Specter noise (4.00 / 1)

hoist -> foist    just fyi.

Love your note that Arlen's bipartisan on tv these days with ads from him and Sestak.

Sestak's right on the edge of "beyond the margin of error" for his lead in the polls. I hope we see it stabilize around 6%+ to remove any doubt.

Specter has a boatload of money and has already spent a metric ton, but he was the one whose soundbite yesterday was about how "my opponent spent 1.6 million dollars..."

He really, really, really needs to be retired.

I'll be working my polling place for Joe.

Karl in Drexel Hill, PA

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by: KB @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 15:28:48 PM UTC

Where At? (4.00 / 1)

I'm in 3-1 but I'll be working the 3-7 all day.  Should be fun.  Good luck, and don't forget to stop by at Casey's afterwards!

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by: themann1086 @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 16:07:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

1-6 (0.00 / 0)

We live in 1-6 and I prefer to work there. Last time they shipped me off to UDMS on Garrett. I'm expecting to be in Drexelbrook working the 1-6 polling place.

Good luck to you as well!

Karl in Drexel Hill, PA

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by: KB @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 18:27:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wasn't Specter The Deciding Vote On Andrew Johnson's Impeachment? (4.00 / 5)

The Missouri Compromise, and the pardoning of Barabbas?

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 15:58:48 PM UTC

Is this whole affair being misinterpreted? (0.00 / 0)

Did Spector freak, and in facing the prospect of possible oblivion as a Republican, make a mistake by changing parties?  

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by: shergald @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 16:01:53 PM UTC

Damn would I be excited (4.00 / 2)

if Sestak were a progressive, or at least opposed the war in Afghanistan.

Still nice to see the Establishment humiliated.  

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by: david mizner @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 16:27:06 PM UTC

At This Point, Unfortunately (4.00 / 2)

we're just trying to get someone who's not a narcissistic pathological liar.

A low bar, I freely admit. But one that damn few Senators could clear.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 18:25:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The Problem With Specter Is That He Won't Stay Bought! (4.00 / 1)

If we could rely on him to be the same as he is now during this campaign, then fine.

But, of course we can't. He the worst sort of opportunist and will become a big problem in the next Congress if he's still there.

Give the Democrats a 3 or 4 seat majority with Lieberman, Baucus, and Lincoln and throw in a Specter who doesn't have to face the voters for another 6 years (and probably never) and you have a conservative majority that will side with Republicans on "entitlement reform" and a host of other evils.

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by: Cugel @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 23:41:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I know what you mean (4.00 / 1)

It's too bad that it's not Jennifer Brunner (or Joe Hoeffel) on her/his way to trashing Arlen Specter, instead of Joe Sestak.

Then again, there might be a reason for that.  For one thing, Brunner was dirt poor and apparently didn't run a single TV ad, whereas Sestak has loads of money and has ran at least two really good ads in the closing weeks. (Has any Senate candidate who did NOT run a TV ad won, since TV became prevalent?) Maybe if Sestak ran as far to the left as Brunner did he wouldn't have the financial resources he has today.

In any case, Sestak is an undeniable improvement over Specter, as I wrote here.

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by: liberalmaverick @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 23:59:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The unique dynamic (0.00 / 0)

I think the notable angle in this race is that the "incumbent" is the same guy Democrats in PA have been NOT voting for for years. It's a different dynamic than having an incumbent from your own party challenged from within.

In the generals Specter has no doubt benefited from the normal inertia and ignorance that characterizes the broad electorate. But primaries typically attract only the most dedicated and interested-in-politics citizens, many of whom, on the Dem side, have been trying to put Specter out to pasture for years (or so I would think). Has Specter consistently won big? Or has he won tight races over the years? Has he had a lot of Dem support?

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by: Jenai1 @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 16:27:11 PM UTC

My Knowledge Is Limited Past 2004 (0.00 / 0)

But the impression I've always gotten is that he gets decent independent support and a few Dems; more than most GOPers in the state.  That doesn't help him here because we have closed primaries.  Sestak snagged the Delco Dems endorsement, since we're his home base, so he'll be on the sample ballots here.  I don't know how other counties voted, but if Sestak got 2 out of 3 of Montco, Chesco, and Philly, he'll get a lot of undecided voters in the Dem stronghold.

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by: themann1086 @ Tue May 11, 2010 at 18:42:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]