Posted on 04/27/2006 4:21:05 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Your added headline is false.
Harris seen by some as burden [Senate race in FL]There is growing concern among Republicans that Katherine Harris not only can't beat Sen. Bill Nelson this November, but she could drag other Republicans down with her.
Harris continues to be dogged by her ties to a corrupt defense contractor, and poll numbers that show she's dropped 24 points since she announced her candidacy.
A recent poll conducted by a Republican polling firm that used to be aligned with Harris tested Florida House Speaker Allan Bense's name against hers. No one has claimed responsibility for funding the poll. On Monday, Bense sounded like a potential candidate, saying he was considering entering the race before the May 12 deadline.
Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday that he thought Bense was focused on the legislative session, but added that he would be a great senator.
"I know there are a lot of people encouraging him to run. He's just a great leader and an excellent person ... He would be a great United States senator, but that's up to him," Bush said.
=== ping ===
I read the entire article, but can't find where Jeb is encouraging him.
I now have a glimmer of hope for this race. Personally, I think that Allan Bense has been trying to give Harris a chance to make as dignified an exit as possible, but that she refuses to take a hint.
There are parallels between this race and the 2002 Democrat primary of Florida Governor, when Democrats tried to find an alternative to the controversial ex-US Attorney General Janet Reno.
He is the opposite of Bill Clinton (self-promotion) and that's the only thing holding back what I hope will be his campaign for the Senate.
Plus, he's a fellow resident of Panama City, the conservative capital of Florida.
Saying that Allan Bense "would make a great U.S. Senator" when there is already a better-known candidate in the running is definitely encouragement to run. And that statement was in response to questions about a potential Bense candidacy.
What would you have him say?
It is NOT encouragement like you posted, but I already know you do not like Harris.
You make good points. In addition, Allan Bense has a biography that reads like a Horatio Alger story, which would play very well to the electorate.
If he were a liberal woman, his biography would be the subject of a Lifetime Televsion movie.
I never said that Governor Bush endorsed Bense. But his statement is definitely encouragement.
He's neither encouraging or endorsing Bense, he's touting him.
I never mentioned endorsement.
You are reading into the article.
I asked the administrative monitor to remove that portion of the headline and he kindly agreed.
In retrospect, I should have said that Bush "touted" a prosepective Bense candidacy.
He's that kind of person. It'll take a little pushing encouragement to get him to go for it.
That's VERY GOOD of you. Thanks.
Touted = bigsky's word.
Is that like touting a race horse? If so, it's been my experience that those horses usually lose. :)
I don't know what else Jeb could have said. His comments read "vanilla" to me.
He's that kind of person. It'll take a little pushing encouragement to get him to go for it.
Jeb did the right thing. At some point in the future, he'll endorse someone. Now isn't the time.
He got where he is today by working, not by schmoozing to cameras and getting a lot of "photo-ops". He takes his job seriously and you can look at his record. Florida is in good shape. We are financially sound but we have NO state income tax, and this really flies in the face of states that have high state income taxes and are still in the red.
You made a believer out of me.
ALLAN BENSE FOR SENATE!!!
Thanks for the link!
If Allan Bense were to unseat Bill Nelson, he would be something of a hero to the GOP.
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