Posted on 09/05/2006 7:14:23 PM PDT by Lunatic Fringe
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Katherine Harris won the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat.
I like her.
I think she's cute.
The only negative baggage are the whining DU trolls who would rather have us let a DUmocrat win.
Harris is the Republican candidate and a very worthy one at that.
She deserves to have support from every Republican.
Real conservatives....scratch that...REAGAN conservatives? The same "Reagan Conservatives" that support an LIEberal DUmocrat named LIEberman?
I am SO lovin' your tagline!
One reason is because it's true on MANY levels....
Yeah, when the winner does not have high negatives, is not a polarizing figure, seeks to bring others back into the fold, is capable of running a smart campaign, and receives support (financial and other) from party leaders. The Bushes and the party begged her not to run. Do you really think they are going to waste money on her race when she is starting 30 points down when they have cliffhangers all over the country that they can win?
How long have you been following politics Dave?
Over 40 years.
"How can the polls be so wrong?"
It's all how they ask the questions, and who they ask.
The important thing to know is that these polls do not represent reality. They represent the Democrats wishes.
I am not a DU'er, quite the contrary, but am qualified to comment upon one's riding seat.
Her negative baggage is that she isn't the RNC's selection. Seems the RNC is now in the business of nominating candidates, not the primary voters.
When my Dad was a member of the Ohio Central Committee of the Democratic party I was a very small boy. I know the media excuses its inaccuracy in the 1948 election by saying they stopped polling six weeks before the election, but that is not the reason.
My Dad was very worried that Truman would not win. It wasn't really polling but he did have Democrats canvased and kept track of the results. It looked terrible for Truman. On the Saturday before the election Dad had the members of a unionized factory canvased. Only about a third of the employees said they were going to vote for Truman.
But then elections night when the returns started coming in, the NBC anchor kept telling us that while the early returns showed Truman ahead, it could not last.
My Dad had me go to bed.. The next day was a school day. But when I woke up the next morning Truman was still ahead. Yet the polls had shown him 20 points behind.
When I left for school, Truman was holding on to a slight lead. About 10 O'Clock a man I had never met came to my school to see me. He worked for my Dad, and Dad had sent him to tell me that Truman had won. I don't know why I paid such attention to that election. I was just a young kid. Perhaps because my Dad cared enough to send someone to tell me Truman won. I certainly wanted to show that I was part of Dad's team.
There was a lot of research done after that election. Dad was at first puzzled about how hourly workers at a plant could tell a Democrat pollster that they were voting for Dewey when they were actually voting for Truman.
Dad decided that people did not want to tell people they were voting for Truman. It was not the thing to do.. People would make fun of you for planing to vote for Truman.
But in the privacy of the voting booth they did just that.
I think it is the same thing going on in Florida. Like Truman she is a plucky person... who does not give up.. no matter what the media and her own party leaders say.
I am not in Florida so I don't know, but if Truman is a guide, even centrists and moderates will look at her and say ... Way To Go Girl! Many of the voters do not have the guts to do what she has done. They don't even dare to tell the media what they are going to do. But they wish they did and they want a person like her in the political arena representing them.
You ought to hear what I have to say about the Libertarians. That would make the Jesus Freaks cringe.
You asked for reasons why she wont win. I will give you a list if you are capable of reading. (1) She is prone to making major campaign gaffees. Instead of talking about the importance of supporting candidates of faith, she panders to the Christians and makes extreme statements that she knows will be spun by the media. (2) She wont listen to her campaign managers and can't keep her campaign staff in place long enough to make progress before they learn that she is impossible to deal with and quit. (3) For someone who has won statewide office twice, it's incredible that she is starting from a point in the polls 30 points behind a weak Democrat opponent. (4) When she last ran for congress she only won 55% of the vote in a conservative district. (5) Recent polling indicates she turns off independents and more than a third of Republicans "dislike" her. This is not a case of several good candidates running and this one won, you either like Harris or you dont. She peaked with her 50% of Republican primary voters. (6) She was begged by both GW and Jeb Bush not to run...I do believe these guys know more about politics than your or I. (7) Given that campaign funds are tight this year, the RNC and the Senate Campaign Committee are not going to waste limited campaign funds on Harris. The GOP has many incumbents who are vulnerable this year and there are several states where a strong Republican candidate has a chance against their DEM opponent. FLorida is not one of those and Harris will have to raise her own funds. This might actually help her as every minute spent on the phone begging for cash is one less minute where she will be turning off voters. Need more? Harris may make Alan Keyes look like an effecive campaigner.
The Mods should delete the posts that outright trash her. I don't mind if the Harris bashers criticize her on the issues. Just don't call her nuts or stupid or whatever. Totally uncalled for.
Hey Guys: Yesterday I was looking for all the "old" spammers and anti - Kathrine Harris poll-freaks who for months told us she "can't win"!
I did not see any of them, but total silence!!
Now I see a whole "army" of NEW losers and negative mindsets coming out of the woodwork. They must have come over here from DU trying to distract us from this sweet victory for Ms. Harris, which THEY can't stand!!!
Why spend precious positive time talking with "sore losers" from out of state, when we can use it more productive by uniting ourselves behind our new Junior Senator for the State of Florida coming November 8th???
I'm going to ignore them and leave them to play games at DU where they rightly so belong!!!!
"Bill Nelson wins easily now."
I'm impressed. You went out of your way (like the rest of the country club republicans) to give her a shot to the kidneys on this thread the first chance. No sportsmanlike "I was hoping for someone else but I'll get behind Harris because she won fair and square", just a cheap shot. Harris may not be a great candidate, but the backstabbing of the establishment elite has left a very foul taste and you all should be ashamed of yourselves.
Having won twice statewide and having high name recognition, why do you think it is that she is starting 30 points down from Nelson who everyone agrees is a weak Dem candidate? Gaps like this can occasionally be overcome but only when a candidate is not well known and is able to make a good first impression. Harris is already well known.
So glad to see her win, especially since most columnists hoped to see her beat, and predicted her loss!!!!She is the most hated in Florida (by the press) since Anita Bryant, well at least since The President stole the state!!!!!
Didn't learn much did you...
First we now now that the polls were at least 11 points off. She got 11 percent more votes than the polls said she would. Pollsters will take that into consideration. Look for her to "gain" 11 points in less than a week. The media will make a big deal out of that. If she gains 15 or more points in a week or two the dynamics of this race will change dramatically. That kind of gain is normal when the polls go from adults to likely voters.
The Republican turn around on Kathlene will look like the Democrats going from Cut and Run to I can win better than you can. It will occur to the Bushs and the Crists that they had best make peace with the Lady or her followers may not vote for Crist.
Neither Bush is a fool. She is the candidate and the president may very well come to Florida to raise money for her. It is pretty simple.. Harris's hard core supporters may very well come out to vote for her .. but they may not vote for Crist. Both Bushs have some major a$$ kissing to do.
You can tell candidates to go to hell.. No politican tells voters to go to hell. She has enough loyal voters that she can defeat Crist.
They don't like her because she is a bad little girl that won't do as she is told. The problem for those who want to put her in her place, is the election results say she does not have to.
This is hard ball. You don't know how to play it.. She does.
Only the Imam part.
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