Katherine Harris Planning US Senate Run

Drudge ^

[Bush Cheney]

Watch your makeup compact, Hillary, Florida's Katherine Harris may have her eyes on the United States Senate, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

MORE

Against the apparent wishes of senior Bush strategists, Harris has decided in her heart and mind that she will seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat, sources close to Harris tell DRUDGE.

"She wants it, wants it badly!" a top source said Thursday. "She'll make her decision public within the next week."

The source, who has daily contact with Harris, cautions the congresswoman still could hold back and not make the run, in deference to the president and his brother's wishes.

Sarasota County's GOP chairman, Tramm Hudson, said he spoke to Harris Tuesday night and that she seemed ready to run, according to reports. Harris continues to be one of the party's top fund-raisers.

Elsewhere, Texas Senator Kay Hutchison has reportedly advised her republican counterpart to "Go for it!"

If elected Harris would join a select group of women ever to serve in the United States Senate.

MORE Harris advisers dispel any notion that bad blood still runs in Florida over Harris's role in the 2000 election drama.

"Look, Governor Bush handily won re-election last year, after 2000, and the state's voters did not punish him," notes one top Harris strategist who asked not to be named.

"And they will not punish Katherine. The senate campaign will be on the issues, and electing the best person to represent Florida in the senate!"

Developing...

[JohnnyZ]

The statistics show that she actually did better with voters in her congressional district than Bush did when he ran in 2000.

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. And:

That's hardly someone who voters run from.

"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.

[JohnnyZ]

Is all moot. KH is not running. Story is bogus!

If she isn't running, she may just be asserting her independence and willingness to run so it doesn't look like the White House just tossed her aside. "I was all ready to run, it would have been fine, really it would have, but I decided I'm going to concentrate on my job in the House for now."

[JulieRNR21]

This is a more accurate photo of KH.....The liberal press tried to make her look like Cruela DeVille.

BTW she told me ahe never wore blue eye shadow & that they would put it on her photographs.

[ElkGroveDan]

The Prez needs more votes than the Republicans. He needs the undecideds, and sorry to say, right now, Katherine drives them away in droves.

This is that same mentality that has them traipsing around the country shoving liberal Republicans down the throats of conservatives.

The flaw in this reasoning is the assumption that there is a set group of voters that always votes at exactly the same rate of turnout and that so-called undecideds fear conservatives and all kinds of other simplistic clap trap.

Its all about turnout and when you have a lightening rod on your ticket it energizes YOUR BASE. They don't just vote for you, they nag their bar buddies to get out and vote on election day, or they put a van pool together because they are motivated and excited about a contentious battle.

When you take your base for granted and put up a mashed-potatoes take-it-or-leave it candidate you may get the party loyalists, but you lose your GOTV energy in the ho-hum campaign. Worse, if you anger your base as Bush did yesterday, your base decides "to hell with them all, I'm going fishing on election day."

Go Katherine, RUN! We need the energy and controversy to drive up our turnout.

[JohnnyZ]

Ya see, overstrategizing for a woman of faith like Harris means that you are not listening to God's leading, but you are prognosticating out of your own selfish ambition or human pride.

Oh please, she's a politician and politicians, especially women, don't get to be Sec State and congressmen without serious wheeling and dealing and God knows what else. You act like she's Saint Katherine.

And mindbender26, explain to us about the Q factor again. Considering her huge fan base nationwide, I would think a new poll would show her rating to be much higher.

A good approval rating is 2:1, or preferably 2.5:1 favorable. Harris's last number was 29+, 27-, a 1:1 ratio, not good at all.

[JohnnyZ]

http://images.ibsys.com/orl-structure/news/docs/FL1103PT2.doc

Mason-Dixon poll, November

[JohnnyZ]

Again, though, which candidate will have the best activist base to counter what Dean will bring to bear in Florida?

Johnnie Byrd.

[Republican Wildcat]

Are you serious? She needed NRCC help in that district?

[JulieRNR21]

Thanks for the link to her website.

Here's another photo I like:

The Congresswoman spent some time with the Station 11 A-Shift at the annual Firefighters Chili Cook-Off: (clockwise left to right) Wade Chappel, EMT Firefigher; Congresswoman Harris; Jason Wilkins, EMT Firefighter; Miguel Garcia, EMT Firefighter and Hank Duyn, Firefighter Paramedic. September 28, 2003.

[deport]

This one is neat......

[JohnnyZ]

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

I suppose it's possible. There's a common theory that having a woman prominently on the slate increases the slate's performance across the board. Although Harris gets beat badly by Castor among women -- according to the Mason-Dixon poll.

[dwd1]

They are going to play her testimony in front of the US Civil Rights commission where she basically passed the buck and the blame to her staff and frequently stated her lack of knowledge concerning operations. That may come back to haunt her.... There are better, more qualified, and less divisive candidates available... IMHO...

[McGruff]

Thanks for the info about Katherine.

I would love to see Perky Katie or Judy Woodruff have to say the words, Senator Katherine Harris.

Talk about in your face!

[JulieRNR21]

The link in your post #151 doesn't work. Please correct if possible.

And instead of a doc file in #158 please provide a link to Mason Dixon Poll.

Thanks

[Republican Wildcat]

29:27 is Not Good.

"Not Good" is an understatement. That's pathetic.

[JulieRNR21]

Although Harris gets beat badly by Castor among women -- according to the Mason-Dixon poll

Were they polling only Dems.....I really find this hard to accept.

In addition, Castor's tenure at FSU was not laudable especially in the handling of terrorist fundraiser Sami Al-Arian. In a campaign I would think that would come back to haunt her.

[JohnnyZ]

Look for "House Post-Election rundown from the December 2002 Cook Political Report" at http://www.cookpolitical.com/menu.cfm?section=house

What's wrong with the doc link? I'm not the only one who has access to Google.

[MindBender26]

You sound like a radio advertising salesman. In real life you use voter history, not polls to suggest how voters will vote in the future. It is very much an accepted statistic in elections to compare how different candidates have done in the same districts and then factor for things that are not equal. In her case, she did better than Bush in her own congressional district AFTER becoming this terrible lightening rod you claim she is. In that case, the adjustments work in her favor and it's more than likely she'll help, not hurt him

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

Sorry to say, but she would mobalize every Dem and Dem$ in the state.

She will run, but not now. It is not her time.

[JohnnyZ]

Oh, fine, here ya go.

http://www.mason-dixon.com/news_text.cfm?news_id=171

But the doc file is unvarnished and unspun, and has all the #s, including who was polled.

[JulieRNR21]

I would love to see Perky Katie or Judy Woodruff have to say the words, Senator Katherine Harris.

That would be sweet indeed. I remarked to KH at the victory party in 2002....the Dems aided & abetted by the liberal media tried to destroy you in 2000....now we (meaning her Sarasota supporters) are sending you to Congress!

Her eyes filled with tears & see gave me a hug!

[NeoCaveman]

Exactly. Tell Rove where to stick his Mel Martinez.

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

[montag813]

Go Kathrine.. Screw those ungreatful sob's at whiteHouse

She sucks too. Wasn't she a co-sponsor of the government home mortgage handout to illegals and minorities? That was despicable.

[BushisTheMan]

You may be right but I could have sworn that after Graham said he was not going to run again, Hannity asked her if she was going to now run for the Senate instead of the House. She said "no" so being a friend of the Graham's doesn't seem to fit here.

Anyway, isn't it nice that we have two strong candidates in Florida who could run. I'd be happy with either.

[Moose4]

Gah. The remake of "Beauty and the Beast," starring Katherine Harris and Alan Colmes.

}:-)4

[JohnnyZ]

but trying to block her is disgusting

Trying to get a winning candidate is disgusting?

You have a strange take on politics.

[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.