Political tides in southwest Fla. earn national attention (K.Harris' job)

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Mon, Oct. 09, 2006
Political tides in southwest Florida earn national attention
PHIL DAVIS
Associated Press

SARASOTA, Fla. - Sarasota banker Christine Jennings hopes to turn the partisan tides of this southwest Florida Republican stronghold that sent Rep. Katherine Harris to Washington from red to blue in November.

"People want change," said Jennings, who is challenging Sarasota auto dealer Vern Buchanan for Harris's seat. "I think this 2006 race is the most important race in the last 50 years. It is going to say so much about what people are thinking about, what's going on in America and what they want to see in the future."

Jennings, 60, and Buchanan, 55, are political newcomers battling for Florida's 13th Congressional District, which elected Harris after she became famous for her role overseeing the 2000 presidential recount when she was Florida secretary of state. She is leaving to make a run for Senate, and the tight congressional race has garnered national attention.

Buchanan is spending big money - much of it his own - to keep the district Republican red, as it has been for three decades. In a strictly partisan headcount, the GOP has 67,000 potential votes over Democrats. The race is one of a handful nationwide being targeted by both the Democrat and Republican national congressional committees.
(snip/...)

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/breaking_news/15717590.htm

http://www.christinejenningsforcongress.com/

Tough Times for GOP Mean a Close Race to Succeed Harris
Published: October 9, 2006

In more normal times, Republican Vern Buchanan would likely have a daunting advantage as he bids to succeed two-term Republican Rep. Katherine Harris in Florida’s 13th District.

Buchanan benefits from the Republican leanings of the Gulf Coast district, which Harris left open to run for the Senate. And Buchanan — a wealthy car dealer and longtime GOP fundraiser — has a big edge in campaign money over the Democratic nominee, former banker Christine Jennings.

But with the GOP facing a bad and worsening national political environment, and Buchanan still bruised from attacks by Republican primary opponents about his personal business practices, the times are anything but normal. Accordingly, CQPolitics.com has changed its rating on the race to Leans Republican from Republican Favored.

With Buchanan already dealing with a vigorous campaign effort by Jennings, a pair of additional elements have cropped up that could further hinder him.
(snip/...)

http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2006/10/09/cq_1595.html

[wakeme2008]

1. When the Repugs carved up this district for Harris in 2001

it was made almost a shoe-in for any Repug to win....

[ClintonTyree]

2. A used car salesman in Congress........

and the residents of Sarasota don't seem to grasp the peril in that? :wtf: Think about your previous dealings with car salesmen then tell me you think one of them would be a good choice for Congress. :puke: I think NOT!
Of course, as others have pointed out, in that district as long as there's an (R) after your name you're pretty much a shoe-in. There's something terribly sad and funny about this all at the same time.
HE'S A FUCKING CAR SALESMAN, PEOPLE!! THEIR JOB IS TO LIE TO AND CHEAT YOU! I give up. People just don't think anymore. Too much of george bush has rubbed off on them. :grr:

[Crazy8s]

4. I beg to differ

with your assumption that all used car dealers' 'job is to lie and cheat you'. My husband and fellow democrat owns a used car lot and he does neither of those things. He even mediates (volunteer) for the court in his spare time to help folks resolve differences. There are honorable people in every profession--even politicians and used car salesmen.

[ClintonTyree]

7. There are exceptions to every rule.

However, most people view used car salesmen with a jaundiced eye, almost as much as politicians, lawyers and loan sharks. ;) My apologies if I've offended you.

[Ladydawnelle]

8. I totally agree!

I grew up in Sorry-sota!

It was a lovely childhood and it USED to be a beautiful shade of BLUE! Not anymore.

My brother has sold new and used cars MOST of his life and I wouldn't trust him or any of his cohorts to run any government. To be honest. And I adore my brother. He is just NOT political material. PERIOD.

You need to be able to FIB to sell some cars, PERIOD.

If there are ONE or TWO seriously honest car salesmen out there then that's about it. One or Two.

Sorry but that's the facts of the business. In Florida.

I now live in the mountains. After the Harris debacle I moved "gladly" OUT of PUG Central!
Although my daughter still lives there. Priced OUT of her normal life. Unreal how expensive it is to live there anymore.

[ClintonTyree]

10. That's the truth........

after I sold my place in Avon Park I started looking for rentals in the Sarasota area. :wow: I couldn't believe the rent some of those people wanted! $650-$700 for a one bedroom apartment with a view of the parking lot. Not my idea of 'value'. I moved to Clearwater for a while in apartments you could rent by the month with no lease just so I could see if I liked the area. I didn't. WAY too crowded. I ended moving back to good old Upstate New York. Florida is a nice place to visit but.........

[JoFerret]

11. Fair point

However - this one is a republican fund-raiser as well so the case it pretty well closed I should think! (I refrain from adding ...and also from Florida...because I do know there are some good people there.)

[soup]

5. Not just a used car salesman

a used car salesman with nearly 2 million dollars laying around to invest in his own campaign!

Buchanan has put up $1.8 million of his own money, nearly half of the $3.8 million he has raised, according to the center's data. Jennings has used $20,000 of her own money, 2 percent of her $900,000 total.

"It's certainly a large challenge to run against a candidate that can just write a check," said Kathy Vermazen, press secretary for Jennings.

The Buchanan campaign couldn't be reached for comment.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/10/09/9selffunding.html

Cheney was out to fund raise for him last week, $1,000.00 a plate, about 200 attended the private lunch, and about as many protested roadside:

The midterm elections Nov. 7 will have "enormous consequences for this nation one way or the other," Cheney told a crowd of about 200 people at a $1,000-a-plate luncheon to raise money for Republican congressional hopeful Vern Buchanan, 55, who is running against Democrat Christine Jennings, 55.

About 150 protesters waved signs that included "Impeach Bush" and "Cheney lied" at Cheney's motorcade outside the event at a waterfront hotel in downtown Sarasota.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-cheney0706oct07,0,3334454.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-state

Here's a good blip on the recent polling for that district:

Smith said big-name Republicans like Cheney are probably frustrated that they are spending their time in what are traditionally safe Republicans districts like the 13th, where Buchanan is hoping to hold on to the seat Republicans have held firmly for 20 years.

But this year, the district is anything but safe. Democratic polling shows Buchanan in danger of losing to Democrat Christine Jennings. A poll released by Jennings' camp shows she has a 12 percentage point lead over Buchanan with just two full weeks left before early voting begins.

Buchanan's campaign isn't disputing the accuracy of the numbers. And Buchanan has refused to make his own polls public. He frequently offered his polls to reporters during the primary, when he was in the lead.

Republican sources confirmed on Friday that GOP-paid internal polls are also showing Jennings has a lead close to what her numbers are showing.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061007/NEWS/610070386

So they've got a comfortably solid Republican district carved out, pour money into it, send out the 'big guns' to raise even more money, and Jennings may well take the seat.

Two of my sons drove down to work in Sarasota a couple of days last week for the construction co. they're working for. They asked me who Vern Buchanan is - said whoever he is, he must have a huge pile of money - said there's Buchanan signs and billboards Everywhere.

Don't want to get too ahead of the election, but I'm tellin' ya CT, there's a change acomin'. If Jennings wins, I'm going to celebrate heartily, even though I don't live there.

[Nimrod2005]

3. k

[Crazy8s]

6. The strange thing is

that Jennings is running ads that appeal to the pugs. She talks about conservative values, etc. She doesn't identify her party affiliation in ads (something I find infuriating), but maybe this is to attract confused pugs. Her ads come off as more republican than her opponent's.

[barb162]

9. I hate Katherine Harris; hope she loses BIGTIME