Longtime GOP Sen. Arlen Specter to become Democrat

What this expected, in any way, by anyone? I'm totally surprised.

It was rumored for awhile that he was thinking about it. Still, I'm quite surprised.

all polls show him getting his ass kicked in 2010

As a republican, yeah. As a Democrat, it has yet to be seen.

I'm shocked, and am wondering what all the democrats who were running for Senate here in PA will think about this. He has no guarantee of being nominated.

Yeahhhh buddy

Go Specter

Are there serious democrat candidates out there?

Rendell is going to back him so no Democrat will run against him. I think he wins as a democrat. He is nearly a democrat anyway.

Ed Rendell?

Well, he admitted it was political at his conference.

Rendell would have only ran if that conservative had won the nominee. This to me shows the probably with the Republicans, they are losing more moderates. They are just becoming a religious party.

Do you think the fact that Spector is Jewish has something to do with this? (So is Rendell, actually, which brings up a funny story about a poll I read somewhere when they asked PA residents if PA was ready for a Jewish person in charge of the state, and a lot said no, unaware of Rendell and Spector!)

I didn't know that, and it could be part of it, although Spector is a moderate and just doesn't get along with the religions right.

I think Specter looked at his chances in the GOP primary and thought he had a chance of losing, or at the least a large fight, and that he would have better chances in the general election. I wonder if the state party is going to force out some of the other names so that Specter can cruise through the primaries?

I think the Democrats could probably get a more liberal candidate than Specter elected, so why bother pushing out the other candidates?

Sometimes I wish that local GOP factions would leave alone "moderate" politicians that are from moderate to liberal states. I might like Pat Toomey's politics more so than Specter's, but at least Specter can win in Penn.

Yes, in fact he admitted it. Although I disagree with much of Spector's politics, I have always admired him for being straightforward and honest.



Exactly. PA is a blue state, but only slightly. Moderates do best here; when Santorum was wiped clean* a few years ago you'd think the GOP here would learn but they apparently intend to repeat their mistake with Toomey.




* heh heh heh

In fact, Spector's whole reason for leaving the GOP was that he, as a moderate, could not win a Republican primary. That's both a political calculation and a commentary on the GOP base.

The same situation almost played up with Lieberman in CT, although he went Independent instead of joining the Repubs.

Lieberman became independent after he had already lost the primary, though and the Republican opponent was set.

Yeah, the Democrat Ned Lamont was a fucking wallflower. Lieberman is political herpes.

Maybe, but I am not sure that Specter could win the Dem primary if Rendell jumps in. I mean, Specter was one of the driving forces behind Clarence Thomas and Specter's position on card-check cannot be that popular amongst the Democratic Party base.

I guess he saw it as a choice between definitely losing the Republican primary, or possibly losing the Democratic primary. Gotta go with the odds.

What a phony sick typical politician. He was gonna get his ass handed to him in 2010 so he goes and flips sides. Why didn't he just go Independent like Lieberman?

Honestly, I hope he gets...

Probably too hard to raise cash as an independent.

Rendell though has said he is backing Specter so that won't happen. Only one democrat is still on the ballot and he is a nobody.

All I care about is that magic 60!