This was in the Palm Beach Post today. I don't think it has been shared in the Kos community yet.
As usual, we've received a few phone calls from voters, and we've written down their suggestions, then forwarded everything to the FBI.
But nobody has tried to breach the perimeter in nearly a week, so we're thinking of taking away some of the sandbags and giving a few of the K-9 units a day off.
Yes, things are starting to turn around for Harris here in Palm Beach County. I don't want to overstate our success, but we're definitely heading in the right direction.
One poll was showing that her local support was well into the mid-two figures in what will be a key demographic for her: "People who moved to Palm Beach County since the year 2000."
The pundits claimed that because of her role in that year's presidential election -- the sloppy voter purge before the election, being the George W. Bush campaign chairwoman and chief elections official, and the way she blatantly became a Bush proxy during the recount -- that she'd never get much of a chance here in heavily Democratic Palm Beach County.
The anonymous campaign staff
This was the county, after all, where an exhausting nine-day recount (which netted an insignificant increase in Gore votes) wasn't counted by Harris, because it arrived at her office two hours and six minutes late. Salt in the wound, you might say.
So who would have thought that five years later, she'd be back here looking for votes for herself? That's what I call bold leadership.
We loyal staffers, particularly Mr. Y and Mrs. B (we all decided to remain anonymous from each other for our mutual protection), believe it's important to our democracy for Katherine Harris to have a presence here.
If the Shiites have to stomach the Sunnis in Iraq, the Democrats should have to stomach Katherine Harris in Palm Beach County.
The pundits also predicted that she wouldn't open a campaign office here in Palm Beach County, and they were wrong about that, too.
I think the key has been showing she cares about all Floridians, and, of course, keeping a revolving set of unlisted phone numbers for the office.
Writing a new position on Scripps
Sure, it's been an uphill battle.
Looking back on it, the disguises were a mistake during those first few campaign appearances. It just didn't look right, the photo of her putting on the fake mustache and the dark sunglasses as the motorcade sped through West Delray.
And frankly, it was the local office's mistake not to brief her more thoroughly on the Scripps Research Institute's move into Palm Beach County. Although, I wish she hadn't taken a wild guess by saying, "It's going to be exciting having a big new pen factory here."
She was so depressed after that, she had to do a solid week of clothes shopping and prayer breakfasts to get herself centered again.
But we made some good decisions, too, like the "Vote for Kate" mascara, the one with the words, "At least, this mascara won't run!" on the side of the tube.
Even the president complimented her on that, calling it "very self de-appreciating," although I think he meant "self-deprecating."
We must have given away half our stock that first day at the Boynton Beach Mall.
As for when Harris will be here to campaign again, I can't say. It would be a security violation. But I will say that she thinks about the people of Palm Beach County every day, despite the advice of her medical advisers.