And assuming that Toomey isn’t capable, is Ridge’s stance on abortion — an issue he’ll never vote on in the Senate — so objectionable that you’re forced to back a guy who probably can’t win instead?

I swear, Allah is worse than the leftist press on abortion. Read your own rhetoric, dude. If Toomey is never going to vote on abortion, why is it the only issue you’re talking about?

Think name recognition has something to do with this poll? Think the 95% Dem satisfaction with “the job Specter is doing” will change after more than a week as a Democrat?

Give it a rest.

If I was a Dim I wouldn’t vote for him on principle. Wait a second, that just cleared it up for me

Schiavo definitely hurt Santorum as well as a general perception he was too conservative.

I don’t know why this idea of Santorum being too conservative for PA gets so much play among some people. Although he has strong conservative principles, I think he was more like George Bush in many ways. As far as his electability is concerned; in the 1990 race in the House of Representatives,Santorum ran against a seven term incumbent in a heavily Democrat district and won, and subsequently was re-elected for a second term. He then ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994, where he pulled off a big win over the Democrat incumbent, Harris Wofford. Santorum went on to win re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2000.

There were a number of factors to blame in his 2006 loss. He really angered the PA base with his endorsement of Specter in Specter’s 2004 campaign. The media hounded him for claiming residence in Penn Hills, PA while maintaining a VA home where, I believe, his family lived and received PA charter school tuition for his children. And his opponent in 2006 was the son of an incredibly popular governor, Bob Casey.

I met the senior Casey when the PA pro-life group supported him over pro-abortion Barbara Hafer. Who would have guessed his son would be just another cog in the Democrat machinery. His father was very outspoken in his pro-life views.

“PEG PAC found that if the election for US Senate were held today, Tom Ridge could defeat Arlen Specter by a margin of 39 percent to 38 percent. The poll also shows Specter would defeat Pat Toomey by a margin of 42 percent to 36 percent.” The number of undecided voters in the survey is over 20 percent cautioned Patti, and the margin of error is +/- 2.8 percent, so the association leader said the results are not conclusive.

He is pro-life, but so is Pennsylvania’s other senator, Bob Casey (although he did note for Sebelius). Perhaps two pro-lifers senators in Pennsylvania is one too many…
BigD on May 4, 2009 at 4:12 PM

Casey claims to be pro-life and was elected with the understanding that he was, but he has been reprimanded twice by Bishop Martino for pro-abortion votes: the one you mention; another vote for a pro-abort cabinet member (can’t remember her name/position) and worst of all; for repeal of the Mexico City Policy. From all indications, he is on the verge of being instructed not to present himself for Communion so he isn’t looking very pro-life these days.

I’m praying that Toomey wins the primary and am willing to send his campaign money should he. On the other hand, I too will be finished with the GOP if they interfere to select Ridge.

However, if Ridge were to win the primary and the election, I can find two silver linings to an otherwise disappointing situation. First, he would still be better than Specter on a practical level. Second and more importantly to me personally (as a Catholic), it would be more fuel on the fire held to the Bishops’ feet, forcing them to finally take a stand. Every time a prominent ‘Catholic’/’Catholic’ institution supports abortion ‘rights’, more of the bishops stand up. Five of Pennsylvania’s have been part of the chorus speaking out against Notre Dame. I’m not sure how many they have, but that’s pretty good. Anyway, many more need to stand up, but it’s a start, and some action needs to be taken in addition to the words, but we get a little closer to that point with every heretic that comes along. Non-Catholics and/or those who don’t care about the murder of the innocent unborn probably could not care less, but as a Catholic, it is tremendously important to me. I am sick to death of pro-abortion ‘catholics’ scandalizing my Church. I will NEVER vote for one of them. EVER.

I really hope Toomey wins. I’m tired of conservatives settling, and I think he can win. Rick Santorum won until he was knifed in the back by circumstances and Arlen Specter from what I recall and I’ll take DagoTwit’s word over thuja’s wishful thinking any day.

And to you Allah, Pro-Choice or Pro-Life might just be a policy issue. But to most of us who are Pro-Life it’s a very, very, very important issue. “Pro-Choice” is just another way of saying “Pro Murdering innocent children”.

I do understand he’d have little input on the issue but you seem to dismiss it as just another policy and it’s not.

Several points to keep in mind when trying to analyze this race:

1) As has been pointed out, Specter will be 80 years old next year, and has had two bouts with cancer. People in PA are definitely aware of this.

2) The The Pro-Life and Pro-Gun ownership movements are very strong in PA. The proof of this is the election of Bob Casey. Do some research, and you will find out that the reasons why Schumer picked him was because of his stands on abortion and guns. Having taken these issues off the table, the election became a referendum on Santorum, who was perceived as being too close to the Bush Administration and as having lost touch with the state.

3) Remember, Toomey came within a hare’s breath of beating Specter in 2004. The only thing that saved Specter was George W. Bush’s campaigning for him in Central PA just before the election, under the mistaken belief that Specter was needed to save the seat.

4) Toomey (or I for that matter ) can beat Ridge in our sleep. It’s very simple – George W. Bush is extremely unpopular in PA (see point 3). Run ads linking Ridge to Bush, and see how far and fast Ridge’s numbers fall.

5) Can anyone name a significant achievement of Tom Ridge as a congressman, governor, or DHS Secretary (besides duct tape, code orange and long lines in the airport)?

6) Having been told for the better part of 20 years that fiscal conservatism and not social conservatism is the way forward for the GOP. Yet here is Pat Toomey, who has made is name as a fiscal conservative, and now we are told that we need to be moderates to win.

7) Had the financial meltdown not occurred, there is a very strong chance McCain could have won in PA.

8) Lastly, the Pennsylvania electorate can be very ornery, and they aren’t shy about giving the establishment the boot. Just ask the Republican leaders in the General Assembly who were sent packing by voters in the 2006 Republican primary.

I hope this helps clear up some of the MSM generated fog.

I’m not sure why anyone thinks that Toomey can do better than Santorum did in 2006. It’s just too easy to portray Toomey as an Santorum, and the swinger voters are quite likely to remember why they disliked Santorum, his extremism on abortion and gay issues finally caught up with him.

Zorro on May 4, 2009 at 5:56 PM

My prayers for you, Zorro, and your state! I think we all want what’s best for our Country, and so far, what we have, is far from being best!

He does not seem like a lightweight to me. And the people of PA elected him to both the Governor’s office and the House of Representatives.

I don’t have anything against Toomey at all, but after Santorum lost it might be that Ridge would have a better chance of winning in the general.

Ridge is not all that moderate in most ways.

I’m not so sure moderate works these days.

For the record, I am no longer a republican. I am registered as “no party affiliation” here in Pennsylvania. Further, I could care less what the national republicans plan or plot, most of the them could find their butts with both hands let alone run the country. So, to hell with the GOP. To hell with the democraps. I’m voting for a conservative, if we win good, if we don’t then nothing has changed.

But it appears that PA residents are comfortable with Specter.

Agreed, and if they vote Specter back in, and things go to hell in a hand basket for their state…..I don’t wanna hear any whining, when the boom is lowered. You get what you vote for!

Run on PRINCIPLE. Run on Conservatism. Run on WHAT IS RIGHT FOR AMERICA.

Then we will win.

There is no moderate voter- they are uninformed voters influenced by the passions of those around them.

Ya want ‘moderates’ to come to our side??? Fire up the base!

I can just feel the Ridge fever now.

Not to worry: Who doesn’t love lobbyists for foreign governments?

The life-long Demomorons in this country won’t wake up until they’re told what they can eat, when they can eat, what they can hear, what they can say and whether or not they get health care and get to live.

Awesome!