The Moderate Republican

Well the results are in and Specter is battered but still (for now) Senator Specter. It's going to be an interesting election even without Toomey. Specter has been a moderate in the past and is still a moderate in some ways, but he's been shifting further to the right lately. This primary highlighted that.

I wonder if the far-right's strategy of putting up Toomey is going to backfire on them. Normally Specter would have an easy cruise to his next term, no matter who the Democrats put up, because he is powerful, experienced, and centrist. Many Penn Democrats have voted for him in the past because of that. But this primary has exposed fractures in the Republican party and has forced Specter to publicly shift further to the right. And as a consequence, it could catapult Hoeffel into the spotlight - in previous election years, you can bet hardly anyone would have known who Specter's Democratic opponent was.

And that will give Pennsylvania Democrats a fresh look at their party and its candidate. They outnumber Pennsylvania Republicans, and many are not too eager to see Bush in office for another four years. With Specter now publicly endorsed by Bush (out of necessity to keep up the appearance of a united party), perhaps the Democrats will shift allegiance and vote for Hoeffel.

But then, this is exactly what I wrote about. The far-right seems willing to punish Republicans who don't toe the far-right line, even if that means some Republicans have to lose offices to Democrats.

That was a very good article. Though, I should point out that if Joe Hoeffel is the Democratic candidate running for the Senate (as it looks like he will be), then he is by no means a moderate Democrat. If Pat Toomey wins the primary, then PA is going to have a far-right Republican running against a far-left Democrat. Should be interesting politics, but I'm like you I hope Specter can hold on to his seat.

And if that weren't bad enough, now Anne Coulter has decided that it's time to throw a traitor like Arlen Specter out of office. She is so whacked that she says "If Arlen Specter really represented the Republican Party, I'd be a Democrat."

Get out and vote, Pennsylvania! Keep Specter in office!