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