Democrats Annual Dinner Misses Mark

     In a year when Democrats seem to have all the momentum nationally, you’d think the infamous Broward County Democrats would pull off an annual dinner that would be one for the record books. You’d be wrong.

     Last night at the Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, Democratic Party enthusiasts gathered for their annual soiree, the Jefferson-Jackson dinner. The yearly dinner always draws a collection of Democrats that want to either see, or be seen.

     Most of the party bigshots were in attendance, including Howard Forman, (Clerk of the Courts and former State Senator), Lori Parrish, (Property Appraiser and former County Commissioner),Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the Campbells, the Rodstroms, Stacy Ritter, Austin Forman, Sue Gunzburger, Lois Wexler, and others, too numerous to mention.

     So why did the dinner seem such a big flop to many in attendance?

                                                
                                                   Party Chair Mitch Cesear
                                                    
     Maybe it was the organization, or the apparent lack thereof. Party Chair Mitch Cesear seemed to have a more difficult job than usual herding the attendees in place. The VIP reception (which costs $125 in addition to the $150 entry fee) broke late and many lingered in the hallway outside the ballroom to mingle with the powerful. Cesear had to get stern with the crowd to usher them into the Ballroom for the night’s events.

     As Cesear struggled to begin the program, the party goers were still mingling and talking. “Shush” was the word of the night, and when that didn’t work, “Percy sit down” and “Albetta – quiet” rang out from the lecturn. Noone seemed to be paying attention even as the Keynote Speaker, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, late for another obligation, was introduced just as the clatter of the salad plates were hitting the table. 

      Governor Rendell seemed lackluster in the delivery of his speech, which appeared unpracticed and was short on inspiration. The crowd continued to mumble, and Rendell finished his talk just as the last of the main dishes (standard chicken –  rubber) hit the tables.

     The rest of the event just seemed to fade away, as most of the attendees flowed out of the ballroom with no apparent adjournment.

     Hopefully for the Party, the election process in the fall will be pulled off much more successfully than last night’s affair.