Thoughts on Florida’s first congressman of Arab descent
by Jordon Cooper
Charlie Crist is the first congressman of Arab descent in Florida history. He was one of my inspirations to go to law school and practice law. He is one of the handful of Wake Forest Demon Deacon football players to go to law school and I’m one of the few South Carolina Gamecock football players to attend law school. It took him three times before he passed the bar in Florida and I am hopeful I pass the bar in South Carolina as well.
Charlie lost party affiliations, and elections but he never lost his joy for serving the people. He learned a passion for public service from his father Dr. Crist who did house visits for the sick and served blacks before we were granted rights. The Crists hosted my friend radio host and chairman of the Black Caucus for the Young Democrats of America Randy Gaines at their home for his birthday. In addition to this he has always been good-natured in his conversations with me.
He didn’t treat me as an intern, then if I misbehaved I became a public official who could be charged with misfeasance in office (laughs). He is not a waterfront ‘better -than-you’. He is a leader who does not set aside others’ opinions because it doesn’t agree with him. He takes the people’s interests on his back like the backpack of a mountain rescuer during a mission.
He will give President Donald Trump a centered voice to work with in Congress. Trump held a fundraiser with he and his wife Carole (the first Spaniard First Lady of a state) in 2008. Crist will be a mediator of the left and right of the political arena which can make for a successful Trump presidency and congressional term for Crist. Now, it is time for Trump and Crist to continue to be in a school of thought for America.
Jordan Thomas Cooper is a 2015 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in History and a 2010 graduate of the Real Estate School of Success in Irmo. He is the first African-American to serve in both the governor and lieutenant governor’s office as an aide and first to serve in the Inspector General’s Office in S.C. (Haley) He is also the first person to serve in the top three offices in the gubernatorial line of succession in South Carolina (Haley, Bauer, McConnell). He says research shows he is the second black presidential campaign speechwriter in American history and the first for a GOP presidential campaign (Bush 2015). He also played football for Coach Steve Spurrier.