While there have been many Independents, Libertarians, and Greens running for office in the Elections that are being held in the United States of America in 2008, there are some people within the Democratic Party that are worth mentioning. One of them is Joe Garcia and the upcoming elections for the 25th District of Florida. Joe Garcia is running against incumbent Republican Congressman Mario Diaz Balart with a promise of common sense in a country and district that needs it. Joe Garcia deserves to be mentioned in this life and time.

While I do not know Joe Garcia personally, I have seen him in Versailles Restaurant [a Popular Cuban Restaurant] in Miami Florida talking about politics and other subjects. He would either be talking with those in the tables while waiting for their food. After seeing these reunions, I am reminded of the painting by Rembrandt: “The Syndics of the Cloth maker’s Guild” in which there is a dominance of intellectual discussion. I am also reminded of the discussions that Voltaire [French Writer of the eighteenth century] with the other intellectuals of the day. Yet his intellectual discourse is based on common sense. He is also one of the few Cuban Americans who took the road from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.

Joe Garcia is a Cuban American Politician who was born in Miami Beach Florida on the twelfth of October 1963 and is currently the Director of the New Democratic Network Hispanic Strategy Center as well as Chairman of the Miami Dade County Democratic Party. He graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in 1982 and went to the University of Miami [Florida] where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science as well as served as Student Body President. He also studied law at the University of Miami where he received his degree.

Joe Garcia has served as a member and chairman of the Florida Public Utilities Commission as well as the Cuban American National Foundation [as Executive Director and member of the Board of Directors]. Joe Garcia has served as Chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commission and Second Vice Chairman of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commission.

Joe Garcia presently belongs to the Spanish American League against Discrimination and was a member of the National Association of Latin Elected Officials. Joe Garcia has also been associated with Regis House which is a treatment centre for inner city youths in Miami Florida against drugs and alcohol.

Joe Garcia has the credentials to represent Florida’s District 25 because of these issues and since he has taught people to use common sense approaches to the problems that we as a people are facing. For those who want to accuse Joe Garcia of being a “turncoat”, it is surreal that those who accuse Joe Garcia of being a “turncoat” may have not known him as well. I was once under this impression but being a Cuban American born in Ohio and a Libertarian, I can understand Joe Garcia and how he is able to formulate common sense responses even within intellectual circles. I also consider Joe Garcia a patriot who wants freedom and democracy for the USA and Cuba. His patriotism for the USA is that he wants Miami Dade and Florida as a whole to be a better community [this is my impression at the present time even though I do not know him personally]. After all, Joe Garcia is a family man with a wife and daughter and who does not want the best for their family and country?

Joe Garcia also has the advantage that he has Joe Trippi as Seniour Media Advisor. I wish Joe Garcia the best in his endeavours and it is hoped that he wins in November 2008.