Clinton, by seeking to enhance her victory, risks the accusation she's violating the boycott pledge.
"Obama's trying to lower expectations so Hillary won't get a bounce from Florida going into Super Tuesday," said University of South Florida political scientist Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan. "But that may not sit well with Florida voters.
"He may get a short-term political gain, but it risks a long-term political backlash from voters here. I'd call it short-sighted," said McLauchlan, a former Democratic political operative.
Both sides say they care about Florida.
"Despite efforts by the Obama campaign to ignore Floridians, their voices will be heard loud and clear across the country, as the last state to vote before Super Tuesday," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said in a statement last week.
Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, countered, "No one is more disappointed that Florida Democrats will have no role in the nomination than Sen. Obama," but he will "campaign vigorously" here in the general election.
Obama says the primary is meaningless because of the lack of delegates and because the pledge kept the candidates from campaigning.
"If the Clinton campaign's Southern strength rests on the outcome in a state where they're the only ones competing, that should give Democrats deep pause," Burton said.
Thanking The Donors
Clinton's visit Tuesday, which she says is "to thank her supporters," is carefully timed to appear not to violate the pledge that she and the other leading candidates made not to campaign in Florida before the primary.
The pledge was put in place because the date violates national party schedules.
The four states that got Democratic Party approval to hold January primaries - Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina - demanded the pledge. The national Democratic Party said it won't seat Florida's national convention delegates, meaning Floridians won't have a direct vote on the nomination.
The boycott didn't stop Clinton from raising $750,000 during one fundraiser in Sarasota and two in Miami on Sunday, said Chris Korge, her top Florida fundraiser. Clinton won't be here until after the polls close, when her visit won't affect Florida votes.
Clinton Seeks Local Endorsements
But Clinton not only announced the visit Sunday - two days before the primary - but also has been calling key Florida Democrats seeking their support.
State Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, one of Florida's top elected Democrats, said Sunday Clinton called her Saturday to discuss the primary and ask for support. Sink is staying neutral, she said. But Clinton will get an endorsement Tuesday from Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee denied the announcement of her appearance was an attempt to influence votes. He said the visit was announced beforehand "for logistical reasons" and because reporters were asking when Clinton would come here.
Trying to figure out whether the pledge has been violated leads into a confusing political thicket.
Don Fowler of South Carolina, a Clinton backer and a member of the national Democratic Party's rules committee, said, "Just the mere announcement that you're coming there could be interpreted as a breach of the rules."
But Clinton has accused Obama of violating the pledge as well, by airing a national television ad that reached viewers in Florida. Fowler called that "the much bigger problem, in my mind."
Obama denied that violated the pledge. He said he got clearance to run the ad from South Carolina Democratic Party chairwoman Carol Fowler, who is Don Fowler's wife. The two have opposing views on the boycott.
Carol Fowler refused Sunday to support or criticize Clinton's primary plans. "I'm not the policeman of the pledge. It's up to the candidates to decide," she said.
Obama's supporters in Florida say the boycott is the reason he now trails Clinton in polls, and probably faces a double-digit loss.
Clinton was better known in Florida than Obama when the boycott went into effect last September and it left him unable to campaign here, freezing her into place as the leader, said Kirk Wagar, one of Obama's top Florida fundraisers.
Don Fowler said "it is inevitable" that the Florida primary winner will play up its importance. "If you win something you brag about it," he said. "If you don't ... you don't brag about it."
Reporter Billy House can be reached at (202) 641-5080 or bhouse@mediageneral.com.
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who expects a big win in Florida on Tuesday, wants the nation to pay attention.
She announced Sunday that she's coming to Florida the night of the primary, underscoring her contention that the contest matters even though it will award no delegates.
"We now turn our attention to the millions of Americans who will make their voices heard in Florida" and in the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday states, she said after Saturday's South Carolina primary.
Meanwhile, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who's expected to lose in Florida, wants everyone to think it's a meaningless beauty contest.
"The next step in this nominating process is Feb. 5," Obama's spokesman Bill Burton said after the South Carolina primary - verbally leapfrogging Tuesday's Florida vote.
There are good reasons for their strategies.
Clinton needs a big win to offset the momentum from Obama's lopsided South Carolina victory, while Obama hopes to go into Feb. 5 as front-runner, and wants no intervening headlines.
But the strategies have risks.
Experts say Obama's attempt to minimize the Florida primary could backfire by alienating Florida voters. Analysts say Clinton, by seeking to enhance her victory, risks the accusation she's violating the boycott pledge.
"Obama's trying to lower expectations so Hillary won't get a bounce from Florida going into Super Tuesday," said University of South Florida political scientist Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan. "But that may not sit well with Florida voters.
"He may get a short-term political gain, but it risks a long-term political backlash from voters here. I'd call it short-sighted," said McLauchlan, a former Democratic political operative.
Both sides say they care about Florida.
"Despite efforts by the Obama campaign to ignore Floridians, their voices will be heard loud and clear across the country, as the last state to vote before Super Tuesday," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said in a statement last week.
Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, countered, "No one is more disappointed that Florida Democrats will have no role in the nomination than Sen. Obama," but he will "campaign vigorously" here in the general election.
Obama says the primary is meaningless because of the lack of delegates and because the pledge kept the candidates from campaigning.
"If the Clinton campaign's Southern strength rests on the outcome in a state where they're the only ones competing, that should give Democrats deep pause," Burton said.
Thanking The Donors
Clinton's visit Tuesday, which she says is "to thank her supporters," is carefully timed to appear not to violate the pledge that she and the other leading candidates made not to campaign in Florida before the primary.
The pledge was put in place because the date violates national party schedules.
The four states that got Democratic Party approval to hold January primaries - Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina - demanded the pledge. The national Democratic Party said it won't seat Florida's national convention delegates, meaning Floridians won't have a direct vote on the nomination.
The boycott didn't stop Clinton from raising $750,000 during one fundraiser in Sarasota and two in Miami on Sunday, said Chris Korge, her top Florida fundraiser. Clinton won't be here until after the polls close, when her visit won't affect Florida votes.
Clinton Seeks Local Endorsements
But Clinton not only announced the visit Sunday - two days before the primary - but also has been calling key Florida Democrats seeking their support.
State Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, one of Florida's top elected Democrats, said Sunday Clinton called her Saturday to discuss the primary and ask for support. Sink is staying neutral, she said. But Clinton will get an endorsement Tuesday from Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee denied the announcement of her appearance was an attempt to influence votes. He said the visit was announced beforehand "for logistical reasons" and because reporters were asking when Clinton would come here.
Trying to figure out whether the pledge has been violated leads into a confusing political thicket.
Don Fowler of South Carolina, a Clinton backer and a member of the national Democratic Party's rules committee, said, "Just the mere announcement that you're coming there could be interpreted as a breach of the rules."
But Clinton has accused Obama of violating the pledge as well, by airing a national television ad that reached viewers in Florida. Fowler called that "the much bigger problem, in my mind."
Obama denied that violated the pledge. He said he got clearance to run the ad from South Carolina Democratic Party chairwoman Carol Fowler, who is Don Fowler's wife. The two have opposing views on the boycott.
Carol Fowler refused Sunday to support or criticize Clinton's primary plans. "I'm not the policeman of the pledge. It's up to the candidates to decide," she said.
Obama's supporters in Florida say the boycott is the reason he now trails Clinton in polls, and probably faces a double-digit loss.
Clinton was better known in Florida than Obama when the boycott went into effect last September and it left him unable to campaign here, freezing her into place as the leader, said Kirk Wagar, one of Obama's top Florida fundraisers.
Don Fowler said "it is inevitable" that the Florida primary winner will play up its importance. "If you win something you brag about it," he said. "If you don't ... you don't brag about it."
Reporter Billy House can be reached at (202) 641-5080 or bhouse@mediageneral.com.