There’s no kind way to say this, so I’ll be blunt. Former-New Hampshire Sen. Bob Smith (R) is a bit of a nut. Always has been, always will be.
During his two terms in the Senate, Smith was not only one of the most right-wing members in the chamber, he was about as right-wing as a senator could possibly be. Smith’s ideology reached the fringes of even Republican thought, so much so that in July 1999, Smith took to the Senate floor to announce that he was leaving the GOP because it wasn’t conservative enough for him.
In a rambling 50-minute speech, Smith insisted that the Republican Party’s commitment to supporting gun rights and opposing abortion “is a fraud and everyone knows it.” He added that the GOP platform was “not worth the paper it’s written on.” Smith then announced that he would run for president as an independent. (He later changed his mind, apologized, and rejoined the party.)
Three years ago, even New Hampshire Republicans had seen enough. When it appeared that Smith would lose re-election to former-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D), party leaders convinced then-Rep. John Sununu (R) to challenge Smith in the Republican primary. Sununu jumped in the race and defeated Smith easily, on route to beating Shaheen in a close race on Election Day 2000.
Embarrassed and distraught, Smith did what all 60-something New Englanders do when they lose their jobs — he moved to Florida.
End of story, right? Unfortunately, no. After selling high-priced real estate near Sarasota for a couple of years, Smith now appears ready to run for the Senate once again. This time, from Florida.
The AP is reporting that Smith may announce his candidacy very soon after having been encouraged by friends to seek the seat currently held by the retiring Bob Graham (D).
“I’m going to take a look at it, a very serious look at it and probably make a final decision in the next two weeks at the most,” Smith said in an interview.
Noting his record opposing Fidel Castro and supporting NASA, Smith suggested his record coincides nicely with Florida’s political interests.
“When I looked at all of this, I really have been quite involved in a lot of issues concerning Florida,” Smith told the AP.
Smith’s candidacy would be a bizarre addition to an increasingly large GOP field of Senate candidates. Just a month ago, the only Republicans who appeared interested in the race were a former member of Congress who lost a Senate bid in 2000, two members of the state legislature, and a right-wing legal activist in DC.
Suddenly, however, several high-profile candidates have been inching closer to running. First, one-term House member Katherine Harris indicated she might run, despite her polarizing role in the 2000 recount debacle. Then, HUD Secretary Mel Martinez indicated he might reverse his early pledge and enter the race, responding to White House pressure. Now, an embarrassing former New Hampshire senator wants in.
In fact, reading some of his comments, Smith sounds like he has already decided to run.
“I want to talk about the future, of how I can take Florida into the future and I’m very excited about it,” Smith said.
I’m not sure Florida Republicans will be welcoming Smith with open arms. Geoffrey Becker, executive director of the state GOP, said Smith “would make an interesting addition” to the Republican field. (I think that’s the equivalent of saying he has a “nice personality”)
I’d like to make an early prediction: Smith will not win in Florida and won’t go far in the Republican primary. Florida is a crazy state, but it’s not that crazy.