Katherine Harris Planning US Senate Run

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[GraniteStateConservative]

He can be folksy. If Mark Warner can win Southern votes, Benson can. He doesn't come off as slick. He comes off as highly accomplished. He's not an Ivy Leaguer. Just a guy who worked hard and had good business sense. Voters here like his Rolodex. He has credibility when he says he'll call business leaders across the country if elected to tell them that a new day has come and New Hampshire is open for business. He's Catholic, but so is Jeb.

[GraniteStateConservative]

I prognosticated it right after he won the nomination in September 2002.

: )

[roostercogburn]

Bad idea. Wait 2 years for Nelson.

[Always Right]

It's true that she got 55 where Bush got 54. But then again 2000 was a Democrat year, while 2002 was a GOP year.

I believe the congressional district was redrawn in 2002 to include more Democrats, so Katherine's numbers are really better than that.

[JohnnyZ]

I believe the congressional district was redrawn in 2002 to include more Democrats, so Katherine's numbers are really better than that.

The number for Bush was for the redrawn district so they are equivalent.

[GraniteStateConservative]

She said that Karl Rove had tracked her down when she was in Iraq to say that the WH polling shows that she wouldn't hurt the President but could actually help him in FL especially if the Dem nominee is Betty Castor.

By what logic?

[JohnnyZ]

By what logic?

My guess is in #163. Having a woman on the ticket. {shrug}

[GraniteStateConservative]

. I ask because KH told me that she was told she would help BUSH if Castor won.

She could both help Bush and still lose.

[Always Right]

The number for Bush was for the redrawn district so they are equivalent.

How can that be? The districts were redrawn for the 2002 elections and GW Bush did not run in 2002. There is no way to know how the people in new district voted in 2000 unless you somehow knew the address of each person and how they voted, and nobody knows that.

[JohnnyZ]

she has been elected to statewide office before. what track record the other guy has.

Have you read the previous couple hundred posts? I recommend mindbender's # 95. He's been the equivalent to mayor of a county and, in case you didn't know, served in Bush's Cabinet. He's a pro-life conservative with special appeal to Hispanics. And he isn't roundly disliked, as Harris is.

president should stay out of primary

He has promised Jeb the White House will be neutral. But he ABSULUTELY SHOULD encourage candidates who have a better chance of winning to run and discourage candidates who have a better chance of losing. The White House, and every Florida Republican, should say "Katherine, we like you, but you need to spend another term at least in the House to improve your campaign skills and improve your image, because your favorable ratings suck and there's a real good chance you'll lose if you run now and your career will be over."

let FL republican primary voters decide.

That they will.

[JohnnyZ]

How can that be? The districts were redrawn for the 2002 elections and GW Bush did not run in 2002. There is no way to know how the people in new district voted in 2000 unless you somehow knew the address of each person and how they voted, and nobody knows that.

They have all the statistics. I'm sure they're in the almanac of American politics. You just match up precincts from old to new. If precinct lines were redrawn, that could be a problem, but that's generally not an issue.

[Always Right]

...because your favorable ratings suck and there's a real good chance you'll lose if you run now and your career will be over.

Hillary had much higher unfavorability numbers and still won. Harris can win and at this point is has the best polling numbers of all the GOP candidates. If there is a better candidate, let them beat her in the primaries and prove it.

[JulieRNR21]

The logic was that a GOP woman would be a stronger candidate against a Dem woman.......you recall how Lazio was attacked for walking over into Hillary's 'personal space' with a piece of paper.

It can be difficult for a man to 'fight' against a female candidate without appearing overly combative.

[hoosierpearl]

"I must also renew my complaint that the Republicans are doing a LOUSY job about developing a pipeline of quality candidates."

In many places at many times, your statement would be correct, however not in Florida and not now. Even if Harris does not run, and I believe she won't, there is another candidate. Daniel Webster is running for the senate, he is prepared and developed and qualified and a principled man. He would be even better than Harris or Martinez as far as qualifications go, and has excellent name recognition in the state of Florida.

I don't know why the White House is ignoring his candidacy, he is a good man. I hope Harris does not run as I hate to see two very good candidates competing against each other. I think the biggest mistake is asking Martinez to run in this race.
Karl Rove doesn't always do what is best for the country.

Webster has a website up for his campaign. http://www.websterforsenate.com

[itsahoot]

The magic number is 60!

Strange, before Bush was elected that number was 50, or 50+VP.

[ClintonBeGone]

Mel might be a great candidate (I don't know) but given the constant WH meddling in statewide races I'm supporting Katherine Harris.

Excellent.

[ClintonBeGone]

You are making the mistake of looking at only one heavilly Republican district.

If the district is weighted in favor of Republicans, how come she did better than Bush? Isn't he a Republican too?

[ClintonBeGone]

"In the end, voters in this Republican-leaning district returned to form and gave her a 24,300-vote winning margin. This margin was lower than those of other Republican candidates running in pretty similar Republican performing open-seat races in south and central Florida. Republican Mario Diaz-Balart took 65 percent of the vote in the newly created 25th district and former House Speaker Tom Feeney took 62 percent in the new 24th district." http://www.cookpolitical.com/display.cfm?edit_id=39 According to the folks in the know, she didn't run a good campaign for Congress and had to be bailed out with last minute attack ads from the NRCC.

That quote is a sweeping generalization that has no statistical validity. You can't compare her district to any others. They are each unique. But you can compare how candidates did in the SAME district.