Opinion: Why the Pennsylvania Special Election Is Not So Special

Roll Call ^ | March 13,2018 | Patricia Murphy

[Hojczyk]

Such contests are more about storylines than winning

In reality, the race will not only not change the balance of power in Congress, it won’t even determine who will get a leg up to win the seat this fall. That’s because the district will be entirely redrawn when the primaries for the seat take place two months from now and at least one candidate, Lamb, won’t even live there for a possible rematch.

Tuesday’s election is also taking place with the 115th Congress’ heaviest legislating in the rear view mirror. With midterm primaries already underway, the chances of major bills coming before the House or Senate before November grows smaller by the day. The winner of this contest will most likely be naming post offices and approving suspension bills in between trips home to campaign for re-election.

The race is also not a test for the tariff issue in the Rust Belt, since both candidates support President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on foreign-made steel and aluminum. Nor is it a question of the power of the gun control issue in the wake of the Florida school shooting, because Saccone and Lamb have similar positions there, too.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Here comes the spin.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Bragging rights. Works for a lot of people.

[knarf]

Well written article with some good points.

[FlipWilson]

The PA distracting is not a done deal. The Supreme Court did not hearcit previously because the case was not justiciable.

[VeniVidiVici]

There is no spin. What did Lamb offer the electorate from the Democrat Platform?

[Carl Vehse]

"What did Lamb offer the electorate from the Democrat Platform?

The letter "D" after his name.

[familyop]

Oh, yeah. Today is #MeFirst and #NewYork day.

[relictele]

What horribly cliched, awkward and contradictory writing.

If one of the candidates will live outside the new district then a rematch is impossible.

[ZULU]

Saccone was a terrible candidate to run against Lamb. Aweful.
And the stunt Trump pulled on gun control helped the libertarian, and hurt Saccone
Lamb was a lot more photogenic.

[DoughtyOne]

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President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America
President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations on 09/19/2017.

Ramirez political cartoon:  Trade War LARGE VERSION 03/12/2018: LINK  LINK to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).
Garrison political cartoon:  Gun Control Supporters LARGE VERSION 03/13/2018: LINK  LINK (scroll down) to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).

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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Just $752.00 dollars to 89.00%

[rockinqsranch]

Unfortunately too many think the man with the (D) after his name isn’t lying to them.

People don’t seem to understand the important difference between the (D), and the (R) after the names of the candidates.

The (D) after the name indicates a party controlled individual that will abide by the party line no matter what he/she may say while campaigning, or he/she will never work in their field ever again if they survive going against the party line.

The candidate with the (R) after his name is not controlled by the party, and therefore can piss off anybody he/she pleases once elected.

Who’d you rather have?

[Para-Ord.45]

bm

[jdsteel]

The letter "D" after his name.

Without ever SAYING the word Democrat. He is Lamb the Scam.

[DaleGrrl]

I’m scared Saccone lost. Agree Lamb had a lot more “curb appeal”, but I don’t want the evel Ds back in power.

[vladimir998]

When I checked a couple of minutes ago it was 50% vs. 50% with 98 % of the vote counted. A real nail biter!

[G Larry]

Dem by 850 votes.

Third party got 1600....

Automatic recount.

[G Larry]

Lamb (D) 111,875 49.9
Saccone (R) 111,028 49.5
Miller (L) 1,351 0.6

>https://www.realclearpolitics.com<

[fortheDeclaration]

Democrat leads, we lose every time.

[fortheDeclaration]

The irony would be that the Democrat wins the seat and then it is eliminated.