What's the matter with Pennsylvania?

Washington Examiner ^ | May 15, 2022 | Salena Zito

[T Ruth]

MEYERSDALE, Pennsylvania — Unless either Dr. Mehmet Oz or David McCormick pulls out a miracle between today and Tuesday evening, just over 20% of the Republican primary electorate is going to nominate Kathy Barnette for U.S. Senate.

This would mark the first time in modern Pennsylvania Republican primary history that such a complete unknown wins with no statewide infrastructure to support her candidacy, zero money, and little scrutiny. If she succeeds, she will have upended a race between two capable candidates who, up until a week ago, seemed to be locked in a two-man contest.

This would also mark the first time in Pennsylvania Republican primary history that an insurgent candidate has ever won a primary race. ***

***

*** There is no state party to rescue Oz or McCormick, because the party didn’t even have the spine to endorse in this race. ***

As a consequence, the party’s decision not to endorse in the governor's or Senate races has had long-reaching implications. By failing to do so, it left a ridiculous number of candidates in the race for both offices — in particular for the governor's race, where nine candidates stayed in long past their expiration date. This allowed the eccentric, far-right Doug Mastriano to suck up all of the oxygen.

In short, if Barnette wins — and everything at this moment points in that direction — she will undoubtedly run shoulder to shoulder with Mastriano. They’ve endorsed each other, they campaign together all the time, and they hold the same outsider standing — even outside of Trumpworld.

It is hard to find any pathway where either of them will win in November, even in the remarkable conditions available to Republican candidates right now.

***

[LS]

We disagree on this.

Not talking about it anymore.

Barnette is a time bomb, and no one yet has really vetted her.

[fieldmarshaldj]

You keep talking about it, and throwing out thoroughly unsubstantiated allegations against Miss Barnette. That’s the kind of garbage and innuendoes that Salena Zito kept doing, and why her reputation has drastically been diminished, if not permanently tarnished.

The fact is that it is Oz - who has no record at all of Conservatism, other than waving around a golden ticket endorsement from President Trump - that is the literal ticking time bomb and a risk to national security. This guy triggered my creep-o-meter 15 years ago, and it’s never wrong.

We had a similar entitled creature here in TN-5 waving around her golden ticket. Fortunately the state party, with the wholehearted support of us locals, told Morgan Ortagus to hit the bricks. A 5% swing and the PA folks could’ve sent the Wizard of Oz packing and put in an actual inspirational nominee instead. That’s a damn shame.

[kvanbrunt2]

So there are different reasons....and nothing bad about it.>>> Unless you are a senator and swear an oath to defend. Not saying it is bad. he is a nut to give a excuse that he served in the Turkish army to make it easier to see his mom. A millionaire? really? Doing it is one thing making up his stupid reason makes him quite the loon.