Ann Coulter, one of several high profile national right-wing demagogues that call Palm Beach County home will be traveling across the Peninsula to the west coast to help Vern Buchanan raise campaign cash according to the Tampa Bay Times. Despite scandals and a controversial initial election in 2006, Buchanan has emerged as a popular local congressman, typically outperforming the rest of the GOP ticket in his Sarasota based district.

While Coulter, David Koch and Rush Limbaugh all live on the island of Palm Beach they seldom get involved in Florida races directly. Newsmax publisher Christopher Ruddy also of Palm Beach is one of the most influential conservative media tycoons in the country, yet has contributed for many local Democrats both for county office and the legislature in the area.

While the number of influential conservatives calling Palm Beach home should have helped the local party, the Palm Beach REC has been beset by infighting, and factionalism. Many of the top local Republicans have worked with locally based national figures like Coulter and Ruddy without involving the local party. On other occasions, it seems the local GOP apparatus has been unable to take advantage of the number of opportunities that should present itself. In fairness, the Democrats locally have this problem as well since so many national politicians come to the wealthy zip codes along the coast to raise money while leaving little behind for local and state races.

It will be worth watching how closely the conservative elite that calls Palm Beach home get involved with Rick Scott’s reelection effort, if at all.