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Audacity of Truth
Gaffetastic:
Vice President Joe Biden had his “oops” moment Wednesday speaking in a 49er-crazed SF when he told a crowd at a city political fundraiser that “the Giants are on their way to the Super Bowl.” - SF Chronicle, 1-18-12
First thoughts: Tom Ridge may run for Specter’s seat
The WaPo reports this morning that Tom Ridge is considering making a run for Arlen Specter’s seat:
Former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge (R) is seriously considering a 2010 bid for the Senate seat held by Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter and will make his decision in the next two weeks, according to several sources familiar with his thinking.
Ridge is perhaps the state’s most decorated Republican, having held a House seat for more than a decade, spent eight years as governor and served as the first secretary of homeland security under President George W. Bush. He was also mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick for Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) in 2008.
If he ran, he would almost certainly face primary opposition from former congressman Pat Toomey, a conservative who came within two points of knocking off Specter in the 2004 Republican primary. Toomey has made it clear that he is in the race regardless of whether Ridge, who is considered to be a moderate, runs.
Polling suggests that Ridge would be more competitive than Toomey against Specter, who left the GOP last week, in a general election. In a new survey by Quinnipiac University, Specter leads Ridge by a narrow margin of 46 percent to 43 percent, while he holds a 20-point margin over Toomey.
“This is a statement of the obvious fact that Pat Toomey is not yet well known by statewide general-election voters,” Toomey communications director Nachama Soloveichik said about the Quinnipiac numbers. “Where he is well known, by general-election voters in the swing 15th District and by statewide Republicans, he is overwhelmingly popular.”
My political predictions are usually pretty bad, but maybe the one I’m about to make here will be on the mark: I predict that Toomey will beat Ridge by around 5 points in the primary, assuming Ridge does indeed run.
I’m interested in the thoughts of my fellow poljunkie readers on this potential match up – especially long-suffering PA conservatives who have had to endure Specter for years. Who do you think would make the better Senator – Toomey or Ridge, and do you believe that Ridge – as a moderate Republican – would still be better than having Specter in that seat?
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11 Responses to “First thoughts: Tom Ridge may run for Specter’s seat”
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Toomey is the people’s choice.
Ridge is the Party’s choice.
I’d go with the people on this one.
We’re pissed.
I don’t believe Ridge can beat Specter in the general election. RINOs are likely to remain loyal to Arlen and Democrats will have no trouble voting for Specter.
The best hope would be an opponent who articulates the principles that made this country great. If defending the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution makes me a ‘right-wing nut,’ I will wear that label with pride. Force the MSM to attack the founding documents as being an unworthy platform in today’s Republican Party.
I know little about PA politics, but I seem to recall that Ridge was very popular as governor there. While ideologically I’d prefer Twomey, I think I’d be content with Ridge, too, for either would be better than Specter. I think a primary race between Ridge and Specter, if they could keep it out of the mud and focused on policies, would be a good thing.
The real battle is Toomey and Club for Growth against the Rockefeller wing of the Republican party.
Also, why is being pro-life viewed by the media as an enhancement for the Democrat Casey and being pro-life is viewed as a net negative for the Republican Toomey?
Because the mainstream media is the pr wing of the Democrat party. An unassailable fact given that the mainstream media almost never wanders from Josh Marshall’s talking points memo.
Other than being pro-choice, Ridge is a pretty good conservative. He’s not a RINO like Specter is. I’d rather see Ridge run and win, than Toomey run and lose.
Not that an expert on PA polotics, having never been there, but Toomey almost won, with the whole weight of the national Party against him.
Oddly, that marked the rapid slide from power of Republicans. Naturally, since supporting a turncoat worked so well for them, expect the national party to support the moderate.
Either of them would be better than Janus
“especially long-suffering PA conservatives who have had to endure Specter for years”
With all due respect, ST.
Endure? Long-suffering PA conservatives? These fools knew this guy was an egomaniacal, power hungry, pork-grabbing RINO fraud for years. Shame on them for electing a poser. Voters deserve what they vote for.
Google: Illinois Democrat Machine.
I live in PA, and I’m not interested in a “pretty good” conservative. Tolerating “pretty good” conservatives has led to the ruination of the Republican Party as a true alternative to the Democrats.
I don’t think the rats will run Specter specially if it’s close. They gave him no seniority so they’ll use him till 2010 and throw him away. He deserve it.
As far as Arlen Specter is concerned, it’s not about driving “moderates” from the Republican Party, it’s about the secret plan to send all imbeciles to the Democratic Party.
The downside of this plan is that the number of imbeciles was underestimated .. speaks volumes about the state of education.
Meanwhile, Arlen Specter has shown that his “imbecile” status is well deserved.
The upside for Republicans, given Specter’s treatment by the Democrats, is that it is now unlikely that any of the other “moderate” Republicans will bolt to the Democratic Party.
For this I give a big “thumbs up” to the Democrats. Good Job.