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Political Clout Is Ours If We Want It

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 27, 2008

By the time this column goes to print, members of Florida's fabled delegation to the Democratic National Convention will be happily hobnobbing with their peers at the Denver gathering, fully reunited with all their voting privileges.

Florida Democrats, having been publicly spanked for untoward primary behavior, have been restored to the fold, welcomed to the floor, issued paper hats and invited to add their collective voice.

Next week, with less fanfare, our delegation to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., also is likely to have its rightful credentials reinstated.

So why do I, a faithful Florida voter, still fail to feel the love? Why do I still feel irrelevant? Why do I suspect the important decisions already have been made, irrespective of delegations from my home?

Florida is one of the largest states in the union; there should be no question regarding our status as decision makers. Yet, it seems our voice has been variously compromised for the best part of a decade. What can we possibly do here - Democrat, Republican and independent - to make sure we are heard this summer and on into the critical fall elections?

The first answer is in the form of a question, and it's a no-brainer. Did you vote Tuesday? If not, then how do you expect anyone to give a care what Floridians think about any issue or any candidate in any upcoming contest?

One of the biggest mistakes is to believe the only important elections are those to national office.

•What Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio thinks about light rail (and she's right) has more potential to affect life here than any inside-the-Beltway gamesmanship in Washington.

•Infighting on Hillsborough County's school board will compromise education faster than grandstanding in Tallahassee.

•Neither Barack Obama's eloquence nor John McCain's steadfastness will fix anything east of Interstate 75 in Hillsborough County; for that, we need a county commission that actually works.

A Florida that consistently demonstrates high turnout for local and national elections would be impossible to ignore.

Own and live this amazing freedom America enjoys with more passion and with a greater sense of personal responsibility. The more we think, talk, debate, act and live as "We the people," the less anyone in power will be able to pull the wool over our eyes.

Columnist Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@ gmail.com.

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