Posted on 08/17/2005 6:52:26 AM PDT by bilhosty
Last week, GOP Rep. Katherine Harris of Florida kicked off her campaign to unseat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. While this should be a much-ballyhooed quest in Republican circles, too few GOP insiders seem to be excited by Harris’s launch. This is a mistake.
Katherine Harris is going to win this election for reasons that I’ll outline in this column. But before making the case that needs to be made, let me make a few disclosures. Yes, I did poll for Harris’s successful bids for secretary of state and Congress. But since 2003, I have not served Harris, providing me an opportunity for an objective view of her candidacy.
Harris’s advantages start with her celebrity status, coupled with the low expectations that surround her bid. Let’s face it: Voters today are more interested in celebrities than in politicians. More Americans read People than Time. More people follow “American Idol” than C-SPAN’s “Road to the White House.”
Celebrity commands attention. When Katherine Harris comes to town, people will want to get in on the action. And because of the nature of criticism that the media have aimed at Harris, people will expect her to disappoint.
But when voters see Katherine as she really is — a smart, vivacious and engaging woman — they will be shocked. Pleasantly shocked. There is no way that Katherine Harris won’t exceed expectations, and that’s a major plus.
Expectations are a competitive advantage too. Bill Nelson will always underperform his résumé. Floridians accustomed to statewide officeholders of the stature of Jeb Bush, Bob Graham, Lawton Chiles and even lately Mel Martinez will be disappointed every time they are exposed to the incumbent Democrat. He’s a yawner. “How did this guy ever win?” they’ll wonder. Nelson reached the Senate only by besting an even more boring former Rep. Bill McCollum.
Unjustly, it should be noted. And is this the way the GOP establishment functions? -- one of their own takes hits for simply enforcing election laws as they are written, and no one steps up to defend her?
Sure there is. You can tell them they're being petty, catty, and stupid.
The battle is over -- the negative impression remains.
If they believe she is unlikely to win, would they not be HELPING Harris by trying to convince her to stay in the House rather than lose a Senate race?
How is that treating Harris shabbily?
Why? I'm not a close follower of Harris, but frankly I don't understand all the backstabbing of her.
actually harris was rated "right of center but moderate".
It is really going to be simple in FL.
Nelson has a very good election machine independent of the DNC. He is going to be VERY VERY tough to beat.
Even IF she had full support.
As of now she is the only candidate. There is nobody else.
So the question is, Haris vs Nelson.
What backstabbing?
In my book that's a plus.
We're obviously not on the same page. Care to start over?
Why do people think Bill Nelson will be difficult to beat? What's his claim to fame other than being an astronaut? I think Catherine Harris has as good a chance as anyone at knocking Nelson off, especially if the President, Rove, and Jeb get behind her.
Jimmy Carter: "let me ask Amy and get her input on this".
Not when such comments come from a gathering of my female relatives!
Even the most uncontroversial or conservative or principled or genial or .... pols have their detractors.
Nelson has "fed" enough interest groups to create issues.
Nelson, for example came out in support of boy scouts once. (only once that I know of)
He also is a member of the old political elite and has enough inside conections with unions. This is much like Lawton Chiles (despite his effort to change the FL constitution to impose an income tax) and Gov/Sen Graham (despite his loosing it otherwise).
It would be folly to NOT see Nelson as a strong candidate. He has not any fatal mistakes.
The candidates who stood a chance of beating nelson have bowed out.
It is why I think his FMA vote can be used against him.
I was saying that in general Katherine Harris still has a negative public image as a result of the publicity battle fought after the 2000 election. The fact is she's unpopular. Can she change or overcome that? Maybe, but it would take some serious campaign skills, which I don't know that she has.
I think the woman has it all over nelson and in any face to face will easily walk circles around him. I expect she'll win the election.
Disagree. She easily handled chrissy mathews on national tv a week or so ago.
All true but we have it on pretty good authority that King Karl is not in favor of her candidacy. That would make some sense in a presidential year but should't apply in quite the same way in 2006.
So what's the problem? Could Karl be wrong? Or am I misreading the tea leaves?
From what I remember, the party was also convinced she would not win her house seat, then she would not hold onto it.
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