Specter expects primary challenge and raises a good point...

[Keystone Phil]

If Specter loses the primary, hopefully he'll pull a Lieberman and win as an Independent (Pennsylvania for Specter )

In such a scenario it would most likely result in a Democrat victory.  But the good news is would no longer would have Specter's RINO ass around to vote with the DEMs.

Yes, instead of a moderate Republican, you'll have a Democrat, which will no doubt be much more palatable to you.

You don't know that especially if the Dem running is Allyson Schwartz.

In such a scenario it would most likely result in a Democrat victory.  But the good news is would no longer would have Specter's RINO ass around to vote with the DEMs.

Or to talk Craig into staying.  Or to investigate impeaching Clinton again.

his latest mission is investigating the new england patriots.

hopefully rendell will run and put this fellow out of his misery.

And while I understand people being pissed off about that being his new mission as a Senator, I really don't mind since I'm a huge Patriots hater. 

And Rendell won't run.

[MarkWarner08]

Novak alluded to a possible Rendell run.  Could a 2010 Rendell/Specter duel mirror the 2000 Carper/Roth contest -- the younger Democratic Governor upsetting the five-term Republican Senator?

[Smash255]

Novak alluded to a possible Rendell run.  Could a 2010 Rendell/Specter duel mirror the 2000 Carper/Roth contest -- the younger Democratic Governor upsetting the five-term Republican Senator?

Well a Rendell win wouldn't be an upset.

[WalterMitty]

rendell has to be getting on up there in years.  didnt he first run for governor in 1986?

i like rendell, and would support him easily over specter.

but really, the democrats dont need a rendell to run to knock off specter.  santorum was beaten by a retard, so im thinking any decently popular county commisioner in pa has a shot against the aging and senile specter.

and yes, i would very much support toomey over specter.

[Smash255]

rendell has to be getting on up there in years.  didnt he first run for governor in 1986?

i like rendell, and would support him easily over specter.

but really, the democrats dont need a rendell to run to knock off specter.  santorum was beaten by a retard, so im thinking any decently popular county commisioner in pa has a shot against the aging and senile specter.

and yes, i would very much support toomey over specter.

Rendell is 64, as far as the dems defeating Specter goes, its possible, but the chance are much greater against Toomey.

[Ronnie]

I may not agree with Specter on every policy, but I hold very much respect for him.  I'm glad he votes his conscience, instead of always voting with the party mainstream.  I truly hope he wins the primary.

[Keystone Phil]

Novak alluded to a possible Rendell run.  Could a 2010 Rendell/Specter duel mirror the 2000 Carper/Roth contest -- the younger Democratic Governor upsetting the five-term Republican Senator?

Well a Rendell win wouldn't be an upset.

Against Specter, yes, it would be.

rendell has to be getting on up there in years.  didnt he first run for governor in 1986?

He's in his 60s and yes, he did first run in 1986 against the real Bob Casey. He was the very young Philadelphia DA at the time.

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But the guy had a good name so this...

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...isn't going to be the case.

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FF

Anyway, Rendell won't run. He's made it clear that he likes being his own boss.

[Keystone Phil]

Novak alluded to a possible Rendell run.  Could a 2010 Rendell/Specter duel mirror the 2000 Carper/Roth contest -- the younger Democratic Governor upsetting the five-term Republican Senator?

This is probably what you were referring to - http://patriotpost.us/opinion/entry.asp?entry_id=41857

He doesn't go into much detail but there is one very important thing to remember (something Novak points out) - Specter and Rendell are actually friends.

There is also some talk that Specter may run as an Independent if he gets a serious primary challenge. And if that happens, whoever the Dem is would basically be a lock for the seat. Please remember, though, that he cannot run as an Independent after losing a primary.

[Conan]

Novak alluded to a possible Rendell run.  Could a 2010 Rendell/Specter duel mirror the 2000 Carper/Roth contest -- the younger Democratic Governor upsetting the five-term Republican Senator?

Well a Rendell win wouldn't be an upset.

Against Specter, yes, it would be.

Against Rendell, this race would immediately become a toss-up if not a lean democrat. I don't know what your definition of an upset is, but mine would be someone winning who was thought to have no chance. Certainly wouldn't be the case for Rendell or Schwartz.

[Keystone Phil]

Novak alluded to a possible Rendell run.  Could a 2010 Rendell/Specter duel mirror the 2000 Carper/Roth contest -- the younger Democratic Governor upsetting the five-term Republican Senator?

Well a Rendell win wouldn't be an upset.

Against Specter, yes, it would be.

Against Rendell, this race would immediately become a toss-up if not a lean democrat. I don't know what your definition of an upset is, but mine would be someone winning who was thought to have no chance. Certainly wouldn't be the case for Rendell or Schwartz.

Rendell (or Schwartz) would still have to beat a very tough incumbent. Schwartz winning would definitley be an upset. Rendell vs. Specter might be a toss up but, if anything, Rendell would be the underdog.

[Conan]

Novak alluded to a possible Rendell run.  Could a 2010 Rendell/Specter duel mirror the 2000 Carper/Roth contest -- the younger Democratic Governor upsetting the five-term Republican Senator?

Well a Rendell win wouldn't be an upset.

Against Specter, yes, it would be.

Against Rendell, this race would immediately become a toss-up if not a lean democrat. I don't know what your definition of an upset is, but mine would be someone winning who was thought to have no chance. Certainly wouldn't be the case for Rendell or Schwartz.

Rendell (or Schwartz) would still have to beat a very tough incumbent. Schwartz winning would definitley be an upset. Rendell vs. Specter might be a toss up but, if anything, Rendell would be the underdog.

Step into reality. I agree, Specter is tough, but neither of those would be upsets.  Rendell would start out with 50/50 chance or better, while Schwartz would be something like 40-45/60-55 chance. Essentially, a win in a democratic state wouldn't be much of an upset.

[Keystone Phil]

Step into reality. I agree, Specter is tough, but neither of those would be upsets.  Rendell would start out with 50/50 chance or better, while Schwartz would be something like 40-45/60-55 chance. Essentially, a win in a democratic state wouldn't be much of an upset.

Oh, the simplistic minds. Carry on, little boy.

[Conan]

Step into reality. I agree, Specter is tough, but neither of those would be upsets.  Rendell would start out with 50/50 chance or better, while Schwartz would be something like 40-45/60-55 chance. Essentially, a win in a democratic state wouldn't be much of an upset.

Oh, the simplistic minds. Carry on, little boy.

You don't know how old I am, besides aren't you like 19 or 20?

Ok, when was the last time Republicans won PA in a pres election?
20 years ago.
How many statewide offices do republicans hold in state government?
1, AG
The GOP also holds one of the branches of the legislature, although Dems barely hold the Assembly.

The GOP holds 1 of the senate seats and 8 of 19 House seats.

In sum:
Dems hold Gov, LGov, Treas, Audit, 1 Senator = 5 of 7 statewide offices
Dems hold 11 of the 19 House seats.
GOP hasn't won PA in pres election since 1988, or 2 decades ago. (although they can prob win it with McCain v Obama)
Welcome to reality, or are you just getting a bad education at your 4th rate college?

[DownWithTheLeft]

Step into reality. I agree, Specter is tough, but neither of those would be upsets.  Rendell would start out with 50/50 chance or better, while Schwartz would be something like 40-45/60-55 chance. Essentially, a win in a democratic state wouldn't be much of an upset.

Oh, the simplistic minds. Carry on, little boy.

You don't know how old I am, besides aren't you like 19 or 20?

Ok, when was the last time Republicans won PA in a pres election?
20 years ago.
How many statewide offices do republicans hold in state government?
1, AG
The GOP also holds one of the branches of the legislature, although Dems barely hold the Assembly.

The GOP holds 1 of the senate seats and 8 of 19 House seats.

In sum:
Dems hold Gov, LGov, Treas, Audit, 1 Senator = 5 of 7 statewide offices
Dems hold 11 of the 19 House seats.
GOP hasn't won PA in pres election since 1988, or 2 decades ago. (although they can prob win it with McCain v Obama)
Welcome to reality, or are you just getting a bad education at your 4th rate college?

Your argument seems to suggest PA is a swing state

[Keystone Phil]

Step into reality. I agree, Specter is tough, but neither of those would be upsets.  Rendell would start out with 50/50 chance or better, while Schwartz would be something like 40-45/60-55 chance. Essentially, a win in a democratic state wouldn't be much of an upset.

Oh, the simplistic minds. Carry on, little boy.

You don't know how old I am, besides aren't you like 19 or 20?

Ok, when was the last time Republicans won PA in a pres election?
20 years ago.
How many statewide offices do republicans hold in state government?
1, AG
The GOP also holds one of the branches of the legislature, although Dems barely hold the Assembly.

The GOP holds 1 of the senate seats and 8 of 19 House seats.

In sum:
Dems hold Gov, LGov, Treas, Audit, 1 Senator = 5 of 7 statewide offices
Dems hold 11 of the 19 House seats.
GOP hasn't won PA in pres election since 1988, or 2 decades ago. (although they can prob win it with McCain v Obama)
Welcome to reality, or are you just getting a bad education at your 4th rate college?

And let's go back to 2006 before the disastrous showing for the GOP:

The GOP had a comfortable hold on both houses of the State Legislature.
The GOP had twelve of the nineteen members of the Congressional delegation.
The GOP had both U.S. Senate seats.

Do you mean to tell me that the state was a GOP stronghold before the 2006 elections?

To use who holds the Governorship as a reason for a state being dominated by a party is laughable especially for PA, a state known for alternating which party holds the spot every eight years.

So, yeah, tell me again how we're such a strong Dem state.

Oh and by the way, to say that the university that I attend is "fourth rate" is the most hilarious part of your post.

[Sam Spade]

PA is a state, that at least in recent history, tends to lean slightly GOP at the state level and slightly Dem at the national level.  Saying anything more than that seems like a stretch.

[Keystone Phil]

PA is a state, that at least in recent history, tends to lean slightly GOP at the state level and slightly Dem at the national level.  Saying anything more than that seems like a stretch.

Thank you.

[Meeker]

PA is a state, that at least in recent history, tends to lean slightly GOP at the state level and slightly Dem at the national level.  Saying anything more than that seems like a stretch.

That's never stopped people before!

[Sam Spade]

PA is a state, that at least in recent history, tends to lean slightly GOP at the state level and slightly Dem at the national level.  Saying anything more than that seems like a stretch.

That's never stopped people before!

Of course not, but it should be said. 

[Conan]

PA is a state, that at least in recent history, tends to lean slightly GOP at the state level and slightly Dem at the national level.  Saying anything more than that seems like a stretch.

That's never stopped people before!

Of course not, but it should be said. 

Yet that still says nothing to the argument that Rendell winning Specter's senate seat would be an "upset". It is ridiculous to suggest Rendell would be some sort of underdog winning out of the blue candidate.

[Conan]

Step into reality. I agree, Specter is tough, but neither of those would be upsets.  Rendell would start out with 50/50 chance or better, while Schwartz would be something like 40-45/60-55 chance. Essentially, a win in a democratic state wouldn't be much of an upset.

Oh, the simplistic minds. Carry on, little boy.

You don't know how old I am, besides aren't you like 19 or 20?

Ok, when was the last time Republicans won PA in a pres election?
20 years ago.
How many statewide offices do republicans hold in state government?
1, AG
The GOP also holds one of the branches of the legislature, although Dems barely hold the Assembly.

The GOP holds 1 of the senate seats and 8 of 19 House seats.

In sum:
Dems hold Gov, LGov, Treas, Audit, 1 Senator = 5 of 7 statewide offices
Dems hold 11 of the 19 House seats.
GOP hasn't won PA in pres election since 1988, or 2 decades ago. (although they can prob win it with McCain v Obama)
Welcome to reality, or are you just getting a bad education at your 4th rate college?

And let's go back to 2006 before the disastrous showing for the GOP:

The GOP had a comfortable hold on both houses of the State Legislature.
The GOP had twelve of the nineteen members of the Congressional delegation.
The GOP had both U.S. Senate seats.

Do you mean to tell me that the state was a GOP stronghold before the 2006 elections?

To use who holds the Governorship as a reason for a state being dominated by a party is laughable especially for PA, a state known for alternating which party holds the spot every eight years.

So, yeah, tell me again how we're such a strong Dem state.

Oh and by the way, to say that the university that I attend is "fourth rate" is the most hilarious part of your post.

If you care to refresh my memory as to where you attend, but I seem to recall you don't attend Upenn or Carnegie. I don't seem to recall any noteworthy schools.

Temple or Drexel? West Chester? All of those are at least 3rd rate.

[TeePee4Prez]

Step into reality. I agree, Specter is tough, but neither of those would be upsets.  Rendell would start out with 50/50 chance or better, while Schwartz would be something like 40-45/60-55 chance. Essentially, a win in a democratic state wouldn't be much of an upset.

Oh, the simplistic minds. Carry on, little boy.

You don't know how old I am, besides aren't you like 19 or 20?

Ok, when was the last time Republicans won PA in a pres election?
20 years ago.
How many statewide offices do republicans hold in state government?
1, AG
The GOP also holds one of the branches of the legislature, although Dems barely hold the Assembly.

The GOP holds 1 of the senate seats and 8 of 19 House seats.

In sum:
Dems hold Gov, LGov, Treas, Audit, 1 Senator = 5 of 7 statewide offices
Dems hold 11 of the 19 House seats.
GOP hasn't won PA in pres election since 1988, or 2 decades ago. (although they can prob win it with McCain v Obama)
Welcome to reality, or are you just getting a bad education at your 4th rate college?

Dude, I graduated from the same school Phil currently attends.  WATCH IT!

[bullmoose88]

PA is a state, that at least in recent history, tends to lean slightly GOP at the state level and slightly Dem at the national level.  Saying anything more than that seems like a stretch.

^^^

As for those who insult universities etc...they better be going to or have a degree from a ranked school before they start taking shots at Temple.

[Sam Spade]

PA is a state, that at least in recent history, tends to lean slightly GOP at the state level and slightly Dem at the national level.  Saying anything more than that seems like a stretch.

^^^

As for those who insult universities etc...they better be going to or have a degree from a ranked school before they start taking shots at Temple.

Temple is definitely not a fourth-rate college last time I checked, presuming that is what y'all are talking about.

[MarkWarner08]

If you care to refresh my memory as to where you attend, but I seem to recall you don't attend Upenn or Carnegie. I don't seem to recall any noteworthy schools.

Temple or Drexel? West Chester? All of those are at least 3rd rate.

Ha! For a college snob, you're quite ignorant about the range of top universities and LACs in Pennsylvania. You left out Swartmore, Byrn Mawr, Haverford, Bucknell,  Dickinson, Lehigh, and several others.

<begins rant about Penn> If you graduated from Penn, congrats -- you went to the school for rejected/wait-listed Harvard wannabes. The biggest mistake I made was even applying to Penn -- the frugal misers in the financial aid dep't granted me a $180,000 financial anchor that would've ensured that including grad school costs, I would've been in debt till my thirties or forties. That doesn't seem to matter to most at Penn, because the university is replete with those who either live in luxury apartments off-campus or  incessantly complain about the dilapidated on-campus housing. (Two cousins of mine have gone to Penn and both couldn't wait to go to grad school elsewhere.)

I  respect those students who were accepted to Penn, but I'd argue that there are numerous other schools that offer more student-faculty interaction and a less stratified social scene for less coin.
<ends rant about Penn>

One last note about colleges and intellectual elitism -- a friend of mine with Asperger's went to a local public university instead of a top 10 national university so he could be closer to his parents. He's been mentored by one of the comp. science profs. there and recently was the youngest speaker at a conference on quantum physics. What matters more than the age of the university or the ranking ascribed to it by the omniscient U.S News and World Report is the intellectual vivacity of the individual.

Finally, denigrating a person's university doesn't detract from that person's argument.