Harris Sheds Joker Image (Within the GOP)

Representative Katherine Harris, the apparent Republican candidate to challenge Sen. Bill Nelson for his senate seat this November, has closed the gap in the polls, as she now trails Nelson by only 9%. In the last poll taken, Nelson had held a 23 point lead.

As political wire points out, Harris has improved drastically among Republican voters. 71% plan to vote for her, up from 59% at the beginning of 2006. Nevertheless, Harris is getting merked in the Independent category, losing to Nelson 64%-18%.

It doesn't seem like there's any realistic way that Harris can pull this one off. She is a bad speaker and has awkward facial expressions that maker her look conceited. More importantly, her most important contribution to the political community came when she halted the recount of the votes in the 2000 election, when she served as the secretary of state in Florida.

Nelson is a decent Democratic candidate. He's moderate enough to sustain attacks from the GOP and he'll benefit from the general miscues of the Bush administration and the Congress.