Colleagues say Harris' closest confidante lately appears to be spiritual adviser Dale Burroughs, founder of the Biblical Heritage Institute in Bradenton.
"Dr. Dale," as she is known among campaign staffers, describes herself as a licensed clinical pastoral counselor who counsels in behavior temperament, career, crisis and disaster, among other things.
Burroughs has been advising Harris for years, but lately has had a more prominent role as Harris stopped listening to other campaign advisers. Burroughs said she has little role in the campaign beyond helping reach out to religious voters and is merely a Bible study partner and close friend.
Friends and advisers say Harris has been deeply religious all her life, but religion recently has become a central part of her campaign. Campaign staffers warily describe Harris as leading a "Christian crusade."
"It was always part of the background, but it was never an integral part of the campaign. It never engulfed her," said former campaign manager Jim Dornan, who quit the campaign in November but keeps in touch with staffers. "She's grasping for a pillar she thinks this campaign can be raised on."
Her top campaign advisers, having failed to persuade Harris to drop her struggling campaign against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, are preparing to leave. Those include Ed Rollins, a highly regarded GOP strategist and her top campaign adviser; Adam Goodman, her longtime Tampa-based media consultant; and campaign manager Jamie Miller. Harris has been aggressively campaigning for support among religious conservatives, hitting large churches and headlining a "Reclaiming America for Christ" conference in Broward County last weekend. She told hundreds of attendees she was "doing God's work" with her campaign.
All that from my former hometown newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times.
Just when you think someone has hit rock bottom, they manage to find a way to surprise you.
"Reclaiming America for Christ"
ReplyDeleteThats along the lines of "Reclaiming Cuba for Castro".
Given Harris' talent and willingness to fix an election, I'm not sure this is as done you or I would like to think. The fact that the Brothers Bush are also "beholding" to her isn't gonna help either. She could have David Duke on her team and I'm still thinking she's got a chance. I'll be interested to see how this plays out.
ReplyDeleteToo much video fiction has me seeing Harris making deals to have her opponent found out as a pedophile (a la "Angel") or something more movie-like, where her opponent mysteriously dies shortly before the election.
It mostly has the aspect for me of distant entertainment, and I'd love to see her campaign keel over from a J.C. overdose. As S.G. said, though, I'm not sure she's fully done. Beyond that, even if she fails, as she most likely will in the end, someone else with similar ambitions is out there, taking notes as they refine their own, faith-fueled political engines.
ReplyDelete