The Foley Scandal's Impact on Florida Elections will be Minimal

Democrats throughout Florida are hailing the disgraceful exit from office of Rep. Mark Foley (R-West Palm Beach) as godsend for Democrats. While the Foley scandal has had a major impact on polling nationally, it has had little if any affect here in Florida. Why? The Florida Republican Party continues to run well disciplined, on message campaigns and while Foley was a Florida Republican, the party has little connection to his bad behavior and no connection to the cover up which was engaged in by the Congressional wing of the party. Charlie Crist continues to beam TV ads throughout the state while Jim Davis and Florida Democratic Party are desperate to find money to get on the air. Every four years during the midterm elections it seems, the same bad things happen with Florida Democrats.