Specter could be 'toast' in 2010 election, pollster says

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 2009-02-28 | Brad Bumsted

[rabscuttle385]

HARRISBURG -- A new statewide poll shows 53 percent of Pennsylvanians -- and 66 percent of Republicans -- want someone to replace Sen. Arlen Specter.

Asked whether they think Specter, a Philadelphia Republican, has done his job well enough to win re-election or whether they'd prefer a "new person" in that job, registered voters by a 53-38 percent margin said it's time to give someone else a chance, according to the poll by Susquehanna Polling and Research. Eight percent were undecided.

The numbers might reflect Specter's vote as one of three Republican senators who enabled passage of President Obama's $787 billion federal stimulus package, said James Lee, president of Harrisburg-based Susquehanna polling. But they reflect long-standing dissatisfaction among Republican conservatives with Specter's record, he said.

If the election were held today, "in a two-person race, Specter is toast" if his challenger is a credible candidate, Lee said. A race with more candidates likely would improve Specter's chances of winning.

"The senator never comments on polls," said Specter spokeswoman Kate Kelly. "There is only one that counts."

The poll surveyed 700 registered voters from Monday through Thursday. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

[Caipirabob]

Unless the people can crush ACORN before they overwhelm our election process in such a way that the socialists can never be defeated, it may not make a difference by 2010.

[Joe Boucher]

Wouldn’t mid seeing Specter in the graveyard by 2010.

Not very Christian is it?

[liliesgrandpa]

Steele, head of the RNC said he would send money and support to any candidate that the local Republicans supported. If the local idiots that have been backing Specter tell the RNC that they want the RINO back, the RNC will back him.

[Venturer]

I hope Steele didnt really mean that, for if Spectre is the Republican candidate in Pa. I will send a donation to the Democrat. Yes: Spectre is that bad.

[saganite]

To be replaced by a Democrat. Nothing to cheer about even though Specter might get his just desserts.

[nonliberal]

Santorum ENDORSED him over Toomey. Ricky won’t run against him.

[Nextrush]

Santorum is an insider politico who showed it with his support of Specter, even when Arlen ran for president in 1996.

Santorum is in the water right now and might be trying a political comeback.

But I’ve soured of him because I know he’s an insider hack, not an outsider conservative.

[tanknetter]

The only way the RNC regains any credibility is if he is gone in the primary.

Toomey came close the last time around. Only thing that really saved Specter was Santorum riding in to the rescue. Specter repaid the favor by cutting and running when Santorum was up for reelection.

If Toomey runs again, and it's a two-person race, Specter loses the primary. I'm not from PA, but I really hope that the PA Conservatives get their act together and settle on a single candidate to challenge Specter for the nomination before the primary. Regardless of whether it's Toomey or not. Having two or three or four Conservatives and Specter in the primary probably (as the article points out) means a Specter win.

I'd also bet that if Specter loses his primary he does what Lieberman did in CT and runs in the general as an independent. In that case it'll be fun to watch the reaction of all the Nedheads who skewered Lieberman for doing that.

[Iron Munro]

Ten years too late.

In fact, people like him should never be elected in the first place. The fact he has been elected over and over again shows how politicians are able to corrupt the election process by using pork to keep themselves in office.

[ought-six]

Good! Get rid of that Quisling.

[bilhosty]

I expect we will hear Spector suddenly becoming a good Republican for the next year or so until the Primary.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Is there no such thing as a recall election ?

[org.whodat]

What is the illness of someone like specter that thinks they should stay in political office for life.

[3catsanadog]

He’ll be toast in 2010 if my vote has anything to do with it.

[Timeout]

I expect we will hear Spector suddenly becoming a good Republican for the next year or so until the Primary.

I suspect he'll become a Democrat. In the '94 swing to the GOP lots of Dems switched. Spectre would be a prime candidate for the reverse. He'd be drawn to the Dem advantage in fundraising. And being a Dem would allow him to become the kind of "moderate" the media LOVES....a liberal moderate! Not to mention the advantage he would get by being on the "right side" of the Philly machine.

Yeah, I think he'll switch.