Specter leads Matthews by five points.

[Keystone Phil]

Just for fun...

Specter - 41%
Matthews - 36%
Undecided - 19%


55% of people have never heard of Matthews and somehow 16% of people never heard of Specter!

http://blog.pennlive.com/pennsyltucky/2008/08/specter_leads_chris_matthews_i.html

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

That translates to a probable loss for Specter, seeing as he's got a 39 point advantage in name recognition, and 41% is never a good place for an incumbent to be (in a 2 way race).

[Keystone Phil]

That translates to a probable loss for Specter, seeing as he's got a 39 point advantage in name recognition, and 41% is never a good place for an incumbent to be.

Plenty of polls will show an incumbent near 40% a few years before their election year. Matthews would be a very interesting challenge to Specter but I think in the end, if Specter is the nominee, that Specter will be re-elected.

The sad thing is that I'd consider voting for Matthews. I'd ultimately decide against it when I get to thinking of how much of a clown the guy is and how much I can't stand his slimeball brother.

[Lief 🗽]

I'd vote for Specter. Matthews is an alright guy, but he shouldn't be a Senator.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Chris Matthews 2010!  Because even a slimeball liberal journalist is better than Arlen Specter

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Might as well be Ted Kennedy vs. John Kerry or Barbara Boxer vs.Diane Feinstein. I think if Al Franken gets crushed we might see less of these Liberal celebs and TV personalities "trying out politics". Plus I think that Specter's illness would cause him trouble like Clay Shaw in 2006 or Jacob Javits in 1980.

[Conan]

I'd vote for Specter. Matthews is an alright guy, but he shouldn't be a Senator.

[Flying Dog]

Go Matthews. I met him once, in D.C., he was speaking at my moms HUD conference.

[Jacobtm]

somehow 16% of people never heard of Specter!

I think we as political nerds assume too much of the general population. I've talked to many people who've spent their whole life in NY and when asked who our senators were couldn't name one.

Seriously.

[Keystone Phil]

somehow 16% of people never heard of Specter!

I think we as political nerds assume too much of the general population. I've talked to many people who've spent their whole life in NY and when asked who our senators were couldn't name one.

Seriously.

I understand. I usually agree but Specter is an institution here. There is really no reason why adults shouldn't know who he is.

[WalterMitty]

i have a hard time determining who is more awful...specter or matthews.

id probably vote for specter in the end.  we need someone in washington investigating the new england patriots and discussing scottish law.

[Sam Spade]

This should be funny.
http://stonezone.com/

by Roger Stone

NBC talking head Chris Matthews has confirmed to former Reagan White House Speechwriter Peggy Noonan that he will challenge Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter in 2010 because he believes Specter will be too old to be effective. Matthews told Noonan that Pennsylvania voters view him as a "local guy."

Chris Matthews may look in the mirror and see a US Senator but I see nothing other than a self important windbag. Matthews, known best for slagging his fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton and his abusive nature with underlings at MSNBC, has also been known to comb his hair for hours before his TV appearances.

Therefore I plan to start a new 527 committee - 'MOUTH' - 'Movement Opposing Unqualified Talking Heads' which will collect, review and organize everything Matthews has said or written in his public career in preparation for television ads introducing the real Chris Matthews to Pennsylvania voters.

NBC officials should fire Matthews given the fact that his partisan personal ambitions will now cloud any political analysis he may put forward. You can't be a candidate and an unbiased analyst at the same time.

[Keystone Phil]

I see him either winning this thing or becoming a complete joke/disaster. I really doubt that he gets past the primary though. Schwartz would own him in the areas that he needs. He would probably do best in the conservative areas against Schwartz but not by enough to overtake her big wins in places like Montco, Bucks, the liberal areas of Philly, etc.