Specter Wins 51-49 Republican Senatorial Primary: live thread

4/27/2004 | self

[rudy45]

My apologies if a thread already exists. I did a search on "Toomey" and found nothing.

I arrived at my polling area (suburban Philadelphia) at 6:45 am to hand out palm cards. The weather is terrific this morning, but turnout (I thought) was light (I had to leave at 9:15, but will be back).

Actually, I have a good feeling about Pat.

[RobFromGa]

What happens if Bush leaves a Supreme Court with 6 or 7 members to his replacement? The chances are that Bush will not be able to put a single nominee on the Supreme Court during the next four years, should there be a vacancy.

THis is true unless we get a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority. Or unless we get the courts to declare that judicial appointment votes are not filibuster-able.

[Old Sarge]

conservatives are gonna drink Kool-Aid and vote for them just because they call themselves pubbies.

The Karl Rove School of CONservative Voting:

"Of COURSE they'll vote Republican - where else are they going to go?"

[PennsylvaniaMom]

"Of COURSE they'll vote Republican - where else are they going to go?"

My answer, not vote for Specter in November. I won't vote for Hoeffel(D), or whoever the Liberatarians, or Greens or anyone else runs. I will write in Toomey. My vote, my 'choice,'...I am not taking a swig of that RINO KoolAid.

[NittanyLion]

Considering how close the final results were, one can state with certainty that Bush & Santorum's campaigning for Specter were what won him this race.

Instead of getting out and fighting for an ally, they caved in to their fear and supported the man who's abused them all these years. It's difficult to fully express how disheartening their actions were in this election. We could've had a strong conservative, and instead courtesy of Bush and Santorum we have the choice of two liberals come November.

[mewzilla]

Well, Santorum and Bush didn't make those voters stay home. They did that on their own. Darn.

[steveegg]

Easy fella. Rove knows exactly what he's doing. He got Dubya in the White House once and he's going to keep him there for 4 more years, your vote or not.

Let's review the 2000 campaign...

Instead of using money in various winnable battleground states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, he blew the campaign budget on California, which, since Pete Wilson pissed on just about everybody in one way or another, was, is, and always will be a lost cause for non-movie star Pubbies. Then, he failed to recognize that Florida became a battleground state. Finally, his post-election strategy in Florida (and lack of post-election strategy in Iowa, New Mexico and Wisconsin) literally put the White House within minutes of being Algore's.

[NittanyLion]

I live in Madison WI

That explains a lot...

[steveegg]

I think they want Specter because, win or lode in November, they have a Senator who helps them get what they want.

It sure looks like that doesn't include conservative justices, because they now won't make it out of committee.

[NittanyLion]

Well, Santorum and Bush didn't make those voters stay home. They did that on their own. Darn.

They sure did stop the bleeding, though. The wheels were coming off the Specter campaign, yet Bush and Santorum propped him up long enough to win this thing. That's horribly disappointing. If a challenger comes this close to beating an incumbent - using 1/3 of the money, and after the President and other Senator endorsed the incumbent - that tells me he could've won if only Santorum/Bush had stayed quiet on the issue (or if he'd had more money).

A non-endorsement of Specter would've been picked up and run with by the media...it would've been a vote of no confidence.

[NittanyLion]

Spector will go nowhere, he owes GWB big-time and he will be reminded of it from now until 2009

What makes you think Liberal Arlen cares in the least about what Bush did in this primary? The man is literally a RINO - he changed parties just to get support for an AG run. This is the man who Borked Bork. It's sheer lunacy to believe that suddenly - in his last term - he'll change his ways.

[olde north church]

THIS JUST IN:
POUTING "REAL" CONSERVATIVES GO WAA! WAA! 'WE'RE STAYING HOME ON ELECTION DAY. WE'LL SHOW THEM!'.
These "real" conservatives, by their actions, are going to hand PA to the Dems anyway. It was lose, lose for Bush either way.

[Dane]

Well to give him a modicum of credit, Spector "borked" Anita Hill. That's a fact.

Also Barry Goldwater in 1962 endorsed the liberal Jacob Jatvis. I surmise you would go urinate on his grave for doing that.

[Josh in PA]

These "real" conservatives, by their actions, are going to hand PA to the Dems anyway. It was lose, lose for Bush either way.


====

No problem with me.. I'll take Jon Kyl chairing judiciary, thank you very much.

[steveegg]

This is the man who Borked Bork. It's sheer lunacy to believe that suddenly - in his last term - he'll change his ways.

And we're assuming that Scottish Law isn't "repealed" in November.

If a challenger comes this close to beating an incumbent - using 1/3 of the money, and after the President and other Senator endorsed the incumbent - that tells me he could've won if only Santorum/Bush had stayed quiet on the issue (or if he'd had more money).

Heck, if Specter couldn't pull away with three times the money and the backing of both machines in the primary, I don't like his chances when the well-oiled, well-financed RAT machine turns on him in November, even if all the Toomey voters choose the lesser of the two major evils and don't engage in either a boycott or a meaningless "protest" vote.

[KC Burke]

DYKYMWTSM?

[steveegg]

No problem with me.. I'll take Jon Kyl chairing judiciary, thank you very much.

You're assuming that the Pubbies manage to flip over a RAT seat, and that Frist has a backbone. Unfortunately, as part of the Senate Pubbie rules, he had to give up the spine upon assuming "leadership".

[Owen]

Sorry, went to bed. "Is a conservative an extremist?" Which? Some are, some aren't. That's like asking are all summer days too hot.

A 1 and a 2 are extreme. Maybe a 3. A 4 a 5 and a 6 are moderates. A 7, 8, 9 and 10's are extremist liberals.

[HamiltonJay]

Spoken like a true Zealot.. who cares if we lose control of the Senate as long as my guy doesn't lose the primary....

Talk about verbal manure.

I know you don't want to hear it, I know you don't want to accept it. I know denial is probably the most powerful mental disease there is.

The reality is, Toomey didn't stand a snowball in hell of winning the General. The senate is far to close to throw away an R seat, even if you don't like that particular R.

What was playing out in PA in this race was not Toomey V Santorum... it was the the equivalent of the Kennedy's v the Clinton's in terms of control of the Democratic party... except this time it was the Right Wing V the Current Control of the republican party.

Lots of money pumped in in an attempt to unseat what they feel was far to liberal a Senator, regardless of the outcome in november.... They want control of the party and that's what this was about... for crying out loud this same group of people is pushing Larry Clayman of judicial watch down in Florida.

If you think losing control of the Senate was worth proving a point, for at least 2 years, to prove a point is a good thing... well you are among the minority.

We are AT WAR, there are people in this world who want to kill us, and everything we stand for. The Dems have shown time and time again they cannot be trusted with anything remotely smelling like national security... at a time when we should be united to destroy this foe, the Dems are out there being apologists for them and attacking our President and institutions. And you think them gaining control of the Senate would be more palpable than your guy losing the primary?

The reality is, if you want to put up a conservative for Senate, fine. Put one up who can win statewide... someone who has a base of support that can be built on, someone who is articulate and carry's himself well. Look at Santorum, he should be the role model for who should have been running against Specter... and sorry guys, Toomey isn't even remotely in the same league.

Toomey would have been a disaster in the general, would have handed the Dems another seat in the Senate,and would have made PA that much tougher to carry in November in the Presidential election. That's politcal reality... I know it doesn't jive with your ideological desires, but that's reality.

[olde north church]

Yeah, Kyl will work well with President Democrat.

[petercooper]

Toomey is a far right nut? And what is Santorum, a moderate? He won statewide, and Toomey could have also. All you Specter lovers are out in left field.