Ed. Note: This is a great idea.  No one else seemed to take action against Florida's move.  However, the proposal really came too late; it might have had some impact if it had come a couple of weeks earlier, soon after the Florida committee's announcement on Sept. 30.  (There are also interesting historical resonances in this proposal.  In 1977 Anita Bryant, singer, beauty queen and spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission led a campaign to repeal an anti-discrimination ordinance in Dade County, and the gay community responded with a boycott of orange juice.)

LETTER from Fred Karger for President

October 19, 2011

 

Governor Rick Scott

State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

 

Florida State House Speaker Dean Cannon

1992 Mizell Avenue, Suite 200

Winter Park, FL 32792-4117

 

Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning

Florida Department of State
R. A. Gray Building
500 South Bronough Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250

 

Re:  Potential Boycott of Florida Orange Juice

 


Gentleman:

 

Florida is jeopardizing the most important decision we make as Americans every four years, the election of the President of the United States.

 

By violating Republican National Committee rules and choosing January 31, 2012 for Florida’s Presidential Primary, you have created havoc in the Presidential selection process.  Florida has gained nothing by moving its primary date forward and will remain the fifth contest.  You have caused tremendous disruption and uncertainty in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.  Florida would rob voters of one of the most important tools they need to make an informed decision: time.

 

Voters need time during the coming months to fully vet all eleven serious Republican Presidential candidates.  Florida would potentially rob American voters of two months of campaigning which only helps the frontrunner.  As one of these candidates for President, I cannot sit idly by while the state of Florida threatens the entire selection process.

 

The 2012 presidential election is of extreme importance.  Our nation is at a crucial juncture and Florida’s poorly thought out decision is ill-conceived and un-American.


Boycott Florida Orange Juice
 

If Florida does not agree to move its primary back to its original date in March 2012 by November 1, 2011, we will officially launch a nationwide Boycott of Florida Orange Juice.  We have the domain name, have begun developing our web site and have the ticking orange on our logo:


 

In my fight for civil rights over the last three years, I have led four national and global boycotts.  I was involved in the Anita Bryant inspired Florida Orange Juice Boycott in 1978, and am keenly aware of the economic pressure that boycotts wield.  I have begun speaking with Republican and political leaders in New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada.  There is tremendous interest in our possible boycott.

 

Daily Caller:  http://www.topix.com/who/fred-karger

 

NBC: http://twitter.com/#!/JoNBCNews

 

Nashua Telegraph:  http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/newsstatenewengland/936403-227/huntsman-eyes-surprise-in-nh.html

 

Think Progress: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/10/13/343648/openly-gay-gop-presidential-candidate-threatens-florida-with-orange-juice-boycott/

 

America is looking to you Governor Scott, House Speaker Cannon and Secretary of State Browning to restore order to our democratic process.  Please do not let us down.


Best regards,

 

Fred Karger

cc:  Reince Preibus, Chairman, Republican National Committee
Michele Bachmann, Congresswoman from Minnesota
Herman Cain, Former CEO, Godfather’s Pizza
Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House
Jon Huntsman, Former Governor of Utah
Gary Johnson, Former Governor of New Mexico
Ron Paul, Congressman from Texas
Rick Perry, Governor of Texas
Buddy Roemer, Former Governor of Louisiana
Mitt Romney, Former Governor of Massachusetts
Rick Santorum, Former Senator of Pennsylvania
Chad Connelly, Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party
Lenny Curry, Chairman of the Florida Republican Party
Wayne McDonald, Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party
Matthew Strawn, Chairman of the Iowa Republican Party
Michael Garavaglia, Vice Chair of the Florida Department of Citrus
Steve Caruso, CEO of Florida’s Natural
Indra Nooyi, Chairman & CEO of PepsiCo, Tropicana
Muhtar Kent, Chairman & CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, Minute Maid
Distribution