Posted on 04/29/2009 9:40:41 AM PDT by bmweezer
The chattering in Harrisburg, Pa. and increasingly in Washington, D.C. is this: Pat Toomey will not be able to win the PA senate seat being held by Arlen Specter, now that the race will be held in a general election and not in the Pa. GOP primary. As such, the name of Pennsylvania's former governor Tom Ridge has popped to the surface as the one candidate that can beat Arlen Specter.
Think again.
Pat Toomey versus Arlen Specter would be the classic Conservative vs. Liberal type of campaign that the GOP, now in the minority, needs to take in order to make that important push away from the policies and positions of the past and think ahead to the future.
While Tom Ridge served adequately as Pennsylvania's top pol, and to a lesser degree as this nation's first Homeland Security Secretary, he is no conservative and is exactly the type of Republican that pushed the party away from the principals of Ronald Reagan, and into the direction of those like John McCain. Toomey, on the other hand is in the model of Reagan and it is there that the party must go in order to regain some type of power again in our nation.
A Ridge vs. Specter race would pit one pro-choicer versus another and the end result will likely be a sixth term for the U.S. Senate's newest Democrat, and once again leave the GOP shutout. Toomey vs. Specter, however, would set the stage for a real discussion on the virtues of conservatism against the harsh realities that is liberalism and under President Obama, socialism.
The chattering class assumes that Obama will be as popular in November 2010 as he is today, but that reality is just a pipe dream. The liberal policies already passed in Obama's first 100 days and those coming down the road have been tried and tried again in the world and in our nation's history and each time, have failed.
While most Americans today are happy to continue blaming those 'damn Republicans' on the country's woes and give the new president a pass, when things worsen next year, they will have no one to blame but the White House and the large Democratic majorities in Congress.
The concern, however, is this: will the GOP realize this and back Ridge anyway or take a gamble and place a bet on Toomey?
The weeks and months ahead will tell us if the party of Reagan has learned its lesson, or rather, they have not.
Anyone think that the RNC is behind this article?
Take your choice. Get a possible win with Ridge, or certain defeat with Toomey.
“Anyone think that the RNC is behind this article?”
If the RNC hasn’t gotten the message that we need to support CONSERVATIVES by now, then they are truly lost.
We can’t have wishy-washy RINOs! We the people have made it clear that we don’t want any more RINOs! We’re cleaning house and the RNC can either join us or resign!
If the party wanted Tom Ridge, they would have kept supporting Specter. Obviously, Specter saw he couldn’t win the GOP nomination and that is why he switched parties. So, Ridge vs. Specter would be like voting between two flavors of vanilla.
I’m guessing that Specter would not have switched without some assurance by state Democrats that they would stand down and let him win their nomination. Otherwise, there’s no point in switching.
So, the GOP needs to run someone who contrasts with Specter, not agrees with Specter. Then let the chips fall where they may. The worst that can happen is that we are still stuck with the same guy who is there now.
Here we go again... We either vote for the RNC-annointed RINO or our conservative will certainly go down to defeat.
I’ve read this book before. I know how it ends. No thanks!
I know he is billed as a right wing FISCAL conservative, but other issues also matter.
He smeared Congressman Duncan Hunter over his votes for defense bills. What are his other positions.
Good answer!
Does anybody on this sight actually send $$$’s to the RNC anymore? And if so, why?
I saw that Lindsey Grahamnesty is pushing for Ridge. If that doesn't tell folks he's a RINO, I don't know what else will.
While the party establishment needs to learn to support conservatives, the conservatives also need to learn something.
Conservatives need to learn that politics isn’t just about issues and ideology. Politics is also about constituent service. Politics is about charisma, charm, ability for voters to relate and identify with the candidate.
Some talk of Reagan’s 3 legged stool ... Defense, Economic conservative, social conservative. They ignore the 4th leg of the stool.
Reagan did not win because he was right on the first 3 legs of the stool.
Reagan won because he was a folksy charismatic friendly communicator with a quick wit. Without this 4th leg to the stool, the stool can only win if the opponent is on a stool with even fewer legs.
Sometimes flushing twice isn't enough to clean the toilette.
Ridge is a meathead whose biggest contribution to American politics is a color-coded alarm system. If this happens, the RNC’s fingerprints are all over it. Any real chance that a Republican with ties with Bush II can get elected doorkeeper at this point is remote and I'm sure the RNC is aware of this, but the libs on that body never give up.
As a matter of fact, in New Jersey, Tom Kean's Department of Environmental Protection head, who, not surprisingly, held an advisoruy position in the same area under Corzine, is planning to run as an independent for Governor.
There is a very real chance that a genuine conservative, Steve Lonegan, may be nominated on the Republican Ticket. If that happens, Tom Kean, Chrissie Whitman and the other members of the seditious RINO wing of the GOP in Jersey apparently plan to sabotage his campaign by drawing votes away from him to Mr. Dagett, the independent. On the other hand, if their boy Chris Christie gets nominated,Dagett will probably not run as an independent.
The ONLY thing more loathsome than a liberal Democrat is a RINO.
I think the Grim Reaper is going to beat Specter before long.
However you folks feel about Ridge, Thompson, Whitman, etc... this was one of Bush’s biggest blunders... Taking out all of these governers and placing them into his cabinet... What a disaster.
I will not send any money to the RNC. I will send it to each conservative candidate of my choice. I do not want any of my money going to any RINO.
Yeah, this sounds like some of Michael Steele's BS. These guys are seriously afraid that we just might take our party back from these pretenders.
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