What's Tampa Bay Saying?

Obama Wins: How Would You Tackle America’s Problems as President?

As President Barack Obama prepares for another four years, we want to hear your thoughts on the direction of the country.

The votes have been counted–in most states–and the speeches made. Gov. Mitt Romney had to concede and President Barack Obama gets to celebrate victory. Now it’s time to look ahead to the next four years and the challenges we face, not as Democrats, Republicans or Independents, but as Americans. That’s where you come in Tampa Bay! We want to hear your thoughts on the obstacles our country faces and your ideas for tackling them. What are your hopes for the next four years? What concerns do you have? What problems are America’s biggest? How would you solve them if you were president? Share your thoughts, ideas and solutions in the comments section.

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Pinellas County Vote Goes to Barack Obama in 2012

For the second straight presidential election, Barack Obama has carried Pinellas County.

President Barack Obama has carried Pinellas County for the second election in a row. The results are in, and Pinellas County has named its choice for the White House. Obama has taken the county with 52 percent of the vote, according to results on the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections website. A total of 230,990 ballots were cast in Obama’s favor in Pinellas County. Republican challenger Gov. Mitt Romney came in second with 206,685 ballots cast in his favor, which works out to 46 percent. A total of 444,001 votes were cast in the presidential race in Pinellas, according to the Pinellas Supervisor of Election's unofficial results. In 2008, Pinellas also went to Obama, who won 53 percent of the vote compared to Republican challenger …

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Top Headlines: Rastafarian For Romney, Coyotes in Clearwater, Rescued Turtles

OK, so you had a busy week. We understand. Let us catch you up on all the highlights!

1. Cold, wispy winds didn’t hinder the release of two rescued turtles, "Hold Up and "Fat Albert," at Honeymoon Island State Park on Tuesday morning. The sea turtles were rehabilitated by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Be sure to check out the photo gallery of their release. 2. In the Halloween edition of Destination Clearwater, columnist Cathy Salustri does an eerie investigation of a cemetery, a skull and a house that may or may not exist. 3. Neighbors say an abandoned Clearwater mansion has become home to coyotes and a few other frightening animals. Have you ever spotted coyotes in Clearwater? 4. Election season can bring out some interesting personalities. Patch introduces you to a longtime Clearwater resident who was showing his …

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Election Inspires Clearwater Man's Roadside Romney Demonstration

Longtime Clearwater resident Ken Dewese showed his support for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan during rush hour this week on U.S. 19.

Many passing drivers honked in support, while others gestured crudely. Ken Dewese seemed unfazed. Just days before the Nov. 6 General Election, Dewese held a homemade campaign sign, an American flag attached, in support of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan as drivers stuck in Tuesday's U.S. 19 rush hour traffic slowly passed.  The wind was so fierce at one demonstration that his other American flag broke off, he said, pointing to the splintered end of a wooden rod still taped to the back of his Romney-Ryan sign. Dewese, a more than 30-year Clearwater resident, waved for two hours alongside a dozen or so fellow demonstrators. He said he is inspired to demonstrate on the corner.  "You make your donations, but you can't just sit around," Dewese said…

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Rastafarian Makes Presence Known at Romney Rally

Douglas W. DeJohn, of Clearwater, was on hand at Tampa's Mitt Romney campaign stop to spread the word about his political party.

Meandering through the crowd at the Mitt Romney rally in Tampa on Wednesday, Oct. 31, Clearwater resident Douglas W. DeJohn halted now and then to introduce himself to a stranger and give an exuberant speech about his mission. Some people politely listened. Others walked away. And, on a few occasions, DeJohn was "invited" to move on by the police officers overseeing crowd control at the rally. However, DeJohn persisted in his attempts to "spread the word." As the official spokesman for the Rastafarian Party of the United States of America, he said it's his duty to promote the party founded by the former emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I. "We're a legitimate political party," insisted DeJohn after receiving skeptical looks. DeJohn …

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Romney Promises 'Real Change'

Gov. Mitt Romney expounded on his 5-point plan during a speech in Tampa Wednesday. Notables in the crowd included former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco, a Democrat.

Gov. Mitt Romney Romney took the stage to a roar of applause just before 11 a.m. Wednesday in front of a crowd of thousands who waited in a chilly airplane hangar for the presidential candidate’s arrival in Tampa. Wearing a black-and-white striped tie and his sleeves rolled up, Romney looked more informal than in previous appearances. “My view is straight forward, I believe this is the time for America to take a different course,” Romney told the crowd. “With 23 million Americans struggling to find a good job, this is something that requires a different path than we've been on. “I will bring real change,” Romney said. “Real reform." Wednesday’s Tampa stop is among a trifecta of Florida visits for the presidential candidate who will be …

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What's Tampa Bay Saying?

Obama vs. Romney: Who Has Your Vote?

With Election Day just a week away, we want to hear from you!

Next week at this time people throughout the United States will turn out at the polls to have their say on who occupies the Oval Office for the next four years. With the election just around the corner, we wanted to check in with you, Tampa Bay, to see who has your support for the job. Will you vote for President Barack Obama to retain his seat? Is Gov. Mitt Romney your man? Maybe you’re throwing your support behind a third-party candidate? Whatever the case, we want to hear your thoughts.   Back on Oct. 1, we asked you the same questions. In our unofficial poll of Patch readers, Romney took the lead. Out of 296 votes cast in our poll, the former Massachusetts governor took 169, or 57 percent of the vote. Obama had 115 votes cast in his …

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michael mirra

7:30 am on Saturday, January 12, 2013

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Mitt Romney Plans Tampa Rally For Wednesday

Gov. Mitt Romney is expected to appear at Landmark Aviation on Westshore Boulevard in Tampa.

Tampa Bay area residents hoping to hear from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney before the election are in luck. The Romney campaign has announced it will make a stop in Tampa on Wednesday, October 31. According to Romney's campaign, he and Congressman Connie Mack both will appear at Landmark Aviation, 2450 N. Westshore Boulevard, Tampa, at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday for a rally. Doors open at 8:45 a.m. for area residents who have a ticket. In order to get a ticket, you can register online or pick up a ticket at the campaign's state headquarters, 302 Knights Run Ave., in Tampa. Those attending can expect to go through airport-like security, according to the Romney campaign. Stay with Patch for updates on the rally.

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Romney Energizes Bay Area Crowd

Gov. Mitt Romney spoke about the need for change during his Oct. 27 rally in Pasco County's Land O' Lakes.

Many of those who filled the bleachers and field at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's rally might say it was the winds of change blowing through the Land O' Lakes High School stadium Saturday. A cool breeze made the hours-long wait for the Republican presidential candidate's appearance a pleasant one.  People from all over the Bay area and beyond began lining up as early as 2 p.m. to enter the John Benedetto Stadium for Romney's evening appearance. Saturday was the first day of early voting, and many in the crowd affirmed that they had indeed already voted when asked by Congressman Connie Mack, who introduced Romney to the packed stadium. He didn’t miss the opportunity to stump for his own campaign for Senate against Democrat Bill …

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Romney Rally: What You Need to Know

Need to know about traffic, security and tickets for Gov. Mitt Romney’s rally in Land O’ Lakes on Saturday, Oct. 27? This is the place to find out what you need to know.

Planning on heading over to the rally for Gov. Mitt Romney in Land O’ Lakes on Saturday? There are quite a few things officials from Pasco County and the Romney campaign want you to be aware of. Traffic and Road Closings While it’s unclear just how congested U.S. Highway 41 will become in the hours before the rally, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco has some pretty simple advice: “Go early or avoid the area completely if you’re not going.” Nocco said he anticipates U.S. 41 will close sometime Saturday to accommodate Romney’s motorcade, but he couldn’t provide specific times or locations. The rally takes place at Land O’ Lakes High School, 20325 Gator Lane, starting at 7 p.m. Doors open around 5 p.m. for ticketholders. Security Do’s and Don’…

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