David Hill, a veteran Republican pollster who has worked on loads of statewide Florida campaigns - from Bob Martinez to Jeb Bush to Mel Martinez (against Bill McCollum) to Eight is Enough - has been talking long and hard with Paula Dockery about running for governor. While a decision could be months away, Hill says the talk about Bill McCollum being underestimated and unbeatable in a primary is nonsense.

"Throughout his entire career he has either underacheived or run up to the starting line and dropped out before he got started. If anything, he's probably been over-estimated," Hill said of McCollum. "People keep coming to (Dockery) and sayting, 'Help! I'm not sure this is going to have a happy ending for Florida. The fact that the Democrats have a likely woman nominee makes minds wander to this."

Hill said part of the Dockery's decision will rest upon how much momentum - and money - McCollum is showing early on.

"This could be more like 1986, though, when the establishment wanted Tallahassee and DC insiders and we instead got Bob Martinez nominated. Florida had never had a Hispanic Governor. It’s still never had a female governor. Time to make history again?"