Does the Florida Primary Hold the Key to the Gop Nomination?

Nova Southeastern University Political Expert on Presidential Primaries|Voting Rights|Impact of Redistricting on South Florida Voters

Newswise — FT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 25, 2012) – Does the Florida primary hold the key to the GOP nomination? Nova Southeastern University faculty members are available to discuss various issues surrounding the 2012 Primaries and Presidential Election.

Charles Zelden, Ph.D."Presidential primaries serve many purposes. One is to pick who has the best ideas or at least, the ideas that a majority of the party faithful support. Another is to road test a candidates' ability to run successfully a big election -- to show that they can raise enough money and put together a campaign organization large enough and strong enough, to win a national election."

"Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina were all about the message. They were small enough and homogenous enough, to allow for the type of 'retail' campaigning where the message is king."

"Florida is different. It’s big. It’s diverse. It demands 'wholesale' campaigning. The Florida primary is the first big test of the candidate’s organization -- their chance to prove that they are ready for a nation-wide campaign. This is what makes the Florida primary important."

Charles L. Zelden, Ph.D., a Professor of History at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL., is author of Bush v. Gore: Exposing the Hidden Crisis in American Democracy (revised, 2011) and The Supreme Court and Elections (2009). Zelden is currently writing a short biography on Thurgood Marshall and the issue of race and rights in America.