Newswise — FT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (February, 22, 2012) – Thursday, Feb. 23, will mark President Barack Obama’s 14th visit to Florida. “Florida MATTERS,” says Charles Zelden, Ph.D., a professor of History at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fl. Florida has the largest bloc of electoral votes that are seriously in play and Zelden says that NY and California are going to go blue. Texas he predicts will go red though he believes that it will be closer than in past elections. “Then, there is Florida -- a state with more registered Democrats than Republicans, yet one that is totally dominated at the state level by Republican lawmakers,” Zelden says. “Add in the large Independent population of voters and this state is in play . . . at least, so long as the economy keeps up its present course of growth. We can expect to see a lot of President Obama through October.”

Professor Zelden is available for additional commentary throughout the day Thursday. 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). He is well versed in providing an in-depth, nonpartisan look at politics in America and political campaigns.