Sitting in the front row was Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, who got a rousing, 30-second standing ovation when she was introduced. It was Harris who fought to certify the election Nov. 14, an act that would have stopped the recounts that have kept the Nov. 7 election still undecided in Florida. Holding an imaginary phone conversation with a former foe, Powell held the crowd in rapt silence as he concluded a 45-minute talk that included a few humorous pokes at Vice President Al Gore and at himself. Powell continued in his imaginary conversation. Powell went on.
American democracy is kind of like a life raft that bobs around the ocean all the time.
Your feet are always wet. Winds are always blowing. Powell said, biting off each of the last four words. Whatever role he may have in a Bush administration, Powell said, it will have to include time for kids, particularly time for mentoring.