Posted on 01/21/2006 3:29:05 PM PST by JulieRNR21
Florida Republicans rally around Katherine Harris
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -
If there was any remaining doubt that Florida's top Republican leaders weren't behind Katherine Harris's run for U.S. Senate, those leaders did their best Saturday to cast it aside.
Gov. Jeb Bush said he would campaign for Harris and encouraged a crowded room of Republican activists to do the same. At a separate rally following his speech, Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings gave strong praise to Harris and told her, "Go, run and win."
And supporters scoffed at the nay-sayers who think she can't win and the polls showing Harris far behind incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.
"People say to me 'How can she win, she's 20 points behind in the polls?' and I say, 'Polls mean nothing at this point in the campaign,'" said Ed Rollins, who was President Reagan's political director. "The way she's going to win is the same way Jeb won (and) President Bush won. It's you Floridians who turn out and vote."
During her speech, which took place as the Republican Party of Florida wrapped up its quarterly meeting, Harris said she would dedicate the rest of her campaign to her father's memory. George Harris, 71, died unexpectedly eight days earlier.
"He was the kindest, most humble man I've ever known. He always looked at the best in people and he believed that life should always be about helping everyone else," Harris said. "Like my father, I'm making this campaign all about people."
Her remarks were missing the politically charged attacks on Nelson that she unfurled when announcing her candidacy last August. Instead, she gave a positive message of achieving dreams and an expression of thanks to supporters.
"We need your help, I'm going to ask so very much of you, but I promise you that I'll give you so very, very much in return when we get to the United States Senate," she said.
After the speech, she said, "I just don't have it in me to be political right now."
Many waited for autographs and photos with Harris when she finished speaking. Once the crowd left, she reflected more on her father, at times becoming choked up.
"He's my best friend and now he's with me all the time," said Harris, who then laughed fondly as she described him standing on a street corner in an Uncle Sam outfit while helping her campaign.
She also talked about how as a banker, he helped many poor people who otherwise wouldn't have qualified for loans meet their needs.
"When they came back to try to pay a little bit back, he would talk to them and explain to them that the way to pay him back was they had to make certain in the future that they did this for somebody else, and he wouldn't let them pay him back," she said. "I want to make sure that every day in my life that I help people in their individual lives."
The campaign to this point hasn't been easy for Harris. GOP leaders in Washington searched for another candidate, convinced that voters were polarized by her role as Florida's secretary of state in the 2000 presidential election recount and that she could not win.
Fundraising has also gone slower than she expected and she acknowledged Saturday that she gave her campaign $250,000 during the final quarter of last year. She said, however, that she raised more than $1 million in other cash contributions - double the amount she raised in her first quarter of fundraising.
That compares to more than $6 million Nelson had in the bank by the end of September.
Harris shrugged off the numbers.
"We know that when we turn out the Republicans, we'll be victorious," she said.
Yes....she can win. It will be a tough fight but she's up to it.
Remember the grits & guts she showed us as FL Secretary of State in 2000 when she followed FL Election Laws despite the personal attacks of the Dems & the liberal media?
She was very close to her Dad who just died suddenly. She says she's dedicating her campaign to his memory! She'll do it for him & she'll win!
According to HERSELF, Katherine is a "Progessive Conservative".
I do remember election 2000. So do her political opponents. She never recovered from her garish makeup job in her big moment (though it's been overplayed in the time since then, the image sticks and its not flattering).
Anyone with clarity can see she crossed over from politico to self parody a while back. That's a hard thing to recover from and it's not entirely her fault. It certainly is partly her fault, though.
She basically inspires giggles when she enters a room. That's who the FL GOP wants to go with? Fine. It's a loser, and most folks can see that.
It's obvious that you too are very negative on Harris.
And since you not Floridians you won't be voting for her anyway.
Nothing I can say will change your outlook so I will simply wish you both well and urge you to work in your own states to elect more Republicans!
BTW...she doesn't wear all that makeup.....the photos were retouched by the media just like USA Today gave Condi those 'demon eyes'.
>>'Silent Bill' Nelson just announced he will vote AGAINST ALITO........Hope that wakes up Floridians that he's in Ted's & Chuckie's pocket!<<
If that is true, and I've heard otherwise, it will hurt him
severely, but it will not bury him !
Katherine has alot of distance in fundraising to make up !
And her consistently low numbers make her Senate Election chancey at best !
But as I have said, polls are fluid, and the election is still ten months away . .
Joe: Would you kindly ping your FL list?
Thanks,
Julie
Unfortunately, she's toast, 'maybe' a near win but still toast.
She isn't going to win.
And I said she wasn't entirely at fault for her makeup infamy. She is partly at fault, though.
She is the punchline to a joke. The joke is on the Florida GOP, unfortunately.
She has to run in Florida, not wherever you happen to live. Jeb Bush has said the same thing about gulf drilling, btw. That ought to give you a clue about what flies in Fla.
It's easy to support off-shore drilling in an area you don't live in.
I hope she wins. Doesn't look good, but lets hope for a miracle.
>>I do remember election 2000. So do her political opponents. She never recovered from her garish makeup job in her big moment (though it's been overplayed in the time since then, the image sticks and its not flattering).
Anyone with clarity can see she crossed over from politico to self parody a while back. That's a hard thing to recover from and it's not entirely her fault. It certainly is partly her fault, though.
<<
That statement is only tru if we believe it so .
The Leftwing certainlyu think that way, I have spoken with these A$$H@LES in chatrooms, that impersonation is inborn with Liberlals and Leftwing devils everywhere !
It is not with us, nor with Katherine Harris's supporter and potential supporters .
The Liberal Press & Media & Pop Culture do not have the saem influence nor credibility they had 6 year ago !
More and more Americans see the Nuke York Media machine as the Democrat's Ministry of Propaganda -
I for one, wish that more of Nuke York City had been obliterated on 9/11 - - one day it will !
Images and caracatures are only lasting if you do not fight them !
If we give up on Katherine Harris now, we will being submitting to the Left-wing Devils' propaganda machine in Puke York City !
HitmanNY, if your cynicism were rampant 26 years ago,
Reagan would never have been elected !
>>Anyone with clarity can see she crossed over from politico to self parody a while back.<<
That statement in particular is garbage !
Go work with those vipers Begala and Carville !
I like her a lot and I don't know why she's not getting more support and more publicity here in Florida. I live in St. Augustine (moved from liberal Gainesville a few months ago) and I've seen nothing about her.
She isn't a credible candidate and Nelson will beat her.
Is a pair of rose colored glasses required on FR these days?
You seem to love predicting the defeat of every Republican candidate. Take your doom & gloom elsewhere, preferable back to DU, LP, or where ever you spawned from.
Nonsense. There are plenty of Republican candidates I expect to win. And several I expect to lose. I'm just realistic.
They symbolize more Americans working and less American money buying foreign oil!
Energy independence will be achieved with a can-do American team effort, not by NIMBY attitudes.
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