Obama wins

By Alvaro F. Fernandez

President Barack Obama has won reelection, a victory that will protect his landmark health care legislation and offer him a chance to extend his agenda into a second term.

I will go into the final result with more depth tomorrow when we see the final numbers. Initially, though, I can tell you that the Republican Party – if they want to stay in play in the coming years – may have to change their ways. And definitely their message.

Florida may prove to be the perfect example of what is happening around the country.

Obama without a doubt took home the black vote – that was expected. Romney won the white vote, easily.

The difference?

Latinos. The changing demographic in American politics. And Florida, a state that Republicans took for granted in the past because of the Cuban-American vote in Miami, has seen a startling turnaround, for the second time in eight years, for Democrats and Barack Obama.

Cubans in Miami may be loud. But Puerto Ricans in the central part of the state may have become the sexiest Hispanics in political circles these days – the group who may have decided the Florida election. (We will see when the final results are tallied.)

Oh! And lest I forget, David Rivera lost. To Joe Garcia. Things seem to be changing in South Florida. One more name I’d like to throw out there: Jose Javier Rodriguez, a young, progressive democrat. A son of Cubans. And hopefully what future South Florida politicians will look like… Let’s hope so. This relative unknown beat Alex Diaz de la Portilla for a state house seat, by walking the district house by house and knocking on doors. What a novel idea…

Definitely a good night for South Florida progressives.