[Bushbacker]

Hoeffel has mastered the trick of being an ACLU Democrat but appearing to be a centrist.

I disagree. Rendell managed it but he actually looks and talks like a regular guy, and he had planned it for years (appearing as a post-game Eagles commentator & such.) Hoeffel looks and talks like a dweed college professor (no offense intended to any FR college profs). He won't sell upstate or in Pittsburgh


_____You're overlooking the fact
that Hoeffel has consistently
won elections in a 2-1 GOP district. He used to be re-elected without any opposition when he was State Representative
and he represented a major GOP
stronghold in Montgomery County.

Hoeeffel is well-liked by Republicans and frankly I even voted for him twice as State Rep.
Why? Because he was doing a
good job.

Phila, Montco, Bucks...enough to swing the entire state...Gore won all three areas in 2000 big-time and he won the state.

OTOH, Santorum won even with Gore heading the Dem ticket

___Because the Democrats had a completely inept and dull candidate. Rendell would have won
easily, but he wanted to be governor.

[Tribune7]

You're overlooking the fact that Hoeffel has consistently won elections in a 2-1 GOP district.

Montgomery County is a liberal GOP district. It's much more liberal than Delaware County even. Toomey won in a heavy (I'm not sure of the ratio) Dem district.