Florida Tiger Bay Club (March 25, 2021) – On the surface, people on opposite sides of the political spectrum don’t often have much to agree on. But for leading Florida political consultants Frank Terraferma, a Republican and Democrat Steve Schale, it was an acknowledgment of mutual respect for the political savvy each brings to the table that bubbled to the surface during the pre-season peek at the next election cycle.
Known for the tag line of politics with civility and moderated by Florida Tiger Bay Club president Yvonne Fry, it was a matter-of-fact discussion by Terraferma and Schale humbly commending their party’s achievements and candidates.
With plenty of commentary thrown in by former congressman David Jolly, who’s flirting with a 2022 gubernatorial run, the hour went quickly for the Club’s inaugural 2021 offering “An Insider’s Look at Florida Politics”, on Thursday. 
Comprised of 16 Tiger Bay Clubs across the state of Florida, the association is continuing to elevate the stature of the nonpartisan clubs by hosting the collaborative statewide events, and creating awareness by opening them up to the public to encourage dialogue among those with differing viewpoints.
Answering questions provided by various Clubs’ members, the trio chose to keep the focus on 2022’s upcoming elections and what they think voters may see as key issues.
“Parties tend to change over time and we are seeing some demographic changes, but if anything the demographic changes that we’re seeing within the Republican Party are actually making it bigger,” said Terraferma.
Admitting lessons learned, Schale expressed curiosity about the effect on the Republican Party’s coalition with some voters switching to NPA, and Trump no longer in office, after the Obama phenomenon failed to translate for candidates who followed.
“One of the mistakes people in my party made was assuming that the Obama coalition transferred to anybody else,” he said. “And we learned in very hard and real ways in both 2010 and 2014 that it didn’t.”
“So much of this going forward depends on how Joe Biden performs, what his approval rating is going into the next election, but I don’t think we’re going to see the end of Florida being a competitive state, not even hyper-competitive state, anytime soon,” said Schale.
“I tend to think historically. If you look back, since 1992, the president in power has lost seats in the mid-term in all but two election cycles.”
Terraferma said Republicans aren’t taking anything for granted, and are working hard for every vote in Florida.
“Realistically, the Republican Party is well poised to do really well in 2022 with Governor DeSantis and our Republican ticket,” he said.
He was quick to note Governor DeSantis’ strong support for a broad range of bipartisan issues, including the 3E’s – education, environment and economy, supported by a strong Republican legislature. 
“The governor has done a lot of good on the environment and great on the economy. He’s done a terrific job on protecting seniors. I mean Florida’s the second oldest state in the country per capita, and he’s done a tremendous job protecting seniors in this pandemic. I think Florida’s record on education is a good record and improving our schools and bringing choice into the equation. The governor has done a great job, our Republican Legislature is there backing up our governor,” he said.
“I think we have to work hard because we can’t take anything for granted. We just have a lot of good things going for us, from our candidates to our record to our voters.”
Putting both party’s feet to the fire, Jolly, who left the Republican Party to become an NPA, admits that a third party run is an uphill battle without significant infrastructure in place and funding, but reminded listeners not to count independents out.
“There’s a mistake to suggest that the independent voter in Florida, who will sway this election, is necessarily centrist,” he said. “The independent voter is not monolithic. Some independent voters are progressive, some are conservative, some are centrist.”
“But the bulk of those voters who have rejected the two parties and will call BS on the two parties’ narrative going into the ’22 race, it’s because they just want a state that excels in education, healthcare and the economy,” said Jolly, cautioning both parties not to cherry pick statistics.
“We see through that. Recognize that not every solution is always going to always end up on the right or always end up on the left or has to be in the middle,” he said. “The party that can address that frustration, that voter, you’ll create a governing majority in the state of Florida for the next generation.”
