I don’t agree with the chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party that Arlen Specter can beat Pat Toomey and Joe Sestak cannot. Toomey is no juggernaut. He’s a far right loon. Specter is by far a better politician than Sestak, but he has a ton of baggage that he’ll need to overcome. Sestak’s competing well with Specter and closing the gap in the last days of the campaign. So, there’s little reason to believe he can’t be effective in the general campaign as well. It’s also depressing as hell to watch the Democratic Establishment come out with all guns blazing to help elect a Republican in a Democratic primary. I mean, I understand that they’re only keeping their promises, but it doesn’t make it sit any better in my stomach.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
T.J. Rooney is an idiot. Can anyone tell me one way in which he has improved the position of Pennsylvania Democrats?
Nope.
Sestak can easily beat Toomey. First of all, he already polls solid against him, even with the low name ID (down 39-42 in the latest DK/R2K poll). Plus you have the anti-incumbent wave coming…and there’s no mistaking who’s the biggest incumbent in the race – it’s Snarlin’ Arlen. And lastly, remember that right now the entire Democratic machine, in a machine state, is working for Specter. Should Sestak win the primary, they’ll switch over and be working for him them.
Seriously, I imagine Sestak – with his story and the machine behind him – within a couple months of getting the nomination, pull away enough for the media to stop talking about it.
But I don’t think he’s going to get the nomination, anyways. Same goes for, unfortunately, Bill Halter down in LA. Dems, at the ballot box, would be MUCH better off in the fall with them…but that’s incumbency protection for ya.
Has Toomey won anything in the past?
He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 15th district (January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005).
Arlen = Magic Bullet.
I don’t forget and I don’t forgive traitors.
Nice observation!
i got that same email too. It was infuriating. More than that it was undignified: it was like watching someone have a full-blown panic attack.
I’ve been swinging this way and that between the two candidates, especially after my conversation with Luam at DL, and that email from Specter’s campaign just pissed me right off.
you can’t trust either of the candidates. Specter’s an opportunist with no principles, and Sestak’s a liar. Both have a reputation for being dicks to their staff. Both are way more conservative than they let on.