I used to do a lot of retail politics. One of my very unscientific tests for how a campaign is doing is how they handle phone calls: Campaigns that don’t answer before the third ring will lose. Campaigns that don’t give great phone will lose. Alas, the reverse is not inevitably true—quick pickup and great phone alone are not enough to ensure a win, especially if no one ever calls.

But let me tell you, I’ve never seen or heard such great phone as I just got from calling Betty Castor’s HQ. (Castor is the Democratic nominee for Senate, running against the unscrupulous hate-peddling Mel Martinez.) Earlier today I tried to make a donation on the web page, and got an ‘internal server error’ so I called up the campaign HQ (I got the number from Google's cache of the front page) to tell them about it. The phone was answered just as the second ring began. I told the perky lady on the phone why I was calling, and she gave me her name (Rebecca), thanked me for reporting it, said she’d look into it, and then added that meanwhile she could take credit cards over the phone. So I made my not particularly munificent donation (we are rebuilding our house, there are many good causes, cash flow isn’t all it could be), only to be thanked as if I just pledged several thousand dollars. Another couple of minutes of pleasant chit-chat, and I was dispatched.

Impressive.

PS. My email to tech support also got a quick emailed reply saying that they were investigating.

[UPDATE @ 9pm: Abstract Appeal reports that the Florida Supreme Court reversed the trial court's reinstatement of its stay, thus reinstating the automatic stay supplanted by Judge Davey….but added its own order stopping everything — no mailing of ballots until it rules. And it set oral argument for Friday 8am, “cognizant of the September 18, 2004, deadline for mailing overseas ballots.” Which seems fair enough.]

My head is spinning.

The Florida trial court reinstated its stay. Shortly afterwards, the Florida Court of Appeals had its hearing. The Florida Secretary of State asked the Supreme Court to reinstitute the say.

Meanwhile — hold on to your hat — the “Reform Party” (ie the GOP) counterclaimed in the trial court, arguing the Democrats should be thrown off the ballot because their slate (filed in a timely manner unlike the Republican one) was not, they say, notarized like it should have been.

I hope the Democrats who didn't want to challenge the GOP's late filing are feeling suitably chasened. (Imagine a world in which neither party was on the ballot…that would be even weirder.)

Go to Abstract Appeal for more….I have to go collect my kids from school.