GOP field shifts further to right in U.S. Senate race

Sun-Sentinel ^ | August 20, 2003 | John Kennedy

[Kuksool]

GOP field shifts further to right in U.S. Senate race

By John Kennedy Tallahassee Bureau Chief Posted August 20 2003 TALLAHASSEE ·

State Sen. Daniel Webster's entry into the U.S. Senate race may push the Republican field looking to replace Democrat Bob Graham even further to the right and into some risky political territory. Some analysts say the rhetoric likely to emerge in the GOP primary could leave the party's eventual nominee badly bloodied and unable to court middle-of-the-road Floridians needed to win next year's general election.

[Kuksool]

Ping!

The Florida Senate race will be fascinating to watch.

[Kuksool]

Agreed. Bill McCollum should drop out. Also, a crowded primary shall drain away resources needed for the general election. Florida's primary is scheduled for August 31, 2004.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Sounds much like the battle out here in California!

[JohnnyZ]

I wish that we could take out the weak conservatives

Ah, but who are the weak ones, besides McCollum?

Dave Weldon: US Rep, doctor and veteran
Daniel Webster: former speaker, grassroots guru
Johnnie Byrd: speaker

And then there's the personalities, which I'm no expert on. I like Weldon for his bio and ideology. I guess we'll see how it goes.

[Impy]

Even if McCollum drops out Foley could still win if Byrd, Weldon and Webster all stay in.

[goldstategop]

LOL! Florida IS already a Republican State and the Democrats had their clocks cleaned last year. So what are the libs mewling about?

[fieldmarshaldj]

FL *ping*

Go, Web, go ! Interesting how "they're" not concerned about how leftist the potential 'Rat candidates are, but are always SO concerned how Conservative our guys are, hmm ?

[Kuksool]

With so many candidates running in the GOP primary, I hope Karl Rove doesn't intervene like he did in TN and NC last year. He should stay out of the GOP primaries.

[1Old Pro]

Primaries aren't necessarily bad as long as the eventual winner is qualified and has a good conservative platform. They are bad when you have 9 clowns making fools of themselves and the eventual winner is a hugh looser.

[jla]

Some analysts badly mistaken, weak-kneed, jelly-spined, RINO pundits say the rhetoric likely to emerge in the GOP primary could leave the party's eventual nominee badly bloodied and unable to court middle-of-the-road Floridians needed to win next year's general election.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Oh, I don't mind when Rove intervenes, as long as he intervenes for the RIGHT candidate. Even without Rove, Liddy Dole was a done deal in NC last year. If Dole and Dick Burr had gotten in a pi$$ing match last year, the bloodied victor might've lost to Irksome Bowles. Here in TN, Lamar should've remained in retirement and left the seat to the only logical choice, Congressman Ed Bryant. I was sorry, no, rather angry, to see Bryant get flustercucked by Rove & Company. He didn't deserve that.

[Kuksool]

I doubt Lamar Alexander really wanted the Senate seat. He ran because Karl Rove told him. I think Lamar is more interested in being President. However, that is not going to happen in the next future. The Senate seat is Lamar's consolation prize.

[Clemenza]

Better him than Mark "I'm Not Gay, Really" Foley and Bill (Zzzzzz) McCollum. Sadly, the GOP can't finjd anyone to challenge Schumer up here. :-(

[Clemenza]

WRONG! Florida is a SWING STATE! It is about 1/3 Dem, 1/3 Pubbie and 1/3 independent, last time I checked (2000). It has a long history of electing liberal Governors like Reubin Askew-O'Bannion and Lawton Chiles. SE Florida (outside of the Republican Cuban areas) is highly populated and VERY liberal, Palm Beach and Broward Counties essentially being suburbs of NYC.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Yeah, those interventions (TN didn't happen, BTW, and neither did NH) were real political blunders.