Looks like they're getting their wish:
(Sorry, all in the name of comedy ....)
Posted on 08/04/2005 7:45:56 AM PDT by NautiNurse
Florida House Speaker Allan Bense said Wednesday he won't run for the U.S. Senate in 2006, leaving U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris alone for now in her quest to defeat incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.
Despite strong encouragement from the White House and Gov. Jeb Bush, Bense said his commitment to the speaker's job came before a consuming Senate race.
"I believe it would be extremely difficult to fulfill my duties as speaker while also running for the United States Senate in a campaign that will attract national attention and require a huge commitment of time and energy," Bense, R-Panama City, said in a statement.
Republican leaders began courting Bense to run for the seat out of concern that Harris, R-Sarasota - who played a role in stopping the ballot recount in the contested 2000 presidential election - would be a lightning rod for negative sentiment from Democrats.
Harris consistently trumped Bense, who admitted he had low name recognition, in the polls. The same polls have shown Harris consistently trailing Nelson.
The White House and the National Republican Senatorial Committee viewed Bense as a strong candidate who could overcome low name recognition with the financial support of the party.
Republicans across the nation have set their sights on Nelson, who is Florida's only statewide Democrat and has job approval ratings below 50 percent.
Bense's announcement Wednesday did not generate much reaction from either campaign.
"Allan Bense is a living example of leadership, solidly grounded in character and integrity," Harris said in a statement. "I have long admired him and deeply value his friendship."
Nelson's statement mirrored what he has said about the race.
"Regardless of who our opponent is, we expect it's going to be a tough race," he said. "Between now and election time, I'm just going to keep doing the best job I can for the people of Florida."
While Bense's exit clears the way for Harris to receive the Republican nomination, it places additional pressure on GOP leaders to decide whether there is another available candidate with a better chance at unseating Nelson. The number of choices is waning.
U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, who has flirted with the idea of running for the Senate, has about $2 million in campaign funds, according to David Johnson, a Republican strategist and pollster with Strategic Vision LLC in Atlanta.
While Foley, R-West Palm Beach, also does not fare well against Harris in polling, his money gives him the opportunity to buy name recognition, Johnson said.
For the past several months, retired U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, the former head of U.S. Central Command, has been thrown into the mix of candidates, but he has consistently declined to show an interest in the race.
With Attorney General Charlie Crist leading among Republicans for governor in 2006, speculation could shift to Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher. A poll Johnson's company conducted in June showed Crist and Gallagher ahead of Nelson by three and four points, respectively.
But Gallagher spokesman Alberto Martinez said Wednesday that Gallagher is "100 percent committed" to becoming governor.
Johnson said the White House believes that Harris can't win the race. He also said Gov. Bush is the only name that could beat Harris in a primary. The situation will force Republican leaders to show just how much confidence they do or don't have in Harris, Johnson said.
But Bush, according to spokesman Russell Schweiss, has "no interest" in running for the Senate.
"The majority of the American people who first saw Katherine Harris saw her on television," Johnson said. "Statements like that just bring back all the images the late-night comedians made of her."
But Johnson said Nelson should avoid the issue because he could be portrayed as taking shots at a woman over issues rife with sexism and lacking in substance.
The balance of the article proposes alternative candidates for the Republican primary.
There is no point of anyone getting into this race on the GOP side, unless it's Jeb or Gallagher.
You're right. We can definitely post a better photo than that.
The Bradenton Herald is a flaming liberal rag. They would love to see an ugly Republican primary.
Seems like all the papers over there are beyond redemption. St. Pete Times is among the worst.
Looks like they're getting their wish:
(Sorry, all in the name of comedy ....)
Unfortunately, it looks like we will run the one candidate that Nelson has a good chance to beat. Katherine Harris's ego may well cost us this seat, and it should have been a gimme.
I would like to see a Freepbrawl between that group and those who object to any interference or input from the national orgs in choosing a nominee.
Your sentiments mirror mine.
Seems like ambition is getting in the way of good sense, IMHO.
Of course, if Gallagher says he won't run for the Senate, then can't blame Harris I guess for giving it a go. Gallagher could beat Nelson, but I don't think Gallagher can beat Crist for governor.
I don't think Harris has a chance against Nelson. Somebody mentioned that she had been elected to Sec. of State office, but that was pre 2000 election fiasco, I don't think she can win a statewide election at this point anyway.
Katherine Harris would win a debate against Nelson hands down.
As I've said before, the only consideration that might get in Ms. Harris' way is that she has a little too much backbone to be a Republican Senator.
Why, she might even do such things as vote on principle and not political expediency, GASP!
The photo of her on the horse is, uh, inspiring. Hopefully a helpful Freeper will post that one.
I'm not saying she wouldn't wipe the floor with him in a debate, I'm just saying I don't think she's "electable" statewide.
I still do not see the big problem with Harris. I know she has the baggage from the 2000 election, but she has also proven to be electable state-wide.
Worst case scenario is she loses, and all that effort will have been spent just in holding on to a Senate seat. Other Democratic Senate candidates will be reduced to begging for media attention, and some incumbents could fall by the wayside. They'd win the battle, but lose the war.
Those are likely to have a more negative view of Harris (than Floridians who knew of her before 2000), since their only exposure to her has been the charicature during the recount.
Nelson will go the way of all southern rats, bye bye.
Such as Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor .... wait, since when does Florida count as southern?
BTW please don't cite rat push polls to respond to this.
"push polls" are not polls. If you mean biased polls, why do they show Nelson vulnerable and trailing in matchups with Gallagher and Crist?
"Despite strong encouragement from the White House and Gov. Jeb Bush,.."
Thanks from some ingrates to a faithful servant who stood solidly in the line of fire to help Bush overcome Democrat attempts to steal the election from him.
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