Good riddance? GOP relies on Specter-like recruits

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22212.html

Good riddance? GOP relies on Specter-like recruits

For many Republicans, including Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, the reaction to Sen. Arlen Specter’s party switch was unequivocal: good riddance.

Yet even as his jilted former party slams the door behind him, the GOP is quietly pursuing a 2010 strategy that relies heavily on candidates nearly identical to Specter. The party’s road to winning back a Senate majority, it seems, is paved with moderates whose records are sure to make conservatives blanch.

For the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s recruitment list for 2010 reads like a roster of some of the party’s best-known RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) and squishes — the derisive terms applied to centrists by movement conservatives.


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In Delaware, where there is widespread consensus that just one Republican — Rep. Michael Castle, the co-founder of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership — can win Joe Biden’s former seat, the push is on to get him to announce for the Senate. Castle, one of three Republicans who voted for all six bills on the Democrats’ “100 hour” agenda in 2007, was the only Republican standing alongside Obama when he signed an executive order in March allowing federal funds for stem cell research.

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Specter himself might end up facing a Republican whose voting record will closely resemble his own. Amid speculation that national and state Republicans do not believe conservative former Rep. Pat Toomey can win statewide in Pennsylvania, two more moderates have surfaced as leading Senate prospects: Rep. Jim Gerlach and former Gov. Tom Ridge, whose chances of becoming John McCain’s running mate last year were hurt because of his support for abortion rights.

At least Phil is an avid gun "user".

by Democrats.

Obama won something like 75% of the vote in Delaware, and there are virtually no Illinois Republicans left.

Beau, if he runs, will win his dad's old seat--and whoever primaries the fuck out of Burris will beat him.

The only one I'm worried about is Ridge. If he challenges Arlen he'll win--but I suppose we wouldn't really notice a difference as far as ideology goes.

I'd love to see McCain get beaten in a primary in Arizona, because if Simcox the Racist has to run against a serious opponent he'll get curbstomped. If Napolitano wasn't DHS Secretary I'd suggest her.

If you were, you'd understand there is a serious risk if Mike Castle runs for senate. Castle is the ONLY republican that can easily win state wide (usually around 60%). In fact, let me give you REAL stastics instead of the ones you randomly made up.

In 2008:

Mike Castle won his US congress seat with 61%
Obama/Biden won the state with 62%
Joe Biden the Senate Race won with 65%

Castle can carry the numbers. Internal polling done by the Delaware News Journal (our local home state paper) have shown that Mike Castle could win the US Senate seat and pretty decisively especially if the candidate was Beau Biden Jr, whom many feel he is running simply on his dad's coat-tails.

Mike Castle has NEVER lost a statewide race. He has served as governor for 2 terms and then the remaining time (8 terms) as our lone congressional representative (which is pretty much like a statewide race).

He is a moderate republican. He is from the largest city in Delaware - Wilmington (hell he shops at the same grocery store I do - he lives about 10 blocks away from me). I swear the fact that his last name is Castle and the most populous county in our state is New Castle probably helps him in some bizarro way. He is like your favorite grandfather - everyone has a Mike Castle story. He is moderate, he is pro-choice, he is pro-environment, he is pro-stem cell research (he wrote the most recent bill). He is as moderate as they come. And if he runs for senate he will win.

Please, next time you talk about a state - if you see the OP has that state as their avatar make sure you get your facts right before assuming stuff.

Oh and here's ANOTHER local DE paper with a poll on the hypothetical matchup between Castle vs. Biden III:
http://www.ledgerdelaware.com/articles/2009/05/04/news/doc49ffa1c1afca0453799066.txt

Dont' assume because he's a Biden he'll win. Beau Biden barely won his AG race and was in that position for only a year before he was sent off to Iraq. Alot of Delawareans feel that Beau hasn't proven anything other than he has the same charm and charisma as his father. Joe lucked out winning his Senate seat as young as he did and with little experience beforehand - that magic won't strike twice. I think if Beau was smart he'd stick with his AG seat for 2 terms and then consider a senate bid when he has a record he can run on. Don't get me wrong - I'll vote for Beau in a heartbeat but it's not the common notion across this state you assume went 75% for Obama/Biden.


Final Edit Comments:

I think all of us dems here in Delaware are hoping for 1 of 3 things to happen:

* Castle realizes that the Senate has a tight-knit clique of right-wing nutjobs that will not accept an outsider like Mike Castle and Castle decides he's can best serve as a moderate in house instead of an outsider in the senate.

* Castle realizes that he, like Specter, best aligns with the democrats and swaps parties. I would have no problem voting for Mike Castle the democrat - I have never voted for Mike Castle the republican. I haven't voted republican since like 1994.

* Castle is getting too old for this crap and retires. He's got a tough opponent for his house race for the first time EVER! Popular ex-Lt. Governor Jim Carney is running against him. Carney is actually a much bigger threat against Castle than Beau Biden is right now. I think the many of the dems in our state was hoping that Carney would run for senate since he would be the stronger of the 2 candidates. My only issue with Carney - he's a bit moderate himself.