News & Public Affairs

Hillsborough Democrats elect new officers listen

12/02/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Democrats, Hillsborough County, Pat Kemp, James Randolph

Last month, Hillsborough County Democrats voted for Barack Obama for President, and knocked out key Republicans Buddy Johnson and Brian Blair in local elections.

Still high off that success, last night an overflow crowd of Hillsborough Democrats voted to elect Pat Kemp their new chairperson. She defeated Brandon-based consultant James Randolph.

Kemp has been involved in county politics for two decades, while Randolph is not as well known, working in eastern Hillsborough. But in his br...

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Huckabee comes to Tampa to sell books, 2012 candidacy? listen

12/01/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Mike Huckabee, politics, GOP

Although the seemingly endless presidential campaign finally ended last month, political junkies are already contemplating who might run again for the Republicans in 2012.

One man who looks like he’s ready for another go at it is former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who was in Tampa the day after Thanksgiving.

Huckabee was in Hyde Park Village in South Tampa signing copies of his new book, Do The Right Thing: Inside the Movement That’s Bringing Common Sense Back to America.

National...

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Ramsey McLaughlin on why he wants to be Pinellas DEC Chairman listen

12/01/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Pinellas County, Democrats

Tonight in Tampa, local Democrats will choose a new chairperson to run the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee. The race is between current Vice Chair Pat Kemp and Brandon businessman James Randolph.

Tomorrow, Hillsborough Republicans will choose their new leader. Deborah Cox-Roush, the current special events coordinator for the local party, is expected to win that position.

And on Thursday, Pinellas County Democrats will vote for their new chairperson.WMNF will fea...

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Good government groups try to eliminate gerrymandering listen

11/26/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, gerrymandering

Even with a huge Democratic wave across the country, in Florida, Republicans had no trouble holding their big majorities in the Florida Senate and House. Three Florida seats turned over in the U.S. House, but one of those was held by a scandal-plagued Democrat. In the presidential race, Barack Obama won Florida handily, but his momentum didn't extend to state contests. That’s because the districts have been gerrymandered to favor incumbents, which in Florida, are heavily Republican.

In...

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Avoid political arguments at Thanksgiving gatherings

11/26/08 Robert Lorei

Tags: Politics

Are you dreading gatherings with your family tomorrow because you are afraid the topic of politics will come up? Today WMNF's Rob Lorei read portions of an article from Alternet.org and took phone calls from listeners.

Worried About Thanksgiving Fights with Right-Wing Family Members?

By Sara Robinson, Blog for Our Future. Posted November 26, 2008.

How to counter 10 of the most common myths conservatives believe about progressives.

Sara Robinson is a 20-year veteran of Silicon Vall...

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Hillsborough Democrats to vote on new leadership listen

11/26/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Hillsborough County, Pat Kemp, James Randolph

For Hillsborough County Democrats, the election earlier this month was somewhat bittersweet.The county, named one of the 25 most influential in the country by Politico.com, went for Barack Obama in the presidential race.

Equally impressive was upstart Kevin Beckner defeating Brian Blair for an at-large County Commission seat. And former County Commissioner Phyllis Busansky beat Republican Buddy Johnson for Supervisor of Elections.

But nearly every other contested race stayed with the Re...

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Florida Democrats ponder their fate listen

11/21/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, 2008 election, Barack Obama, Democrats

Although Barack Obama won the state of Florida and key bay area counties like Hillsborough and Pinellas, he carried few local candidates on his coattails.

The Florida Democratic Party won a total of one legislative seat in the 2008 elections, and there has been talk that Chairwoman Karen Thurman may be challenged for her job next month.

Jon Ausman, a member of the Democratic National Committee, based in Tallahassee, says the problem with Democrats not making larger inroads in Florida is...

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Howard Dean's influence on the '08 elections listen

11/20/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: 2008 election, Barack Obama, Howard Dean, Democrats, politics

Howard Dean will soon leave his post as the head of the Democratic National Committee. His tenure was at times controversial, such as his 50 state strategy of investing resources to state parties everywhere, and not just in so called “Blue” States.

In Sunday’s New York Times Magazine, political reporter Matt Bai wrote an article called, “The Other Winner”, in which he detailed how Dean had unleashed new progressives in the party.

WMNF spoke with Bai early Wednesday and asked him ab...

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Matt Bai on Lieberman imbroglio listen

11/19/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Democrats

Yesterday, Senate Democrats chose not to penalize Connecticut Independent Joe Lieberman for his brazen campaigning for Republican John McCain this year.

Democrats voted 42-13 to allow Lieberman to retain his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee.

Although the vote was secret, the Senate’s other Independent member, Vermont’s Bernie Sanders, told CNN he was one of the 13 who voted against Lieberman. Sanders has said that while millions of people worked hard for Obama, Lieberman...

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Another local GOP contender for Party Chair listen

11/14/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Politics, Hillsborough County, GOP David Storck

With the announcement earlier this week that David Storck is stepping down from his post as chairman of the Hillsborough County Republican Executive Committee, several names have been mentioned as possible successors – none more prominent than Deborah Cox-Roush, who has been the event chair for the past four years.

She’s also president of the Fishhawk Republican Club, and is a graduate of the Tillie Fowler Excellent in Public Service graduate. She also serves on the Status for the Commis...

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