But while party leaders want to tap into the database of voter information and network of grass-roots volunteers created by the Obama campaign, they don't have a plan for how to do that. ''We have to work that out,'' Thurman said.

Republicans, however, appear to be more concerned about message than mechanics. Former Gov. Bush sent out an e-mail to his ''alumni'' last week and titled it, ``Future of the Republican Party.''

''If you had an idea or two (or more) on what the Republican Party should do going forward, what would they be?'' he asked.

Florida Republicans could learn from Bush's formula ''for winning in tough times,'' Doster said. ``You've got to develop a message that will draw in intensity of turnout and we've got to be able to push forward some big idea.''

Doster warned that Florida Republicans could lose the governor's race in 2010 the same way they lost the presidency unless they come up with a ''comprehensive plan for how we're going to get the economy straightened out.'' Absent that, ``angry voters just punish incumbents.''

Outgoing House Speaker Marco Rubio agrees with Crist that ''you can be bipartisan procedurally,'' but says that being ''ideologically bipartisan'' cheats the public of competing views.

The Republican Party path to success ''is not to become Democrat Lites or Diet Democrats,'' Rubio said. ''The way we succeed is to provide an authentic limited-government path to the future,'' a commitment to social and moral issues and leaders who believe ``it's more important to be on the right side of issues than on the winning side.''

Greer, the state GOP chief, sees it differently.

Crist's speech was ''a road map for the future,'' he said, because it focuses on ``what unites us, not what divides us.''

But the finger-pointing among Republicans has also targeted Greer. Republican political consultant Roger Stone, John McCain Florida finance director Brian Ballard and even former state Republican Party Chairman Al Cárdenas are calling for Greer to explain party spending -- including nearly $1.5 million in unitemized American Express bills and millions of dollars spent on private jets, consultants, five-star hotels, men's clothing and limousines.

Greer says the expenses were all approved by the party's budget committee and designed to attract big donors.

''The proof is in the pudding,'' he said, noting that the party raised a record $23 million this election cycle.

Things are a bit tamer at the Florida Democratic Party.

Miami Executive Committee Chairman Bret Berlin said last week that he is considering challenging party chief Thurman, but incoming House Democratic Leader Franklin Sands said knocking out a chairman after a historic victory ``won't happen.''

Sands believes that this election cycle was more difficult for Democrats. While they failed to win many of targeted Republicans seats, they successfully defended several Democrats in competitive races.

Additionally, Sands said, thousands of voters ``showed up to vote for Obama, then left.''

Should the party have done more? ''It's an obvious answer Monday morning,'' Sands said. ``On Sunday, game time, it wasn't so obvious.''

In the Senate, incoming Democratic Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee said the lesson from the election was that until the legislative districts are revamped in 2012, it's unlikely Democrats will be able to win many seats.

''I don't see any trickle-down effect unless we turn our attention to reapportionment,'' he said.

And Obama Florida finance chairman Kirk Wagar has another concern: The party's ''Byzantine rules'' will lock out newcomers brought into the party because of Obama.

''They are committed to helping change Florida,'' he said, but if reforms come slowly ``we will lose that talent.''

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