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NOVEMBER 9 - NOVEMBER 15, 2012
VOLUME 20 NO. 45
special election issue
UNBROKEN A Black voter backlash against GOP voter suppression tactics helped Barack Obama administer an Electoral College beatdown of Mitt Romney. But the political players in D.C. – and serious challenges – remain the same.
COMPILED FROM WIRE AND STAFF REPORTS
President Obama overcame a disappointingly slow economic recovery and a massive advertising onslaught to win a second term Tuesday night, forging a coalition of non-Whites, women, and young people that reflects the changing political face of America. More than one million TV ads were aired during the presidential campaign and more than $2.5 billion was spent on campaign activities, much of it from outside groups. Even so, the political map ended up looking much as it did in 2008. And for all the agitation and unhappiness with Washington, a constant of public opinion this election season, the federal government in January will look much as it does today. In the fight for Congress, Republicans held onto the House majority they captured in 2010 and Democrats beat back long odds to keep control of the U.S. Senate.
Tougher race
For Obama, 51, winning a second term proved far more difficult than his barrier-breaking romp four years ago to become the nation’s first Black president. His re-election drive bore only a faint resemblance to the uplift and aspiration of 2008. Even Obama supporters said the campaign was less a crusade than a rear-guard fight to preserve the accomplishments of the last four years. The president did make history of a fashion Tuesday, becoming the first incumbent since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second term with unemployment above 7.4 percent. At 7.8 percent, the overall jobless rate stands a tick up from when Obama took office amid the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. See OBAMA, Page A2
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT
President Barack Obama and the first family took the stage Tuesday in Chicago after the president was re-elected.
VOTER TURNOUT
SUPREME COURT
EDITORIAL
nation
FLORIDA
Number of votes cast is record for Florida A2
Pioneer justice easily retains seat A3
Columnists weigh in on the election A4
Historic votes for gay marriage, marijuana A6
Residents brave long lines, other issues B1
FLORIDA
recount of Florida ballots in the district as well as the verification of provisional ballots and a final count of absentee ballots. However, he lost by more than a .05 percent vote margin, which requires an automatic recount under Florida law.
Old faces in same places
Demings, Lawson fall short
Democrat Val Demings, the first Black police chief in Orlando, lost her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Dan Webster in a race for Florida’s 10th Congressional District. Webster earned 51.9 percent of the vote to Demings’ 48.1 percent. Celebrations were still held in the Demings household as her husband, Jerry Demings, was re-elected Orange County sheriff. Also losing his congressional race was former Florida Sen. Al Lawson, who challenged U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland. Incumbent Southerland won 52 percent of the vote and returns for a second term in Congress.
Most incumbents stay in office FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS FLORIDA COURIER
Here is a roundup of election results of interest to Black Floridians.
Nelson stays
U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat, retained his seat in Congress by defeating Republican challenger Connie Mack. He returns to Washington for a third term as the only Democrat in statewide office in Florida. The 13-percentage point win over Mack helped the Democrats retain control of the Senate. “I’d like to say that Connie Mack was my opponent – not my enemy,” Nelson said in a written statement following his re-election. “You know, these days the extremists in our political system try to divide. We need to unify. ”
Defiant West loses
In Florida’s 18th District, the race was too close to call Tuesday night. However, by Wednesday morning U.S.
ALSO INSIDE
FLORIDA COURIER FILES
Gone – Conservative firebrand U.S. Rep. Allen West was dumped after a close race in South Florida. Rep. Allen West, a Black Republican, had been defeated by Patrick Murphy by less than one percentage vote and 2,456 votes. Still, West refused to concede to Murphy. “This race is far from decided and there is no rush to declare an outcome. Ensuring a fair and accurate counting of all ballots is of the utmost importance,” West’s campaign manager, Tim Edson, said in a statement. The Tea Party-backed Republican demanded a partial
Florida Senate
Redistricting in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate affected some incumbents geographically, but not electorially. Sen. Audrey Gibson’s district once covered parts of Volusia, Flagler, St. John, Putnam and Duval counties; she’s now limited to Duval. It didn’t matter, as Gibson defeated Republican challenger Cherron “CC” Newby by a 28-point margin. Other winners in the Florida Senate include Geraldine Thompson, who beat Republican contender Fritz Jackson Seide; Dwight Bullard, who defeated Republican Scott Hopes; and upcoming Senate Democratic Leader Christopher “Chris” Smith, who defeated Republican candidate Christopher “Chris” Smithmyer. See FLORIDA, Page A2
COMMENTARY: DR E. FAYE WILLIAMS, ESQ.: Paying it forward with actions, deeds | A5 COMMENTARY: George E. Curry: Obama’s media coverage half as positive as 2008 | A5
FOCUS
A2
NOVEMBER 9 - NOVEMBER 15, 2012
Number of votes cast is record for Florida BY MICHAEL PELTIER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Nearly 8.4 million Florida voters cast ballots in the 2012 general election, a record number that pushed voter turnout over 70 percent and may have changed forever both parties’ strategies for getting out the vote. An unprecedented amount of early voting characterized by long lines, and a Democratic push for absentees, brought in more than half the number of ballots cast for the entire election before Election Day.
More than 2008
As of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday,
8,386,361 voters had cast ballots. That’s up from 8,351,358 cast in 2008, which until Tuesday held the record for numerical turnout. Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties still had absentee ballots that needed to be counted. Tuesday’s 70.3 percent participation failed to eclipse races in 2008 and 2004, in which 75 percent and 74 percent of registered voters, respectively, cast ballots.
Black voters hurt
Among the 2012 major trends were the number of ballots cast early. Despite fewer early voting days, more than 2.4 million voters cast ballots at one of 300 early
voting sites across the state. In addition, 2.1 million cast absentee ballots. Taken together, they comprised more than half of all 8.4 million votes. A Dartmouth University study suggests that Black voters were disproportionately affected by the reduction in early voting days, an apparent blow to Democratic candidates. But the shortened days apparently did not deter voters, who stood in line for hours in some areas of the state to cast ballots.
Obama organization key
Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith said the party benefit-
ed from the strong organization brought into the state on behalf of President Obama, whose campaign machine rolled into the state and mobilized thousands of volunteers. In addition, the campaign brought in fulltime organizers to mobilize student and Hispanic voters. “The changing demographic of Florida, and the long-term way in which I see Florida politics changing over time, was evident,” Smith said Wednesday. “And for at least this cycle, we adjusted to it well and we took advantage of it.”
What about 2014?
Smith said his successor must
continue those grassroots, organizational efforts to provide the same sort of ground cover for the upcoming 2014 campaign, a midterm test in which the state will be largely on its own without a presidential race to drive turnout. Lacking the financial resources of its Republican counterpart, the Democratic Party is going to have to rely on such efforts to improve its performance in statewide and local races. “When we begin to win the governorship and Cabinet positions, then there’s an entire game change in Tallahassee in terms of resource allocation, in terms of energy and focus,” Smith said.
FLORIDA from A1 Florida House
In the Florida House of Representatives, Mia Jones of Jacksonville easily retained her seat against Libertarian contender Jonathan Loesche. Other winners in the House: Randolph Bracy defeated Republican Ronney Roger Oliveira; Larry Lee, Jr. defeated Republican Michelle Miller; upcoming House Democratic Leader Perry E. Thurston, Jr. beat Republican candidate Scott Herman; and Kionne L. McGhee, Sharon Pritchett, Barbara Watson and Clovis Watson each secured 100 percent of the vote in their respective districts against write-in candidates.
Amendments fall short
Measures that would have offered expansive property tax relief, set new limits on abortion rights and repeal Florida’s ban on public funding for churches and other religious organizations were among eight of 11 proposed state constitutional amendments that fell short of the required 60 percent approval Tuesday.
COURTESY OF SEN. AUDREY GIBSON
Small business owner Traci Evans (center) said she sees positive results because of President Obama’s tax cuts for small businesses. She is with Jacksonville-based legislators - Rep. Mia Jones at left and Sen. Audrey Gibson on the right. A high-profile proposal that would have capped the growth of state revenue and one that would give the Florida Legislature greater control over Florida’s court system also failed. So did another proposal that would have prohibited the state from requiring people to obtain health insurance. The three amendments that passed all gave tax breaks to specific groups: Amendment 2 to veterans; Amendment 9 to surviving spouses of veterans and first responders; and Amendment 11 to low-income seniors.
No Love Rising Republican star Mia Love, who spoke at the Republican National Convention in Tampa this summer, would have become the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress. Democrat Jim Matheson, a 12-year incumbent who was Utah’s lone Democrat in Washington, beat Love by less than one percentage point.
The News Service of Florida was used in compiling this report.
Incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson is all smiles after handily beating Republican Connie Mack IV. Concidentally, Mack’s wife Mary Bono Mack also lost her California congressional race. $50,000 a year, Mitt Romney did slightly better with middle class voters and held a wider margin among those earning $100,000 or more. Obama again won the youth vote, though by a smaller margin than four years ago.
Kept his states
CAROLYN COLE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Ann Romney wave to supporters in Boston after Romney lost the election on Tuesday.
OBAMA from A1 Black unemployment remains in double-digits, with Black male unemployment at 50 percent or more in large urban neighborhoods.
Had Obama’s back
Blacks and Latinos voted overwhelmingly in favor Obama, with the president again earning more than 90 percent of the African-American vote and 71 percent of Latinos, according to exit polls. Blacks of every age group proved that they had Obama’s back: 18-29 (91 percent), 30-44 (94 percent), 45-64 (93 percent) and 65 and above (93 percent). “From Florida to Virginia to Ohio to Pennsylvania, the Black vote was the
deciding force in the most important states in this election,” says Ben Jealous, president/CEO of the NAACP, which, on Election Eve, issued a statement saying it would have turned out more than 1.2 million voters by the times polls closed on Election Day. The NAACP called it the largest get-out-the-vote success in its 103-year history. The effort was partially in response to what civil rights leaders viewed as a rogue campaign by Republicans to change voting laws to make it more difficult for African-Americans to vote. Most of the new laws were struck down in court challenges while an army of African-Americans got registered and recruited others to assure victory on Nov. 6. “My heroes are our members who stood up to voter intimidation, who turned
back voter suppression, who set records for voter registration and turnout,” Jealous said. “We were successful in mobilizing our community through an incredible storm of voter repression because we planned our work and we worked our plan.” Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who spent the final days before the election getting out the vote in Ohio rather than in his Chicago hometown, noted Obama’s uphill battle against racism. “The personal attacks on the president – ‘You’re a liar, you’re not an American, you’re not a Christian, you’re a retard’” – Jackson recalled the hateful statements made by some Romney supporters during the campaign. “People took those hits as personal and aimed at them. He was bearing the cross for us. Those are the things they call us every
day …And it made him a martyr for all practical purposes. He had to take that stuff. He had to take those insults. They’d never treated the president that way before.”
Female support
Women favored Obama 55 percent to 43 percent, about the same as it was four years ago (56 percent). But there was a sharp division, with unmarried women preferring Obama 68 percent to 30 percent and married women backing Romney 53 percent to 46 percent. Among White voters, Romney led Obama 58 percent to 40 percent, three points better than John McCain’s showing in 2008. Obama received only 36 percent of the White male vote, compared with 41 percent four years ago. Obama did better with families earning less than
Obama was ahead of Romney Wednesday night by approximately 2.8 million votes of 118 million cast in the general election, but is expected to win the Electoral College by a large margin when electors meet on Dec. 17 to officially determine who becomes the next president of the United States. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden carried most of the swing states, including Michigan, Romney’s birthplace; Massachusetts, where Romney served as governor; New Hampshire, where Romney has a summer home; Wisconsin, the home state of Congressman Paul Ryan, the Republican vice presidential nominee; as well as Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Virginia. Obama was leading Romney in Florida by about 49,000 votes, or 0.6 percentage points, as of late Wednesday night. By that time, almost all of the state’s 8.4 million votes cast had been counted. Absentee ballots were still being counted in six counties, and federal absentee ballots from members of the U.S. military were still coming in.
Electoral process
Of the 538 electors, Obama needs only 270 to win. He is poised to collect approximately 322 votes in the Electoral College to Romney’s 206. If that figure holds up, it will be down from the 365 electoral votes Obama won in 2008. State electoral votes
are reported to Congress, which usually meets in a joint session on Jan. 6 following a presidential election. Vice President Joseph Biden, as president of the Senate, will preside over the joint session. He will open the electoral vote certificates from each state in alphabetical order and pass the certificates to four vote counters or tellers, two appointed by the House and two appointed by the Senate. After the votes are counted, the vice president will announce the results.
More history
Obama becomes the first African-American to win a second term in the White House. Following in the footsteps of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, his election marks the third consecutive time a U.S. president has been re-elected to a second term. The president, who made two Supreme Court appointments in his first term, will most likely get an opportunity to make another appointment to the court, possibly two. Depending on who retires from the court, Obama’s appointments could alter the direction of the court, which has been drifting to the right.
Work to do
His first challenge will be a budget showdown with Republicans, who want to reduce the deficit solely through spending cuts. Obama, on the other hand, is insisting on a combination of cuts and increased revenue, including repeal of the Bush tax cuts that favor the wealthy.
George E. Curry of the National Newspaper Publishers Association; Hazel Trice Edney of the Trice Edney Newswire; and Mark Z. Barabak of the Los Angeles Times (MCT) contributed to this report.
november 9 - november 15, 2012
ELECTION 2012
A3
SUPREME COURT
Pioneer justice easily retains seat Quince, two other Florida justices faced rare opposition
success and would like to thank the countless volunteers who made it possible,” said Jesse Phillips, the president of the group. The campaign over the future of the court had looked like it might be one of the more heated downballot races of the year. After a decision by the court to strike a health-care referendum from the ballot in 2010, enraged conservatives launched a brief effort that year to derail Justice Jorge Labarga, who claimed just 59 percent of the vote, one of the smallest totals in years.
BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE – Three Supreme Court justices targeted by social conservatives and the Republican Party of Florida easily survived merit retention votes Tuesday, beating back a campaign the trio’s supporters said would be a threat to the justice system. Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince were all carrying two-thirds of the vote into the evening, well more than the simple majority they needed to hold onto their seats. The justices did not face opponents but needed the approval of voters to remain on the R. Fred court. Lewis No Supreme Court justice has ever lost a merit retention race. In 1998, Quince was appointed by the late Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles and Gov.elect Jeb Bush to the Florida Supreme Court, becoming the first African-American woman ever to serve on the state’s highest court. After being appointed to the Supreme Court in 1998, Quince was overwhelmBarbara ingly retained for additional terms by Pariente the voters of Florida in 2000 and 2006. She was also chosen by her colleagues to serve a two-year term as Chief Justice in 2008.
Politically charged race
Pioneer Florida Justice Peggy Quince is part of a 5-2, center-left majority that has sometimes thwarted the efforts of GOP legislators and governors to move Florida to the right.
‘Tremendous success’
Pariente said in an interview that the justices’ victory rebuffed an effort by outside special interests to hijack the bench. “So the message is: ‘If you are outside the state and you are trying to politicize our judicial branch, stay out. This is an assault on our democracy, our separation of powers, and we’re not going to tolerate attempts to implement partisan politics for special interests,’” she said. A statement on the organization’s website portrayed the effort as successful. “Restore Justice is happy to have led the most vigorous grassroots merit retention campaign in Florida’s history. ... We consider our campaign a tremendous
Lewis, Pariente and Quince form the backbone of a 5-2, center-left majority that has sometimes thwarted the efforts of GOP legislators and governors to move Florida to the right. In addition to striking down several legislative attempts to amend the state’s constitution in 2010, the court threw out the first draft of this year’s redistricting plan for the state Senate. In the end, the effort was less vigorous than expected – an expected bombardment of TV advertising against the judges never emerged. The politically charged race was, however, briefly ramped up in late September, when the Republican Party of Florida’s executive board voted to oppose the justices, citing a years-old opinion in the case of Joe Nixon, who was convicted in the 1984 murder of Jeanne Bickner in Leon County. Supporters cried foul, and said Tuesday’s results were a rebuke to the RPOF. “We can only hope that our elected leaders get the message and bring the unprecedented assault on our fair and impartial courts to an end,” said Dick Batchelor, a former Democratic legislator and spokesman for Defend Justice from Politics, a group supporting Lewis, Pariente and Quince.
Once a focal point, unsettled Florida now nearly afterthought BY KATHLEEN HAUGHNEY SUN SENTINEL (MCT)
TALLAHASSEE — In the end, Florida didn’t actually matter at all. And that’s a good thing. Because even though President Obama got more than enough electoral votes to win re-election Tuesday, Florida was still officially up for grabs on Wednesday. No, there are no hanging chads or butterfly ballots this time. Not even any major glitches. And unlike 2000, there won’t be a recount where the future of the country hangs in the balance. But with record turnout – more than 70 percent – local elections supervisors are still trying to tally absentee and provisional ballots that could push the Florida outcome one way or the other. As of Wednesday afternoon, nine counties, including Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade, were still tallying those votes. “We are trying to work as fast as we can,” Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher said. And though the Florida Department of State acknowledged it was possible that the counties could finish counting absentee ballots by the end of the day, it’s likely a total vote count won’t be available until Saturday.
Butt of jokes
In contrast, even Hawaii, which is five hours behind Florida, was able to call
the state right after 6 p.m. local time when the polls closed. As of Wednesday night, Obama was leading in Florida by 49,884 votes. It’s likely he will maintain the lead. The fact that Florida can’t call the state yet for either Obama or former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has officially conceded, has put us once again in the political spotlight, and made the state the butt of national jokes. More seriously, the images of long lines of Floridians waiting to vote have given Democrats and voting rights groups a platform to attack Republicans for changes they made in a 2011 election law that shortened the number of early voting days from 14 to eight.
Needs fixing
Leading up to the election, Florida was already getting lots of attention. Images of long, long lines of people in South Florida waiting to cast ballots during early voting dominated the airwaves. Many voters in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties reported waiting several hours. That continued on Election Day with some voters in Miami not getting done at the polls until about 1:30 a.m. Even Obama seemed to have noticed, making an apparent jab at Florida in his acceptance speech early Wednesday morning. “I want to thank every American who participated in this election whether
CHARLES W. CHERRY II/FLORIDA COURIER
During early voting, Fort Lauderdale residents pack the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale. you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time,” he said. “By the way, we have to fix that.” And the president is not the only one saying that.
An embarrassment
Gov. Rick Scott, when questioned last week about the long voter lines, said that seeing so many people turn out to do their civic duty was “exciting.” On Wednesday, Scott stopped short of criticizing the state election’s process, but said he would be reviewing it with Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “What went right, what can we improve?” Scott said.
State prepares to shed prison health staff NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
With the Florida Department of Corrections moving ahead with a plan to privatize prison-health services, about 1,900 work-
ers have started receiving notifications they will lose their state jobs, the Tallahassee Democrat reported Tuesday. The department has signed a contract with Co-
rizon Correctional Healthcare to provide inmate care at prison facilities across North and Central Florida, effective Jan. 1. While the 1,900 workers at those facilities will lose their state
State Rep. Perry Thurston of Plantation, the House Democratic leader, said that the state should be “embarrassed” by the lines and the national limelight they attracted. “I have gotten calls from all over the country asking why we can’t run elections,” he said.
lot can go through several layers of inspection before the county canvassing board decides whether to accept it or disqualify it. The idea is to protect the state from absentee ballot fraud, but it also makes the process longer. Bucher said Wednesday that she would have the information all turned over to state by Saturday, but didn’t say how much longer it would take. “I just need coffee,” Bucher, who worked until 3:30 a.m. on election night, said while sorting through yet another pile of ballots Wednesday afternoon.
In Palm Beach County’s case, 8,000 absentee ballots arrived in the mail Tuesday. And processing them is not a speedy task, due to a 2011 law. Elections officials are required to compare the signature on each ballot to the signature on a person’s voter registration. If the poll worker doesn’t think they match, the bal-
Broward County, in comparison, was still tabulating
30,000 of the 165,000 absentee ballots on Wednesday that it received. Former Gov. Charlie Crist, who supported Obama for re-election, took to the airwaves Tuesday criticizing Scott on MSNBC for the early-voting change from 14 to eight days and for not extending the period via executive order. Both Crist and former Gov. Jeb Bush had opted to extend early voting during the two previous presidential elections. “When you’re elected governor of Florida, you’re not governor of the Republicans of Florida, you’re the governor of the people of Florida and you need to stand up for the people each and every time,” Crist said. “Do what’s right.”
employment, most are expected to be offered jobs with Corizon. The state also has selected another company, Wexford Health Sources, to provide inmate health care at prison facilities in other parts of the state, though a contract has not
been signed. The Wexford contract could affect another 350 to 400 workers, the Democrat reported. The move to privatize prison health services has been highly controversial and has faced legal challenges spearheaded by the American Federation
of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Florida Nurses Association. A hearing is scheduled Nov. 15 in Leon County circuit court in the latest challenge.
Absentee ballot issues
Early voting outcry
EDITORIAL
A4
NOVEMBER 9 - NOVEMBER 15, 2012
Down goes Romney! Down goes Romney! Somebody call 911! Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was beaten like a snare in the FAMU Marching ‘100’ drum line by the people’s favorite and newly reelected President Barack Obama. Gantt Report readers were told two years ago that President Obama would have to stay up all night before he knew what would ultimately happen. I wrote that President Obama would win a very close election. I also said the president’s “coattails” would resemble a halter top, and Democrats seeking to take control of the U.S. Congress and many state legislatures would lose because the “base” liked Obama – but despised many other Democratic candidates. More voters than you think went into voting booths and voted for the president – then walked out of the polling places.
They don’t understand Conservatives and closet Klansmen will never understand or admit that Black voters play crucial roles in determining winners of all major national and state elections. There is
Lucius Gantt THE GANTT REPORT
no guarantee, but if you can get 90 percent of Black votes cast, you have a great chance to win. More groups than ever before, including organized labor and women, will challenge the thought that Blacks were mainly responsible for the Obama win. Most of the talk will be about the increased Hispanic vote for the Democrats and decreased Mexican and Cuban American votes for Republicans.
Thank the GOP The Gantt Report says Barack Obama can thank the Republican elected officials for doing the most to ensure his reelection. Let me explain. Most Black registered voters like President Obama, but many Black voters didn’t exactly “love” President Obama. Some Blacks even described him as “George Bush dipped in chocolate!” The late surge of Black votes that propelled Obama
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: ‘I VOTED’
to victory was because the masses of Black voters hated Republican efforts to purge, subdue, minimize and eliminate Black votes cast in 2012.
‘I’ll be damned’ The idea that, “I may not want to vote sometimes for some candidates, but I’ll be damned if I let rednecks, skinheads, Tea Party members and political zealots steal or prevent the vote that many Black people died trying to get,” caused many Black nationalists, community activists and others that were disappointed in the political process to go to the polls. That is why there was a better-than-expected turnout of Black voters at the polls. The surge of Black voters had nothing to do with there being Democratic political puppets and Uncle Tom candidates asking for our votes while sucking up to campaign contributors, party leaders and the political enemies of Black citizens. If the Democratic Party thinks Black people are going to blindly vote for Democratic candidates forevermore, let’s see how many Black voters turn out in the next election – with no Obama on the ticket – to
NATE BEELER, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
vote for White democrats that exploit Black voters, refuse Black professionals and ignore Black issues!
What’s the future? Even if Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Tavis Smiley, Colin Powell or some other Black candidate runs for president in 2016, Barack Obama will have to endorse and support Hillary Clinton because her husband Bill encouraged mostly White voters to cast ballots for the President. But who could be the only Republican formidable enough to challenge Hillary in 2016 if she runs? The answer is on South
Beach. Jeb Bush could raise more money and get more Hispanic votes than Romney did (Bush is married to a Hispanic woman and speaks fluent Spanish). Jeb Bush would get far more Black votes and Black support than Romney did. (More about that in a future column.)
Congrats! This is a historic day. The Gantt Report congratulates the president on his win. We will all see how Black “The Black President” will be now that he is free to perform without reelection concerns. Will there be in-
creased jobs for Black workers? Will Obama insist on more contracts and government purchasing opportunities for Black businesses? Will more Blacks be appointed to decision-making positions in the federal government? Will there be fewer bombs dropped and Predator attacks on African soil? Inquiring Black minds want to know!
Buy Gantt’s latest book, “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
The election’s meaning for Blacks and the GOP More than a year ago, I wrote a Florida Courier article commenting on Black Democrat Alvin Brown’s historic election as mayor of Jacksonville. Brown defeated a White Republican by putting together a coalition of Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, Republicans, Democrats and independents. I said in part, “Only time will tell if Republican candidates will learn the lesson. All they have to do is take a look at the 2010 Census to see how our state’s demographics are changing. It is up to… local, state and national Republican candidates whether they will be waiving a “White” flag of defeat and exclusion – or a “White, Black and Brown” flag of victory and inclusion after votes are counted in 2012.” This week, the GOP waved the wrong “flag.” The preliminary numbers tell the story. In Florida, Obama received 96 percent and 68 percent of the Black and Hispanic vote respectively. Most important, Obama scored big victories among Puerto Rican Hispanics in Orange and Osceola counties, offsetting the
CLARENCE V. MCKEE GUEST COLUMNIST
strong GOP-leaning Cuban American vote in South Florida. Why? Hillsborough GOP Chairman Art Wood offered a reason: “Romney did a really poor job with minorities…You’d go on to his website and…there was Catholics for Romney, Democrats for Romney, fishermen for Romney. You never saw Blacks or AfricanAmericans for Romney until four weeks ago…they probably just wrote off the African-American vote. Romney did a really poor job with the African-Americans. They’re in many ways like Hispanics… they go to church regularly…they’re suffering worse from unemployment.” Wood’s comments were echoed by GOP congressional contender EJ Otero: “… The Republican Party has written off African-Americans
and Hispanics for the past 20 awarding scholarships to winners. It held meetings with the years and it needs to change.” state’s Black-owned media and with Black clergy. Those outreach Black Republicans efforts were beginning to have an leaving impact. A Black businessman called me That was then. shortly after Obama clinched reelection. “Did you notice the difference The Black responsibility A major problem is that many between the Obama crowd and the Romney crowd?” he asked, re- in the GOP establishment, while ferring to the respective campaign publically saying “We must reach headquarters. “It was just like the out,” privately say, “It’s a waste conventions. Blacks and Browns time to go after Blacks.” As I said in a recent Newseverywhere at Obama’s; oceans of Whites at Romney’s – that’s why I max.com column, …” regardless of the election’s outcome, Black left,” he said. He, like many other Florida voters are in deep political trouBlack Republicans, had joined ble…Democrats will continue to the party in the days of Jeb Bush take African-Americans for grantand his party chair Al Cardenas. ed and ignore critical issues facHe recalled when subsequent ing people of color…Hispanics, state chair Jim Greer established Asians, and women do not put all African-American and Hispanic their political eggs in the Demoleadership councils. The African- cratic Party basket as Blacks do… American Leadership Council they – like independents – are was chaired by Lieutenant Gover- sought after by both parties.” So what is the outlook for Blacks nor Jennifer Carroll, then a state after Obama received 96 percent representative. The African-American council of Florida’s Black vote? All we see sponsored statewide essay-writ- and hear since the election is that ing contests for Black students, Republicans must step up efforts
Obama won again – Now what? The mainstream media (MSM) called the race for President Obama late Tuesday night. Just around midnight, Gov. Mitt Romney gave his painful but gracious concession speech. One lady from Country Walk in South MiamiDade, who had just come out of the voting booth, said she was disappointed at how long the lines were, but she thought that Romney would win. A reporter informed her, much to her chagrin, that the media had already announced Obama had won. Those of us who voted for Romney were shocked – not only because we thought Romney would win, but that the media had determined Obama the winner before all the votes were in. I thought that what happened in 2000 (when a MSM reporter called Florida for Obama before the votes had even been counted) was enough to make these reporters gun-shy. No such luck.
Should not have won All the indicators showed that Obama should not have won. Unemployment was higher than when he took office – before the administration ‘adjusted’ the numbers. Black unemployment was more than 15 percent, with Black teen unemploy-
BARBARA HOWARD THE POLITICS OF BLACKNESS
ment closer to 60 percent. The debt was over $16 trillion – more than at any other time in the history of the country. Obama had also spent more money in his four years than George W. Bush had spent in eight – with two wars to pay for. There were 20 million more people on welfare and food stamps than when Obama began his term and there seemed to be no relief in sight. The automobile industry had been bailed out, but GM (now affectionately called “Government Motors”) sent thousands of jobs (with a new factory) to China. There were only two other real accomplishments on Obama’s side of the ledger – Osama bin Laden had been murdered and a new healthcare bill affectionately known as “Obamacare” had been passed – before Congress had even read it. While Obama bragged that terrorism was dead along with bin Laden, the Muslim Brotherhood had taken over Libya and an ambassador, his information officer and two Navy
SEALS were murdered at our consulate in Benghazi on the 12th anniversary of 9/11, with several U.S. embassies being attacked during the following days. Obama never tried to work with Republicans, as Bill Clinton did, during his first term. Three days after his inauguration, he told Republican Congressman Eric Cantor, “Elections have consequences and Eric, I won.”
Obama’s socialism President Obama has been said to have a socialist ideology and wants to “fundamentally change” America. He did that during his first term and there is no reason to think he will change direction now. In fact, he was overheard promising Russian President Medvedev that he would have more flexibility to work with Russia on dismantling our missile defense system “after the election.” Now that he doesn’t have to worry about another election, he can do anything he wants, regardless of the opposition.
Obama’s policies During his first term, he signed more executive orders than any other president before him. So he al-
ready has a track record of bypassing the Congress when they won’t do what he wants. He waged war on businesses, Wall Street and rich people – the very ones who create the jobs that are solely needed in this unprecedented high unemployment. The country is going broke as he vacations across the world. He gave billions to seven alternative energy companies – all of whom went bankrupt and
to attract non-Cuban-American Hispanics, youth, and women. There has been virtually no mention of Blacks. They are invisible. If the Black vote was closer to that of Hispanics and women, they would also be included – not assumed. They too must get in the game. If GOP Black support – in Florida and nationally – went from 4 percent to 20-25 percent, it would shake up both parties and Blacks would be in play. But it can’t be done two months before an election by naming an “African-Americans for…” committee that is never consulted on issues, strategies, or concerns. Will the GOP and its candidates realize there is a “New America” – Blacks included? Time will tell.
Clarence V. McKee is a government, political and media relations consultant and president of McKee Communications, Inc., as well as a Newsmax.com contributor. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
shut down. He endorsed gay marriage and unlimited abortions – both issues are anathema to the church. Yet Black preachers risked their nonprofit status to keep him in the White House. He got Obamacare, which will gut Medicare Advantage for senior citizens and send younger people to jail if they don’t buy health insurance. He has pushed this country more toward socialism, and now people who don’t even know what socialism is are agreeing with him. So what does he do now?
Anything he wants. It reminds me of another election when the media chose the winner. I wrote a letter to the publisher warning, “Be careful what you wish for.” Fifteen years later, the publisher had to admit I was right. Again, I say, “Be careful what you wish for.”
Barbara Howard is trade and travel goodwill ambassador to Kenya and Florida state chair of the Congress of Racial Equality. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
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NOVEMBER 9 - NOVEMBER 15, 2012
EDITORIAL
Paying it forward with actions, deeds “Something that I’ve learned from my mentor is always pay Dr. E. Faye things forward, not necessarily Williams, with money, but with actions and Esq. deeds. You’re not alone. You’re not the only one out there in a bad sitTRICE EDNEY WIRE uation. Beat the odds and you’ll succeed.” –Maggie Hobbins months later, her father collapsed and died of a massive heart atMaggie Hobbins is just a se- tack. For the next two years her nior in high school, but she al- mother sank into such a deep deready knows a lot about making pression worsened by the drinkit through a bad situation. She ing that she rarely got out of bed has struggled with a learning dis- and Maggie was essentially left to ability since first grade and spent raise herself. years in special education classes. Other students bullied her be- Dark days cause she couldn’t read well or afShe got herself to school on ford brand name clothes. her own, took care of the house, Challenges in school were hard, and was the one to make sure her but challenges at home were even mother ate and bathed. She looks worse. Her alcoholic mother was back at that period as the “dark emotionally absent for much of days” of her life. But even then her childhood, and her father, a Maggie showed an extraordinary disabled Vietnam War veteran, resilience far beyond her years: had many health problems that “You can’t just sit there and be often made it difficult for him to like, ‘Oh, poor me. My dad’s dead. work. When her family became My mom is depressed and she’s homeless after he lost his job, they a drunk and she’s not there for moved into a camper on a friend’s me,’ or, ‘I’m dyslexic and I can’t property. What they hoped would read as well as other people. …’ be a temporary solution lasted So why not push myself further two years. and change myself – because othWhen Maggie was 9 years old, er people can’t change you; you her parents finally found an af- have to change yourself.” fordable house to rent and things Maggie kept pushing herself seemed as if they might be look- – and her positive spirit and being up at last. But just a few lief in herself paid off. After an in-
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VISUAL VIEWPOINT: CIVILITY WAR
tervention from Child Protective Services, Maggie’s mother finally got some of the help she needed and was able to keep custody of Maggie. When Maggie was in sixth grade, a caring landlord and mentor offered her $100 if she made the honor roll all four quarters of the school year. Maggie was already a determined and serious student despite her learning disabilities and troubles at home, and this generous promise gave her just the extra incentive she needed. She made the honor roll every quarter that year and every quarter since. As she kept on excelling in school, by the end of eighth grade she was moved into standard education classrooms. Today, Maggie takes Honors and AP classes and has a goal of studying criminal justice because she wants to help others. The same mentor who encouraged her to make the honor roll also sponsored her attendance at a Christian summer camp she fell in love with, and after returning as a camper for many years, she now serves as a junior counselor. She is already looking forward to what comes next: “There’s college to go to. There’s graduate school. You’re never done learning . . . It’s just something I want in my heart. And I’m going to try
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star
my hardest to get it.”
Beating the odds Maggie’s inspiring story has made her one of this year’s Washington, D.C.-area winners of the Children’s Defense Fund’s Beat the Odds scholarship awards, given each year to high school seniors in eight cities who have overcome tremendous adversity. For more than 20 years, the Beat the Odds program has supported more than 700 students. This leadership development program provides each recipient a $10,000 scholarship, laptop computer, guidance through the college admission process, and an invitation
to join CDF’s servant leadership training programs. It also allows young people like Maggie to serve as role models for others, and for Maggie, this is one way of paying her own success forward. Right now there are millions of young people like Maggie still waiting for just one caring adult or mentor to step in to help them beat the odds too. If you have the chance to be that adult for a child in your community – grab it.
Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
Obama’s media coverage half as positive as 2008 Barack Obama campaigned for president four years ago on a theme of change. Now, four years later, he has seen change in the way the media has covered him – change for the worse. That’s a major finding of an exhaustive study by the Pew Research Center titled, “Winning the Media Campaign 2012.” The report stated, “…The starkest difference is that coverage of Obama is only half as positive this year (19 percent) as it was in 2008 (36 percent). And while his percentage of negative coverage in 2012 (31 percent) is only modestly larger than four years earlier (29 percent), neutral coverage has grown markedly, to 50 percent this year compared with 35 percent in 2008.” Mitt Romney received more favorable treatment from the media than Arizona Republican Senator John McCain did four years ago, according to the study.
George E. Curry NNPA COLUMNIST
Networks weigh in Of the three major networks, only ABC gave Obama more positive coverage than negative (27 percent to 20 percent). CBS and NBC were essentially the same. On CBS, 17 percent of the stories about Obama had a positive tone and 28 percent were negative. Of NBC’s stories, 16 percent had a positive tone and 29 percent were negative. Romney did not fare any better on the networks. On ABC, Romney’s negative stories outpaced his positive ones (33 percent to 18 percent). On CBS, 15 percent of the stories about Romney had a positive tone and 29 percent were negative. NBC had an identical per-
centage of negative stories, but a 12 percent were negative. slightly higher percentage of stoThere was a huge imbalance on ries with a positive tone (18 per- MSNBC, with 71 percent of the cent). stories about Romney negative and only 3 percent positive. There Cable networks partisan were three times as many negative The high-octane, opinion-driv- stories than positive about Romen cable networks provided decid- ney on CNN (33 percent to 11 peredly partisan coverage of the two cent). “MSNBC was especially negapresidential candidates, with Fox favoring Romney, MSNBC back- tive in its treatment of Romney’s ing Obama and CNN sandwiched policy prescriptions,” the Pew study found. between the two. The report stated, “Fox aired After studying the tone of coverage between April 27 and Oct. 21, more negative stories about 2012, the Pew report found that 46 Obama than positive on every aspercent of the stories about Obama pect of campaign coverage. When on Fox were negative and only 6 it came to policy, 6 percent of the percent were positive. On MSN- stories on Fox about Obama were BC, by contrast, 39 percent about positive and 51 percent were negObama were positive and 15 per- ative. “Fox also focused much more cent were negative. More negative than positive stories about Obama on Obama than on Romney. The appeared on CNN, but only by a Democratic Party nominee was a margin of 21 percent to 18 percent. significant figure in 74 percent of Of the stories about Romney on Fox campaign stories compared Fox, 28 percent were positive and with 49 percent for Romney.”
Will the calm continue after the storm? I write this column in the aftermath of a storm such as we’ve not seen before. Hurricane Katrina arguably came close. Through Hurricane Sandy, my lights were on. No trees fell on my home or office. I had a warm bed in which to sleep. I had lots of food and water and felt no fear of personal loss. Had I lived in certain areas of the country, I couldn’t be sharing my thoughts on a computer. I’d be lucky if I could even do this by hand. My television remained on 24/7 as I watched with great sadness what was happening to others. But for the grace of God, members of my family or I could have experienced the same tragedy.
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. TRICE EDNEY WIRE
matter what the fallout might be, the governor decided to be truthful and more human than many of us might ever have imagined. They made us believe America could once again experience bi-partisan acts to continue moving our country forward. Our heroic first responders made us proud. They risked their lives to save the lives of others. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. They reprePutting politics aside sented the human spirit at its best. Hurricane Sandy taught us that we They went beyond the call of duty, as should live each day knowing it could they so often do. easily be our last. As Lyndon Johnson once said, “How incredible it is that we No one to blame could hate and destroy one another!” So many lives have been scarred We can’t control the weather, but we – many permanently. We will never can control how we treat each other. know the pain caused by the losses President Barack Obama and Gov. of many – yet, they are not looking for Chris Christie taught us all what it anyone to blame for what happened means to think of something big- to them. They just need us to be there ger than the differences we have with to help them weather the storms still each other. Governor Christie was a ahead. Will we, or will we go back to model for what a governor should do business as usual? in times of crisis. President Obama When the hurricane calmed, I closed was the model of what it means to be my eyes to pray that we’d all learn to President of all the people. be there for each other in less trauPeople who had lost everything matic times, and that our children and saw a President who cared enough the entire world, after the election, will to be there with them. Some cried on have the opportunity to see us in a bethis shoulder and seemed not to care ter light – not just during a crisis. about his political party or any minor For encouragement, let us never disagreements they might have had forget the beauty of the way President with him at some point. The color of Obama and Governor Christie were his skin was irrelevant. They just saw able to make us feel there is hope. someone who cared and they found Dr. Williams is chair of the Nacomfort in his being there. Governor Christie put politics aside tional Congress of Black Women. and bestowed compliments on the Click on this story at www.flcourier. President for his help in the crisis. No com to write your own response.
Unlike Fox and MSNBC, CNN devoted a similar amount of time to both candidates – 63 percent to Obama and 59 percent for Romney.
Social media critical The report found social media far more critical of the candidates than mainstream media. On Twitter, 48 percent of the discussions about Obama were negative, compared with 58 percent for Romney. On Facebook, 53 percent on Obama were negative vs. 62 percent for Romney. Comments about Romney on blogs were slightly more negative than those about Obama (46 percent to 44 percent).
George E. Curry is editor-inchief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA). Click on this story at www.flcourier.com to write your own response.
Henry Brown blazed a trail in corporate America Black Americans need to know and respect our heritage. Know the contributions of your ancestors, and you will learn who you are. One of America’s greatest strengths today is “diversity.” An African-American who blazed the trail toward diversity, innovation, and marketing creativity across corridors in corporate America while concurrently opening doors previously closed to Blacks is corporate pioneer of note, Houston native Henry Hartford Brown. The career of Brown should be of highlighted because he is one of a select few Blacks hired by corporate America in upper-level sales positions to target and develop the African-American consumer market. Brown should be remembered for the successes he had in the development and implementation of effective community relations over the three decades he practiced his trade with Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis. As corporate liaison to its “special markets,” Brown indelibly etched Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser’s name among Black leaders and their communities.
Tapping Black market As part of a groundbreaking group of African-American market developers that evolved from the 1950s, Brown is a role model in multicultural public relations. Brown’s business and social talents enabled him to gen-
WILLIAM REED BUSINESS EXCHANGE
sive changes among AfricanAmericans. His impact on Anheuser-Busch has permanency. The company says, “It’s important to be in the community and of the community” and supports communitybased organizations’ efforts to inform, advance and support the African Americans. In 1994, Brown retired from Anheuser-Busch after launching major initiatives including: Budweiser’s Living Legends and The Lou Rawls/ UNCF Parade of Stars. Brown served as an adjunct professor at Howard University and in 1959 started as a wholesaler representative for Anheuser-Busch, Inc. In 1980, Brown was named vice president of Marketing Development and made responsible for community outreach and a corporate liaison to the various ethnic communities. He currently lives in Houston and has received several honors and awards throughout his distinguished career, including the Presidential Award from the National Conference of African-American Mayors in 1994; and the Alpha Psi Alpha Fraternity Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
erate corporate market share and profits as he at the same time introduced diversity theories, techniques and implementation platforms that revolutionized strategies of niche marketing. Brown helped corporate heads and decision influencers to see and identify Blacks as an important customer segment. The “Black market” Brown helped his company identify and tap is expected to reach 42.6 million by 2016. Black’s current $957 billion annual spending is expected to climb to $1.3 trillion by 2015. Black consumers spend $2.8 billion annually on alcoholic beverages. Henry Brown’s innovativeness toward Black markets is epic. In 1975, he developed the legendary Budweiser’s Great Kings and Queens of Africa by commissioning a series of portraits by AfricanAmerican-artists. These 29 portraits became Budweiser’s Great Kings and Queens of Africa exhibits, an educational program and one William Reed is head of history’s most influential of the Business Exchange collections of art honoring Network and available for African-American culture. speaking/seminar projects through the Bailey Group. Brown was a catalyst org. Click on this story at Brown’s been a catalyst www.flcourier.com to write for positive and progres- your own response.
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NOVEMBER 9 – NOVEMBER 15, 2012
Historic votes for gay marriage, legalizing marijuana Maine, Maryland approve samesex marriage; marijuana measures pass in Colorado, Washington state ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Altering the course of U.S social policy, Maine and Maryland became the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote, while Washington state and Colorado set up a showdown with federal authorities by legalizing recreational use of marijuana. The outcomes for those ballot measures Tuesday were a milestone for persistent but often thwarted advocacy groups and activists who for decades have pressed the causes of gay rights and drug decriminalization. “Today the state of Washington looked at 70 years of marijuana prohibition and said it's time for a new approach,” said Alison Holcomb, manager of the campaign that won passage of Initiative 502 in Washington.
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More victories Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who opposed legalization, was less enthused. “Federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don't break out the Cheetos or gold fish too quickly,” he said. The results in Maine and Maryland broke a 32-state streak, dating to 1998, in which gay marriage had been rebuffed by every state that voted on it. They will become the seventh and eighth states to allow samesex couples to marry. In another gay-rights victory, Minnesota voters defeated a proposed constitutional amendment that would have banned samesex marriage in the state. Similar measures were approved in 30 other states, most recently in North Carolina in May. “The tide has turned — when voters have the opportunity to really hear directly from loving, committed same-sex couples and their families, they voted for fairness,” said Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign, a California-based gay rights group.
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More acceptance Washington state also voted on a measure to legalize same-sex marriage, though results were not expected until after the Florida Courier’s deadline on Wednesday. The outcomes of the marriage votes could influence the U.S. Supreme Court, which will soon consider whether to take up cases challenging the law that denies federal recognition to same-sex marriages. The gay-rights victories come on the heels of numerous national polls that, for the first time, show a majority of Americans supporting same-sex marriage. Maine's referendum marked the first time that gay-rights supporters put same-sex marriage to a popular vote. They collected enough signatures to schedule the vote, hoping to reverse a 2009 referendum that quashed a gaymarriage law enacted by the Legislature.
clined to say how it would respond if the measures were approved. Colorado's Amendment 64 will allow adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, though using
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Jubilant reaction In Maryland and Washington, gay-marriage laws were approved by lawmakers and signed by the governors this year, but opponents gathered enough signatures to challenge the laws. The president of the most active advocacy group opposing same-sex marriage, Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage, insisted Tuesday's results did not mark a watershed moment. “At the end of the day, we're still at 32 victories,” he said. “Just because two extreme blue states vote for gay marriage doesn't mean
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HEALTH FOOD || HEALTH TRAVEL | |MONEY SCIENCE | BOOKS | MOVIES | TV | AUTOS LIFE | FAITH | EVENTS | CLASSIFIEDS | ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS | FOOD November 9 - November 15, 2012
IFE/FAITH
Pioneer Olympian Milt Campbell dies See page B4
SUN COAST / TAMPA BAY
SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE
‘One Night Only’ tribute to Eddie Murphy See page B5
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Voters waiting in line to vote at the Campbell Park Recreation Center in St. Petersburg had to break out rain gear at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday when rain showers started.
waiting it out Florida residents brave long lines and other issues to make their vote count Long lines, an extremely long ballot, stringent new ID requirements, and in some places, rain. But the negatives didn’t deter the Floridians shown on this page and millions of other residents who were determined to exercise their right to vote. Some were deterred and left their polling sites. And those who waited to vote for president and other races also had to read through a long ballot packed with confusing state constitutional amendments. But they persevered. More than 4.5 million people voted early, which accounted for 38 percent of the state’s 12 million registered voters.
CHARLES W. CHERRY II/FLORIDA COURIER
Early voters wait their turn at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale.
A frustrated election official named Tony, center, talks with voters waiting in line on Tuesday, including Mohammad Azim Hossain from Davie telling them that a voting machine for precinct T009 was working slowly because of the long lines. As a result, a new machine was requested. TAIMY ALVAREZ/ SUN SENTINEL/MCT
Above: Kezia Gipson, 3, waits with her grandparents Doris Ross and Freddie Irvin in the voting line at the International Longshoreman’s Association Office in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday.
A poll worker gets “I Voted” stickers ready to hand to voters as they finished up at the ballot booths at Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library in South Tampa on Tuesday. CAROLINA HIDALGO/TAMPA BAY TIMES/MCT
KIM GIBSON/FLORIDA COURIER
Actor Hill Harper is shown stumping for President Obama at a library in Miami.
JOE RIMKUS JR./ MIAMI HERALD/MCT
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Optimistic until the very end Romney ends Tuesday with disappointment after day of confidence BY MAEVE RESTON AND SEEMA MEHTA LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)
BOSTON — The day had started optimistically, as Mitt Romney cast his ballot early, then made one last trip to scour for votes. But it ended with stony silence in the ballroom where his supporters watched state after state that that they hoped would break the GOP nominee’s way tilt toward President Barack Obama. Nearly two hours after the networks called the race for Obama, Romney appeared onstage at a waterfront convention center to congratulate his opponent and thank his supporters. “I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory,” Romney said, and went on to thank his running mate Paul D. Ryan, his wife, Ann, and his sons for their work on the campaign. “I believe in America. I believe in the people of America,” Romney said as the crowd cheered, and he paused to take it all in. “I ran for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over but our principles endure.”
Silent, sullen crowd
Romney said he wished that he would have been elected, but that “the nation chose another leader, so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him.” Before Romney came out, several hundred people stood silently and sullenly, watching the returns come in. Some struggled to understand voters’ continued support for Obama. “We’re aghast. Why? Why would someone vote for him?” said Sandy Nabhan, 54, of Boston. Earlier, the Republican candidate and his campaign had seemed optimistic as he sprinted to Ohio and Pennsylvania in
JMP/ABACA PRESS/MCT
Gov. Mitt Romney takes the stage to concede to President Barack Obama at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Tuesday. a last-minute push to drive supporters to the polls. As Romney strode off his plane Tuesday afternoon in Moon Township, Pa., hundreds of people spontaneously lined an outdoor parking garage overlooking the tarmac and cheered. That, the GOP nominee said, was the moment he became confident he would win.
Emotional connection
“Intellectually, I’ve felt we’re going to win this, and have felt that for some time, but emotionally just getting off the plane and ... seeing people there cheering as they were connected emotion-
ally with me — I not only think we’re going to win intellectually, I feel it as well,” Romney told reporters aboard his campaign plane later that night. But hours later, at what was to be a victory celebration here, a palpable sense of dismay settled over his supporters, as state after state that they had hoped would break the GOP nominee’s way appeared to be backing the president. Earlier than most had expected, the Associated Press and news networks, citing surveys of voters leaving the polls, gave the victory to Obama. Romney kicked off the day voting with wife Ann at a community center near their Belmont home,
and then joined close advisors, a son and a grandson aboard his campaign plane as he made appearances in Ohio and Pennsylvania to thank volunteers and make a final push to get supporters to vote. ‘What up?’ Romney met up with Ryan on the tarmac in Cleveland. “What up?” Ryan said to Romney after striding onto his plane, and then regaled him with tales of recent rallies. The state’s importance was highlighted by an unusual confluence: Air Force Two — Vice President Joe Biden’s plane — was parked near the two Republican candidates’ planes. After the GOP ticket visited
on Tuesday at the Hedberg Library on S. Main St. and moved to the front of the line of about 30 people. Wearing a dark suit, powderblue tie and an American flag pin on his lapel, Ryan voted at Ward 13 in south-central Janesville. Ryan apologized to the other voters as he moved up to the table where poll workers looked for names of voters. Ryan came around the back of the table to help the poll worker find his name and his wife’s name, which were on different pages. Paul and Janna Ryan then went into separate voting booths, splitting up with their children. Sam went with his father while Liza and Charlie went with their mother. “Hey, Sam, let’s do this thing,” Ryan said. The children looked on the ballot as their parents marked their choices.
Some stumbles
MARK CORNELISON/LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER/MCT
Republican Paul Ryan greets supporters as he arrives at the Bluegrass Airport on Oct. 10 in Lexington, Ky. The vice presidential debate between Democratic incumbent Vice President Joe Biden and Ryan was that week in Danville.
Ryan: Now politically stronger, better known BY BILL GLAUBER AND JOHN DIEDRICH MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL (MCT)
MILWAUKEE — Paul Ryan’s first national run ended in defeat. But it could well mark the beginning of something bigger for the Wisconsin congressman. Ryan, the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee, emerged from the 2012 race as a standard-bearer of small-government conservatism. Even though Mitt Romney
and Ryan lost Tuesday’s election, the battle over the federal debt is far from over, and Ryan, 42, remains a key player in Congress and main architect of the Republican budget. Ryan retained his 1st Congressional District seat by defeating Democratic challenger Rob Zerban. The nearly three-month national campaign sprint sharpened Ryan’s skills on the stump even as it took a toll on his voice. He came out of the race stronger, better known and clearly a force to be reckoned with within the Republican Party. The one
downside: He couldn’t carry his home state for the ticket. For a few brief moments Tuesday morning, Ryan was just another neighborhood dad going to the polls with his wife and kids.
Back home to vote
Rooted in Janesville, where he was born and lives, Ryan’s trek to the polls was a mixture of small-city charm and national media frenzy. Ryan, his wife, Janna, and their three children, Liza, Charlie and Sam, arrived at 8:50 a.m.
Introduced by Romney as his Republican running mate Aug. 11 in the shadow of the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Va., Ryan shot out of the gate of his first national campaign. Bright and personable, Ryan was overwhelmed by large crowds over the first weekend, culminating in an emotional Wisconsin homecoming in Waukesha, where he declared: “My veins run with cheese, bratwurst, a little Spotted Cow, Leinie’s and some Miller. I was raised on the Packers, Badgers, Bucks and Brewers.” “I like to hunt here, I like to fish here, I like to snowmobile here. I even think ice fishing is interesting. I’m a Wisconsinite through and through,” he said. There were some stumbles along the way when Ryan had to correct a statement he made about his time as a marathoner. And he absorbed plenty of criticism from Democrats over the House budget he crafted, as well as his plan for Medicare. But he found his feet as a re-
the victory center in Richmond Heights, they ordered burgers at Wendy’s before flying to the Pittsburgh airport in Moon Township. Romney later boarded his campaign plane for home, not knowing whether, in the end, he was closing out a six-year-campaign or preparing to be president. Breaking precedent with the last two months, he took questions from the reporters who accompanied him. Exuding confidence, Romney said he had only written one speech for the evening: a victory speech. “It’s about 1,118 words,” he said.
lentless campaigner and held his own in a debate against a combative and mocking Vice President Joe Biden.
Emotional homecoming
He also gained support from his family on the campaign trail, his brother, Tobin, and sister-inlaw, Oakleigh, working tirelessly on his behalf, mostly in Wisconsin. At Monday night’s emotional homecoming at Mitchell International Airport, Ryan appeared genuinely touched by the roars of the crowd, saying “thank you” over and over. Ryan said the family’s reception during the campaign “has warmed our hearts. It has been incredible because so many people have come out to get this country back on the right track.” “Paul Ryan is consistent,” said Nancy Milholland, a Racine Tea Party leader who first met Ryan at a church picnic in 1998 and who attended the vice presidential debate. “He is upbeat, energetic, on message. What you see is what you get. He is the real deal.”
‘Came across well’
Milholland said that when Ryan was named to the ticket, she and her friends thought to themselves, “Now we have to share him with the whole country.” Gov. Scott Walker said during the campaign that Ryan “came across well,” not just to the Republican base but the wider electorate. Polls indicated at the start of the campaign that Ryan was relatively unknown nationally. Walker said Ryan weathered intense media scrutiny that comes with being named to a national ticket. “He maintained his high level of credibility,” Walker said. Asked if Ryan could one day mount a national campaign of his own, Walker said, “Absolutely.”
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NOVEMBER 9 - NOVEMBER 15, 2012
NATION
B3
THE NATION’S TOP JOB
CHUCK KENNEDY/MCT
Requirements, perks, cash and conflicts, plus the dangers of running for president THE JOB The president is the top elected official in the United States and often called the most powerful person in the world. HClout: The president is head of state and chief executive officer of the most powerful country in history. HResources: The president oversees a budget of $3.67 trillion, a federal work force of 3 million and a military of 1.1 million people. HTenure: The president is elected every four years, but is limited to two 4-year terms.
THE GROUND RULES To qualify you must be 35 years old, have been born in the United States and have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years.
THE CAMPAIGN Labor Day has been the traditional kickoff for the two major party candidates, which gives them two months to woo voters. In reality, candidates begin runs for their party’s nomination up to two years before Election Day — time they need for exposure, public recognition and raising money. Campaign costs have skyrocketed, and fundraising has, too. Each of the candidates — incumbent Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney — is expected to raise about $1 billion for his election effort. Candidates decide where to spend their time and resources, usually eyeing states heavy with electoral votes that may be considered up for grabs. To win, a candidate needs 270 electoral votes. To get the nomination, candidates stump states with primary elections or party caucuses. Both determine how many delegates a candidate can claim at national conventions that nominate standard-bearers.
THE PERKS
HNice house: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20005. The 200-year-old White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases and three elevators (to reach six levels). Five full-time chefs work in a kitchen able to serve dinner to 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to 1,000. HGood money: $400,000-a-year salary plus $50,000 in expenses. But it’s not great money. A comparable job in the private sector would command a salary of millions a year. Presidents of some major U.S. universities earn more than the U.S. president. HGreat getaway: Camp David, a 125acre retreat 90 miles north of Washington.
Keith Myers/Kansas City Star/MCT
HNo airport hassles: Any aircraft in the U.S. military fleet becomes Air Force One (above) if the president is on board. If it’s a Navy or Marine craft, the designation changes to Navy One or Marine One. Also, ground transport is in one of several armor-plated limousines or heavy-duty SUVs.
wealthy by the standards of their day. HGeorge Washington (in office 178997): His family was wealthy and he married a wealthy widow. When he died in 1799, his estate was valued at more than $500,000, a handsome sum then. His salary as president: $25,000. HAndrew Jackson (1829-37): Among the wealthiest presidents of the 19th century. His fortune was made in real estate through deals made while he was a U.S. Army general. His presidential salary was also $25,000. HHerbert Hoover (1929-33): He made his money in mining and investments. By World War I, when he was just 40, he was worth between $1 million and $5 million. He donated his annual presidential salary of $75,000 to charity. HFranklin D. Roosevelt (1933-45): Born into wealth, Roosevelt was also a Wall Street lawyer. His personal estate was valued at more than $1 million. THE DANGERS of holding office HJohn F. Kennedy (1961-63): Born into wealth, Kennedy was notorious for not carrying money, and friends often had to stitutional way of removing a party. And if that party controls HAssassination: Four slip him some cash. He, too, donated his Congress, your political agenda sitting president. The House of $100,000 annual presidential income to presidents were shot and Representatives prepares and killed: Abraham Lincoln, James is crippled. (This happened to charity. President Obama when Repub- votes on articles of impeachGarfield, William McKinley and HLyndon B. Johnson (1963-69): Earned licans took control of Congress ment charging a president with his wealth entirely while in public life. By John F. Kennedy. “high crimes and misdemean- the time he became president, his and in 2010). HAttempts: Andrew Jackwife Lady Bird’s wealth was estimated ors.” If charged by the House, HThe press: If politison, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry at $14 million. Most of the fortune came the trial is held in the Senate cians aren’t criticizing, some Truman, Gerald Ford (twice) where two-thirds of the mem- from land deals and a radio and TV station newspaper columnist, editorial and Ronald Reagan were all in Austin, Texas. bers must vote to remove a writer, radio personality or targets of assassination atpresident. Two presidents have late-night comic is making tempts. survived impeachment trials in sure people recognize your HOpposition: Not all the Senate — Andrew Johnson vulnerabilities. politicians like you. Especially and Bill Clinton. HImpeachment: The conthose in the opposing political By Carol Cain and Azlan Ibrahim Detroit Free Press
The life of the president isn’t always easy; check out these facts and figures to get an inside look at what it means to be commander in chief, from running for office to getting paid.
THE NUMBERS H44 men have been president. H4 ex-presidents are living: George W. Bush, Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. H14 presidents served as vice president. H69 is the age of the oldest person elected president — Reagan. H43 is the age of the youngest person elected — Kennedy. H42 is the age of the youngest person to serve as president — Theodore Roosevelt (right), who became president following McKinley’s assassination.
CASH & CONFLICT Often the people who make policy — lawmakers, administration leaders — also have money and investments. To diminish the appearance of a conflict of interest, many put their holdings into a blind trust. That’s an account whose assets are unknown to the beneficiaries. A third party manages the trust independently. That way a policymaker can’t know if a certain regulation or rule will impact his or her financial investments. Romney and Ryan have blind trusts. Obama and Biden do not.
THE PRESIDENTIAL PAYCHECK Presidential candidates usually are better heeled than most Americans, so it’s a bet they’re not seeking the job for the paycheck.
BANKROLLS: REPUBLICANS Here’s the asset background of the 2012 Republican candidates. Members of Congress are paid $174,000 a year. HGov. Mitt Romney: His net worth has been reported to be between $190 million and $250 million. Those numbers, however, don’t include other items such as real estate and trust funds. It is estimated that he could be worth more than $350 million. HRep. Paul Ryan: Net worth exceeds $4 million.
BANKROLLS: DEMOCRATS HPresident Barack Obama: His 2011 assets were valued at around $8 million. His annual salary is only $400,000, so income from the sales of his two books, “Dreams of My Father” and “The Audacity of Hope,” have added millions. HVice President Joe Biden: He and his wife, Jill Biden, report assets between $239,000 and $866,000. Biden makes $230,700 a year.
WHITE HOUSE WEALTH Some of the 43 former presidents were
Grant may be on a big bill, but when he died he had little money.
THE FLIP SIDEOF THE COIN Serving in the White House doesn’t always mean a lifetime of financial security. HUlysses S. Grant died impoverished. The two-term president (1869-77) invested money — donated by friends and supporters — in a fund that went bust. He sold his swords and souvenirs just to survive. He was broke when he began writing his memoirs. He died of cancer shortly after his “Personal Memoirs”— published by Mark Twain — came out. It made nearly $500,000. HThomas Jefferson: Author of the Declaration of Independence, two-term president (1801-09), prolific writer, quintessential American philosopher, farmer and founder of the University of Virginia, died July 4, 1826, virtually bankrupt. Troubled by debt, his finances were ruined after the failure of a business for which he had endorsed a note.
Emma Kantrowitz of McClatchy-Tribune Information Services contributed to this report. SOURCES: nationalpriorities.org/; www2. census.gov/; siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/; www.latimes.com/; www.senate.gov/; www. bloomberg.com/; www.motherjones.com/; http://thecaucus.blogs. nytimes.com/; www. bloomberg.com/; www.infoplease.com/ipa/ A0875856.html; www.vanityfair.com/; www. huffingtonpost.com/
CALENDAR • SPORTS • OBIT
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NOVEMBER 9 - november 15, 2012
toj
FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Orlando: “Sister Act The Musical’’ makes its way to the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre Dec. 4-9. Jacksonville: Rap artist 2 Chainz will be at the Florida Theatre Jacksonville Nov. 23 for an 8 p.m. show and at the Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater Nov. 26 for an 8:30 p.m. Orlando: The Electric Daisy Carnival, the world’s largest electronic music festival tour will take place Nov. 9-10 at Tinker Field, 400 S. Rio Grande Ave. Admission begins at $75. More information: 407-849-2500. Orlando: The 26th Annual Festival of Trees showcasing displays of designer decorated trees and wreaths, gingerbread creations, vignettes, a gift boutique and children’s activity area will be held Nov. 10-18 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave. Cost: $10 adults, $6 for children. More information: 407-896-4231. Ocoee: The second annual Access-Life Expo of Central Florida will be held Nov. 10 from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. at Bill Breeze Park on Lake Starke. It is a free community outreach event to provide Christ-centered encouragement, support and fun for individuals and families living with disabilities (cognitive and physical). It will feature boat rides, fishing, kayaking and other activities. More information: 214-336-1188 or www.access-life.org. Tampa: Wiz Khalifa’s The 2050 tour is at the USF Sun Dome Dec. 2 for a 7:30 p.m. show. Winter Garden: The community is invited to attend a free couponing class presented by the Simple Truth Foundation and hosted at Next Community Church, 13640 W. Colonial Drive, at 10:30 a.m., Nov. 17. More information: 407-654-9661
ERICA RIGGINS
The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists will host its annual Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet on Nov. 15 at The Nielsen Company’s headquarters in Oldsmar. A reception will be held at 6 p.m.; dinner and a program begins at 7 p.m. A panel will include Bay News 9 anchor Erica Riggins. More information: www.tbabj.com.
B.B. KING
Celebrate New Year’s Eve with B.B. King at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Au Rene Theatre in Fort Lauderdale. The show begins at 9 p.m.
ERICA RIGGINS
The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists will host its annual Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet on Nov. 15 at The Nielsen Company’s headquarters in Oldsmar. A reception will be held at 6 p.m.; dinner and a program begins at 7 p.m. A panel will include Bay News 9 anchor Erica Riggins. More information: www.tbabj.com.
or pastorscott@nextcommunitychurch.com or www. nextcommunitychurch.com. Pinellas: The Pinellas Advocates for Children and Families and the Pinellas Association for the Education of Young Children will present a School Readiness Forum on Nov. 13, 6 p.m. – 8:30
J. ANTHONY BROWN
Tickets are now on sale for Comedy Explosion 2012 at the James L. Knight Center on Dec. 29. Comics such as D. L. Hughley, Rickey Smiley and J. Anthony Brown will take the stage beginning at 8 p.m.
p.m., at Coordinated Child Care of Pinellas, 6500 102nd Ave. North. RSVP to cwall@ childcarepinellas.org or 727547-2986. Orlando: Tyler Perry’s “Madea Gets a Job’’ makes a stop at the University of Central Florida Arena in Orlando on Nov. 8 and the American
Airlines Arena in Miami Nov. 9-10. Ocoee: The City of Ocoee will award $10,000 in matching grants for neighborhood improvement projects as part of its Most Valuable Partnership (MVP) Matching Grant Program. The maximum grant award is $2,000. Applications
are available at www.ocoee. org or at the City Hall reception desk. The deadline to submit applications is Nov. 30. More information: www.ocoee.org or call 407- 905-3100. St. Petersburg: First Fridays are held in downtown St. Petersburg at 250 Central Ave. between Second and Third
Avenues from 5:30 p.m.10:30 p.m. More information: 727-393-3597. Sunrise: Fat Joe will be joined by Flo Rida, Waka Flocka and WBA Championship Boxing for Beatdown 2012 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise on Nov. 30 beginning at 5 p.m.
FAMU’s head football coach to retire at end of season BY ANDREAS BUTLER FLORIDA COURIER
Joe Taylor, Florida A&M University’s head football coach for the past five years, will retire at the end of this season. He will make the Florida Classic on Nov. 16 against rival Bethune-Cookman University his final game. Taylor, 62, announced his retirement on Nov. 3 during a pre-game breakfast. The Rattlers lost that game to North Carolina A&T 16-3 in Greensboro, N.C. Joe In 31 seasons, Taylor has Taylor a 233-96 overall record, including 35-19 in his five years at FAMU. He is the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) all-time winningest coach. Tay-
lor also is tied for third all-time in wins amongst coaches at Black colleges. He also is tied for third in career coaching wins among HBCUs. Taylor is tied with Southern University’s A.W. “Ace’’ Mumford and is two wins behind John “Big’’ John Merritt.
40 years as coach From 1992 to 2007, Taylor was the head football coach at Hampton University. His resume has 40 years of coaching experience and four Black college football championships. Taylor has gone 35-18 in five seasons at FAMU. In 2009, he led the school to a 9-3 mark after taking over a program that was 3-8 the previous year. In 2009 he led the team to an 8-3 record – the first FCS national ranking since 2001. In 2010, the Rat-
Milt Campbell, first Black Olympic decathlon winner, dies ASSOCIATED PRESS
Silver in 1952
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Milt Campbell, who became the first African-American to win the Olympic decathlon in 1956 and went on to play pro football and become a motivational speaker, died Nov. 2. He was 78. Linda Rusch, Campbell’s partner of 13 years, said Campbell died at his home in Gainesville, about 55 miles northwest of Atlanta. She said he had been fighting prostate cancer for a decade. “He was extremely disciplined,’’ Rusch told The Associated Press. “He had huge passion. For you to win the gold you have to be so self-motivated and so self-disciplined. And you have to have a very strong mind.’’ “He literally had to train himself to have this incredible mind, to be such a positive thinker,’’ she added. “He carried that way of life throughout his whole entire being.’’
A native of Plainfield, N.J., Campbell was a rising high school senior when he won the silver medal in the decathlon at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, finishing second to Bob Mathias. The Ameri- Milt cans swept the decathlon Campbell that year. Four years later, Campbell won gold at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. “World record holder Rafer Johnson was hampered by injury, but even in full health he probably couldn’t have beaten Milt Campbell in Melbourne,’’ according to “The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics’’ by David Wallechinsky. Campbell had hoped to qualify for the Olympic team as a hurdler, but he finished fourth during tryouts.
tlers were 8-3 and shared the MEAC title with Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State. This season the Rattlers are struggling with a 3-6 record. FAMU Director of Athletics Derek Horne said about Taylor’s retirement, “We are proud of what coach Taylor has brought to this program. As an administrator, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a coaching legend who will go down as one of the best ever in HBCU athletics. We understand his desire to move into the next phase of his life and we support him wholeheartedly.” Dr. Larry Robinson, FAMU interim president, added, “We reached some great milestones during Coach Taylor’s career, including FAMU’s debut in November 2008 on ESPN College Game Day in which FAMU became the first historically black
college or university to host the program. “Coach Taylor has had a storied career as one of the winningest coaches in Black college football. In addition, he has built character and promoted academic progression of student athletes, always reminding them that their best contributions will often occur off the field. We certainly appreciate everything he has done to advance the football program. We wish Coach Taylor all the best in his retirement.” The Florida Courier was scheduled to interview Taylor on Thursday about his retirement. A story with Taylor’s comments and about the Florida Classic will appear in next week’s Florida Courier and online at www.flcourier.com.
“I was stunned,’’ Campbell said in the book. “But then God seemed to reach into my heart and tell me he didn’t want me to compete in the hurdles, but in the decathlon.’’
and say `I am going to be the world’s greatest athlete’ every day,’’ she said. “He needed to beat his brother.’’
National honors The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Campbell, who attended Indiana University, was drafted in 1957 by the Cleveland Browns, where he played one season in the same backfield as Jim Brown. Campbell then played for various teams in the Canadian Football League. Campbell was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1999 and honored this year by the International Swimming Hall of Fame. In 2000, the New Jersey Sportswriters Association named him New Jersey Athlete of the Century. In June, he was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame along with nine others, including actor Michael Douglas, author Joyce Carol Oates and the late New York Giants owner Wellington Mara. Linda Rusch said Campbell dreamed of being a great athlete as a young boy competing with his older brother, Tom. “He actually would look at the ceiling
Fought until end Rusch said Campbell became a motivational speaker, and maintained a positive outlook despite the loss of a son to cancer and as he himself fought the disease. In addition to Rusch, he is survived by three grown children. “Someone would say, `How are you feeling?’ He’d say, `Great,’’’ Rusch said. “He was such a fighter. And with this cancer, he tried to fight it until the end. For his wife. For his family. And for his friends.’’ Rusch said Campbell was a whirlwind of activity – playing tennis as well as riding bikes, horses and motorcycles – until cancer treatment began slowing him down. She said the past year was a special one, with him being honored by the New Jersey and the International Swimming halls as well as being invited to attend the Olympic trials in Oregon. “People called and said, `We need you out here,’’’ she said. “He didn’t get the recognition in the `50s. He got it all this year and he died.’’
STOJ
NOVEMBER 9 - NOVEMBER 15, 2012
FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
Meet some of
FLORIDA'S
finest
Nineteen-yearold Chantay of Tuscawilla, Ala., goes by the name of Tootie Sweets. She is pursuing a career in modeling.
submitted for your approval
B5
Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.
jeff
tootie
Miami native Jeff Cosmo, an actor and model of Haitian descent, is a graduate of the University of Florida. He is pursing a long-term goal of acting and modeling, He can be reached at http://facebook.com/jeff.cosmo.
Phaedra’s goal: Be ‘Vera Wang of funerals’ FROM WIRE REPORTS
Last season on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Phaedra Parks, an entertainment attorney, launched her mortuary business. This season, she decided to expand in an even less sane direction. “I am very interested in being the Vera Wang of funerals, so I don’t want to limit my mortician practice to just people. I want to expand it Phaedra to everything that can be Parks buried,” she declared. “I see pet funerals as the new horizon for funerals and funeral services.” Wang is a popular fashion designer known for her wide range of haute couture bridesmaid gowns and wedding gown collections. “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
‘Five Heartbeats’ actor hits cop car, charged with DUI FROM WIRE REPORTS
Actor Michael Wright, Eddie King Jr. of the “Five Heartbeats” movie, was arrested in New York on Nov. 4 after he hit a police car in his 1978 black Rolls Royce. Wright was taken into custody after reportedly crashing his car into another vehicle, which was occupied by two police officers. TMZ reported that Wright hit the police car when trying to park his 1978 black Rolls Royce in Manhattan. The “Sugar Hill” star failed a sobriety test when asked to Michael take one after the cops Wright detected the smell of alcohol. The 56-year-old actor was later arrested on suspicion of driving under influence. No one was seriously hurt in the accident, but the two officers were taken to a hospital nearby as precaution.
Lots of laughs, love for Eddie Murphy ‘One Night Only’ tribute to actor will air Nov. 14 on Spike TV By SANDY COHEN AP ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
LOS ANGELES – However riotous the Eddie Murphy stories from Arsenio Hall, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler and Russell Brand, the highlight of Spike TV’s tribute to Murphy was the comedian’s duet with Stevie Wonder. Murphy joined the subject of one of his most classic impressions for a rousing rendition of Wonder’s 1973 hit “Higher Ground’’ during the taping of the Spike TV special “Eddie Murphy: One Night Only,’’ which is set to air Nov. 14. The Roots served as the house band. Jamie Foxx, Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and Keenan Ivory Wayans were also among those paying tribute to Murphy recently at the Saban Theater. Accompanied by a pretty blonde, Murphy beamed throughout the two-hour program, saying he was touched by the tribute. “I am a very, very bitter man,’’ he said with a beguiling smile. “I don’t get touched easily, and I am really touched.’’
‘Comic hero’ Morgan called Murphy “my comic hero’’ and came onstage wearing a replica of Murphy’s red leather suit from his standup show “Delirious.’’ “He set the tone for the whole industry a long time ago,’’ Morgan said before taking the stage. “He inspired me in a fearless way.’’ Sandler was still in high school when he first saw “Delirious,’’ which he described as “one of the most legendary standup specials of all time.’’ “Everybody on the planet wanted to be Eddie,’’ he said. “He funnier than us. He’s cooler than any of us.’’ Samuel L. Jackson said Murphy “changed the course of American film history’’ by giving Jackson his first speaking role on the big screen, in 1988’s “Coming to America.’’ “If it weren’t for Eddie, we might not have all the wonderful films that I’ve made,’’ Jackson quipped. “He is a true movie star,’’ Jackson continued, lauding Murphy’s performance in “48 Hours’’ and “Beverly Hills Cop.’’ “You became an inspiration for all young African-American actors.’’
Touched by tribute The program featured clips of Murphy’s
LIONEL HAHN/ABACA PRESS/MCT
Eddie Murphy, winner of the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, poses at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California in 2007. He won for his role in “Dreamgirls.’’ standup shows, his film appearances in “Shrek’’ and “Nutty Professor’’ and his work on “Saturday Night Live.’’ Murphy insisted before the tribute that he is retired from performing. “I’m just a retired old song and dance man,’’ he said, adding that he only makes rare appearances these days. “That’s what you do when you’re retired: You come out every now and then and talk about the old
days.’’ The 51-year-old entertainer took the stage at the conclusion of the tribute to say he was moved by the honor. “This is really a touching moving thing, and I really appreciate it,’’ he said. “You know what it’s like when you have something like this? You know when they sing happy birthday to you? It’s like that for, like, two hours... and I am Eddied out.’’
TOj B6
FOOD
TOJ
NOVEMBER 9 – NOVEMBER 15, 2012 BY SUSAN M. SELASKY DETROIT FREE PRESS (MCT)
I
t’s no secret that pumpkin is the ingredient du jour. You will find it everywhere. At popular coffee chains, pumpkin is in everything from lattés to muffins to breads. In the fall, grocery stores devote more shelf space to canned pumpkin — and often it’s on sale. Don’t confuse it with pumpkin pie filling, which also comes in a can. One of the most popular uses of pure pumpkin, of course, is in pumpkin pie. But there are plenty of other ways to use this antioxidant-rich ingredient. You can make pumpkin soup or stir some into stews and chilies. Swirl pumpkin into plain nonfat Greek-yogurt. Add some to mashed potatoes. Use pumpkin to replace some of the fat in cookies, muffins and breads.
Good for you
Pumpkin
not just for holiday pies
PUMPKIN MAC AND CHEESE Serves: 8 (about ¾ cup servings) / Preparation time: 30 minutes / Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes 2 cups dried elbow macaroni 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup skim milk 4 ounces Gouda or fontina cheese, shredded (about 1 cup) 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée 1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage or ½ teaspoon dried leaf sage, crushed ½ cup soft bread crumbs ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup chopped walnuts 1 tablespoon olive oil Fresh sage leaves, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta, and then return to pot. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add whipping cream and milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in the cheese, pumpkin and sage until cheese melts. Stir cheese sauce into pasta to coat. Transfer macaroni and cheese to an ungreased 2-quart rectangular baking dish. In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, walnuts and oil; sprinkle over pasta. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sage leaves. PUMPKIN SHRIMP CURRY Serves: 4 (generously) / Preparation time: 10 minutes Total time: 50 minutes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup sliced onion 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 plum tomato, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste 1 cup butternut squash, roasted and diced 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lime juice In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in plum tomato and pumpkin purée; cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder and cayenne pepper; simmer for 20 minutes. Add the butternut squash, shrimp and lime juice. Simmer until shrimp are cooked and squash is warm. If desired, serve over steamed rice and top with cilantro, lime zest and fried shallots.
pumpkin mixture and beat until just moist. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool slightly before cutting into slices.
PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD Makes: 1 loaf (12 slices) / Preparation time: 10 minutes Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes Floured baking spray 1 mashed ripe banana (about ¾ cup) 1 cup pumpkin purée ¼ cup canola oil 1 large egg 2 egg whites 2 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 ½-by-4 ½-inch loaf pan with floured baking spray. In a large bowl, place mashed banana, pumpkin purée, oil, egg and egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to banana and
4 eggs
It’s all good. And, for the most part, good for you. Adding pumpkin to recipes adds vitamins and antioxidants and provides a good dose of fiber. A half-cup of pumpkin has only 50 calories, less than 1 gram of fat and 4 grams of dietary fiber. Mayssoun Hamade, clinical manager and registered dietitian for St. John Providence Hospital in Southfield, Mich., says pumpkin meets the U.S. Department of Agriculture vegetable requirement of eating 2 cups of orange vegetables weekly. “The two things that pumpkin is high in are vitamin A and beta carotene — an antioxidant,” Hamade says. “They protect the body and the cells from getting damaged.”
Cheap by the can Pumpkin is available year-round, but it’s during the holidays when producers, such as Libby’s, say they see a jump in sales. Libby’s sells more than 80 percent of the commercial pumpkin products. Pure pumpkin is what you get after cooking sugar or pie pumpkins (don’t use jack-o’-lanterns) until their inner flesh is soft. Once soft, the flesh is mashed or processed into a purée. You can make your own, but it’s just as cost-effective to buy the canned. For example, a 15-ounce can of 100 percent pumpkin is about $2. Larger 29-ounce cans are about $3. A pie pumpkin weighs about 4
PUMPKIN MAC AND CHEESE
SPICED PUMPKIN CUPCAKES Makes: 36 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 50 minutes 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup raisins 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin (about 1 ¾ cups)
PUMPKIN BANANA BREAD
1 cup sugar 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup canola oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 standard muffin tins with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add the walnuts and raisins and gently toss with the flour mixture. This will help prevent the nuts and raisins from sinking to the bottom. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sugars and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the flour mixture in three batches, stirring with a wooden spoon just until combined. Fill muffin cups about threefourths full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes and cool them completely. Frost and decorate as desired.
PUMPKIN SHRIMP CURRY
pounds and averages about 79 cents a pound. Once you roast it, the flesh softens and shrinks some, yielding about 2 ½ cups of pumpkin.
Chili and muffins Here are few ways to use pumpkin: Chili: Brown 1-pound bulk spicy Italian pork sausage (or turkey sausage) in a large pot; pour off fat. Add 1 cup chopped onions, 1-½ cups chopped bell peppers and cook until softened. Season with chili powder, cumin and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Stir in 1 ¾ cup canned great northern beans, 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth and 1 ½ cups pumpkin. Simmer 20 minutes. (Recipe adapted from www. bonappetit.com.) Mini muffins: Mix one devil’s food cake mix with one 15-ounce can (about 1¾ cups) pumpkin. Scoop batter into mini muffin tins. Bake according to package directions. Pasta sauce: Stir 1 cup of pumpkin into 3 cups of pasta sauce for a thicker consistency.
Pumpkin puree Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut sugar or pie pumpkins in quarters and remove all the seeds and fibers. (Save seeds for roasting, if desired.) Place the quarters fleshside down on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast about 45-50 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Purée: Scoop away tender pumpkin flesh from the skin. Purée it in a food processor or mash it by hand until smooth. Cooked pumpkin can have a lot of moisture. To remove it, line a colander with cheesecloth or coffee filters. Place the flesh in the colander and press on it to remove excess moisture. Store: Freeze any leftover canned or homemade pumpkin purée. Place it in a plastic sealable freezer bag and squeeze out the air. Press the bag so it will store flat, label, date and freeze. You can keep the purée about 6 months. Thaw before using.