Behind The Lens

News stories captivate us for a moment and then vanish. We revisit those stories to bring you the next chapter.

Starting Point
November 2000: With the presidential race too close to call, Florida law mandates a recount. In contested Broward County, Judge Robert A. Rosenberg steps in as county elections supervisor to oversee the process.

Fever Pitch
While "hanging," "pregnant" and "dimpled" chads become household terms, Rosenberg's image is plastered across the news, becoming a symbol of the drama. He appears with a magnifying glass, switching between glasses and no glasses, and using eyedrops.

Present Day
Rosenberg, still a circuit-court judge in Broward County, keeps a large framed picture of the iconic image in his office, but donated his magnifying glass to the Smithsonian. He wouldn't need it anyway. Unlike in 2000 when candidates could request a manual recount, if there is another close election Florida legislation now limits recounts to be done by machine only. As for the HBO movie "Recount," Rosenberg was not contacted during the production of the film, and his character does not appear in it. Rosenberg was offered two tickets for the premiere, but was not able to attend.

© 2008