Will Florida GOP Leave 2016 Hopefuls In The Dark? Vote Expected Tomorrow…

Florida GOP officials ruminate over a 2016 primary ballot access rules change ...

Earlier this week, CIB revealed that the Florida Republican Party is considering a controversial rule change forcing the GOP Presidential hopefuls to attend a November event in Orlando or face being left off the party’s primary ballot in March.

Florida GOP Spokesperson Wadi Gaitan defended the possibility of leaving candidates who don’t attend the party fundraiser in the dark.

“Similar to other states candidates do not simply appear on a ballot, there is a qualifying process with requirements to appear on the primary ballot. Since state statute or party rules have historically not address the requirements for Florida, the party is considering a rule to establish that process.”
Florida GOP Chair Blaise Ingoglia, who is also a member of the Florida House of Representatives, seemed supportive of the change in a recent op/ed.
“Establishing this rule takes the power of selecting who appears on the ballot out of the hands of the party leadership and benefits each candidate by providing a forum to engage the grassroots of our great party,” Ingoglia said.
According  to Florida Politics, others see the controversy in a different light.

This is yet another glaring example of a heavy-handed top-down leadership style that ignores the wishes of the grassroots base of the party in favor of financial interests of party leadership in Tallahassee,” says a disgusted Bob White, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida.

Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are the only candidates to declare so far. The RPOF executive committee votes on the matter tomorrow. Will they have the audacity to go through with the threat?

Blaise Ingoglia was a masterful poker player back in the day. Does he have the winning hand here? And does the party have the stones to commit to this? We’ll know by tomorrow night.

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