Poll says Specter holds 20-point edge over Toomey(46-43 over Ridge)

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter would defeat Republican rival Pat Toomey by a large margin if the 2010 Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race was held today, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll released this morning.

Mr. Specter, now a Democrat, holds a 55 to 33 percent edge over Mr. Toomey, his former Republican party rival.

However, the poll says if popular former Gov. Tom Ridge becomes the Republican candidate, Mr. Specter would lead by only 46 to 43 percent.

"A former Republican senator running as a Democrat against a popular former Republican governor seeking to make a political comeback would be a battle royal in Pennsylvania," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Gov. Tom Ridge is probably the only political figure in Pennsylvania who could give Sen. Arlen Specter a run for his money.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09124/967593-100.stm

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The more I consider this the less I'm pleased as a Pennsylvania Dem to have Specter in our party. I get the feeling he's still going to vote with Repukes on many of the issues and if the Repukes come to their senses in 2010 and nominate Ridge we could lose the seat.

I hope Obama, Biden, Rendell and Casey told Specter their support hinges on his voting record from this point on instead of giving him blanket support. I hope we have an independent enough Democratic voter base that we'd see through Arlen and give someone like Sestak the nomination if Specter screws us over like I think he will.

I am not familiar with PA politics but have not heard of anyone else running in the primary. Was he promised no challenger? They state must be able to put up a better candidate.

It might happen, but they would have little chance against Specter and his backers.

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) is known by some to be very ambitious. Perhaps some of that ambition was showing when he said today that he was going to "wait and see" on whether he'd support Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter in a Democratic primary.

Sestak, a former two-star admiral elected in 2006, thought to be considering a 2010 Senate bid of his own, called Specter's decision a "good thing" for Specter, but not necessarily for Democrats or Pennsylvanians.

He told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that there are two things to consider:

1. "I ran for something, not against something." Sesktak said people should ask of Specter, "What he's running for?"

2. He said former President Bill Clinton reshaped the party for the better -- something Sestak said he would have liked to have seen Specter do for the GOP.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/28/1913024.aspx

And if you can believe Politico.

A Pennsylvania Democrat who's considering running against party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter next year, Rep. Joe Sestak, is miffed at the decision by President Barack Obama and other Democratic leaders to back Specter in any Democratic primary fight.

"I'm kind of disappointed in the Democratic political establishment in Washington, DC," Rep. Joe Sestak said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

Sestak said the pledge of support for Specter, who became a Democrat just last week, flew in the face of the grassroots, anti-establishment theme of Obama's presidential bid. However, the former Navy admiral said he hasn't decided whether to acquiesce to the party leadership. Sestak said his decision will depend on whether he thinks Specter's conversion is driven by principle or simple pragmatism.

"What I need to know is what he's running for," Sestak said. "If he has the right answer, so be it. We move on."

"Too many jobs have been lost for us to worry about somebody else's job who switched parties," the congressman said. "I'm not sure he's a Democrat yet."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0509/Sestak_is_miffed.html

I emailed Sestak last night and told him to run and this PA Democrat will support him over Specter. I'm miffed as well if Obama, Biden, Casey and Rendell if they would continue to back Specter unless he proves himself to truly be a Dem!

I'm hoping we can get a CT like groundswell against Specter if he proves to be a DINO.

if he were to win, would immediately switch back to republican.

We will treat him better, for sure. The question is if he will treat us well. If he doesn't give us major votes, I'm voting for Sestak if he runs - or will write him in.

You're right, he will stay a Democrat only if it helps him.

Unless they wise up and read the writing on the wall. Ridge though is somewhat popular here from his time as Gov. Maybe if the people who jumped to Dem in 08 really hated Specter and decided to jump back to Repub to vote for Ridge in the primary. Going to be an interesting time in PA next year.

This poll should scare the hell out of the Republican leadership (at least if they were smart enough to be scared). Here you have a Senator, Specter, who was shown to be losing to a conservative primary challenger by so much that he left the party. Yet, on the other hand in a general election Specter apparently would kick Toomey's ass. Doesn't that show that the Repubs/Conservatives are so out of touch with what the American electorate (not including some areas of the South) wants that they will not only continue to lose but continue to lose big until they change their ideology and the way they do business?

Democratic Party, reTHUGs are doomed if they don't leave the nutty RW behind.