AP calls it for Specter in PA

[flowomo]

89% of the vote counted

[MikeG]

1. I'll pass along the local coverage from Pgh.

Reporters in Toomey and Specter HQ's
PCNC is on a break now - no new numbers.

[Langis]

2. I really don't know who to root for here

I HATE Tommey, but it sure would be nice to have a shot at that seat. :shrug:

[flowomo]

3. torture!

I know what you mean. Any state that can elect Santorum.... well, I'm not sure I want to give them a shot at electing Toomey!

[snorkie]

6. Too tough to call

I agree, despise Toomey and would love Hoeffel to have a shot, but dear god, I might be living in a state that has Santorum AND Toomey???

Ack.

[Prodemsouth]

16. Not going to happen if Toomey wins. Just will not happen

You are not reviewing the Santorum wins.

[snorkie]

32. I'll try to share your optimism....

but its sometimes tough...I live in very rural PA, so i only see the worst elements of PA voters.

[flowomo]

25. 400 precincts out... and over 100 of them...

are in the 9th District.... Bud Shuster's old kingdom.... which was handed to Prince Bill, his son.... who is losing by 200 votes at the moment

[Democat]

Will Toomey try to undermine Specter if he loses?

Or will they both fall in line no matter which one wins?

[snorkie]

15. Good question

I don't have any inside info, but my guess is that while Toomey won't be an enthusiastic Arlen supporter, I don't think he'll make waves either. I guess we can hope Toomey becomes a bitter little shrew though...

[Prodemsouth]

23. No- they are not like us on these matters. They know they would rather

have Specter than a Dem.

[DemMother]

11. Maybe a knocked-around and bloodied Specter would be a

weak opponent. I wonder how much he spent on the primary. And how many of the rabid right wing will sit on their hands this fall.

[yellowcanine]

12. Regardless it is good news for Dems.

Looks like it will probably be a bloodied Specter and maybe some disgruntled Toomey partisans. That has to help both the Dem Senate candidate and Kerry. Remember, Bush backed Specter so Toomey fans have a reason to dislike him as well.

[Prodemsouth]

20. They will come back into the fold Repugs are not like Dems on matters

like this. They WILL vote for the lesser of two evils - they are smarter than "our" ultra left.

[Democat]

26. I'm not sure "smarter" is the right word

Right wingers tend to be better at doing what they are told than those on the left. More of them seem to like taking orders rather than thinking for themselves.

[Prodemsouth]

37. No, you are using a stereotype to defend your position. They are not

"taking orders." They just listen to reason and from their prospective they will realize that Specter is better than a Dem because having him helps Bush and Frist who they have no problem with. Moderate republicans may become upset if Specter loses, because this is evidence that the party is turning right of their views. Smarter is the right word, btw.

[Democat]

42. You are stating your opinion that right wingers are smarter than lefties

Your opinion that right wingers are smarter than left wingers is also a stereotype with some groups - one constantly repeated by people like Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, etc.

[Prodemsouth]

47. Yes, I am saying they are smarter when it comes to obtaining and

maintaining political power look at the results around you. Comparing my remark to Hannity and Limbaugh is a poor attempt at come back.

[Old and In the Way]

49. They tend to be cohesive and, if you haven't noticed, have kicked

our butts since the mid 90s. They do practice the same discipline that we used to have when Tip O'Neil and John McCormick were running the show. And, by gawd, we actually were getting some pretty good progressive legislation passed thru Congress.

[DemMother]

31. Not so sure...

The right wing sat on their hands for Bush senior. I don't think they're necessarily going to be that enthusiastic about a pro-choice candidate. I think the Republicans, like the article linked below says, are becoming more like the Democrats used to be.

"The Pennsylvania primary, scheduled for April 27, is only the most prominent example of an intense ideological tug-of-war within the GOP that could help Democrats this fall. In some important ways, the GOP today looks a lot like the Democrats of the early 90s: in control, riven by different agendas, and facing an out-of-power party driven by a fury against the incumbent president.

"Suddenly we live in an age when it is the Republicans who are having divisive (some say destructive) primary battles as unchallenged Democrats await the battered winner; when the Republican leadership on the Hill can’t hold its members in line; when across the party , Republicans are asking, "what does the party stand for – and has it lost its way?"

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18479

[Prodemsouth]

40. That is a myth it was moderate voters who went for Perot or Clinton. Exit

polls in 92 showed that the right esp. Christan Right was for Bush.

[MikeG]

4. KDKA Radio was the first radio station in 1920 with election results.

Now they don't cover anything.
They should hang their heads in shame.

[flowomo]

5. KYW beating WPVI in Philly online with results...

but site is hard to reach because of overload

[MikeG]

7. Its over, Specter up 16000 with 96%

[flowomo]

8. 499,731-483,626 96% in

[Mattforclark]

10. at which site did you find those numbers?

[MikeG]

17. I heard it on Local TV.

[Mattforclark]

19. Ah, its up at

http://www.nbc10.com/politics/3242632/detail.html

now

Looks like Specter is going to pull it out...?

[flowomo]

21. best site for #'s

http://www.kywonline.com/election/race1.htm

[DieboldMustDie]

24. Those are the numbers at the Philly Ch. 6 site:

http://abclocal.go.com/three/wpvi/election/race2.htm

[legin]

9. So much for sleep

Even it if stays this way, it is a pretty good result for the more extreme wing of the Repugs. 52-48 I could have lived with, this is a little concerning.

[flowomo]

14. right, and we don't even get a good shot at the seat

lose-lose!

[legin]

18. posted when it was 50-50

51-49 is slightly better.

[MikeG]

13. We'll get them in the fall - lots of bad blood here.

[Democat]

22. A Toomey victory might have brought out more excited Bush voters

Hopefully Specter voters will be a little more moderate and independent than the people who would have been excited about Toomey. Maybe some of them will support Kerry over Bush.

[flowomo]

27. 511,769-494,695 97% in

looking better!

[Penndems]

28. I suspect the Toomey campaign is going to ask for a recount

Especially in light of the Bucks County vote-counting incident.

[Democat]

29. I thought Republicans didn't believe in recounts?

What's going on? Recounts are for Democrats! :)

[October]

30. They just called it -- Specter!

wpvi tv -- per AP

[flowomo]

33. thanks, just changed the head on the thread to reflect

n/t

[Merlin]

34. Over. Good. Now let's take that son-of-a-bitch Specter DOWN!

Go Joe!

[flowomo]

35. 512,124-495,494 97% in

n/t

[MikeG]

36. WPXI Pittsburgh called it for Specter

[Mattforclark]

38. Time for Specter's Senate career to end

[mvd]

39. Now let's go Hoeffel!

I know from experience that he's a good Democrat, and I think he has the message to be able to beat Specter. Tonight, Hoeffel said that the whole Republican debate was not healthy for PA politics - sounds brilliant!

[The_Casual_Observer]

41. In any case it's good to see a bastard like Toomey lose

Worry about Specter later. A lot of repukes will go down in November.

[mvd]

43. Good to see Toomey out of the House, too

:toast:

[Leilani]

44. Since Specter was the Bush candidate

I wanted him to lose!

[mvd]

46. Yes, that's how I felt

But I'm ok with how things turned out. Am looking at the positives. Maybe there won't be a big conservative push in November that would affect multiple elections.

[The_Casual_Observer]

48. Only by tradition

Bush made only a few half hearted speeches for Specter. He would have been glad to see him go.

[markses]

50. 3.2 Million registered Republicans in PA: Just over 1 million voted

In the most ad-bought and publicized primary in years, with Bush in PA every other week. One-third. And Toomey STILL lost!

I'd expect that the "Republican Wing" of the Republican Party is a little more concerned about the turnout problem here than they are about the results. The conservative couldn't take this thing with 33% turnout, and they were supposed to be the "fired-up" ones? Watch Bushie tack HARD LEFT to get back to something like a center right position for November. This vote is a repudiation of the hard-right position in Pennsylvania. Nothing to be upset about.

[Old and In the Way]

51. I think that is the real story in the election.

A preview of things to come: demoralized Republicans vs. energized Democrats in November.....there's no grand party for the GOP tonight.

[flowomo]

45. 517,409-501,192 98% in

damn, it was close!

[gauguin57]

52. in other PA news ...

Scott Paterno, son of famed Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, won the Repug. nom. for a central PA house seat (will face incumbent Dem. Tim Holden). JoePaterno is buddy-buddy with George Bush Sr. JoePa campaigned for G.H.W. Bush. I'm sure Scott will enjoy great support from the Bush clan.

I may throw up.

[dbt]

53. Kick.

Flake that Specter is ("maybe we should impeach Clinton again"), the CONservative machine just had a small wrench thrown into its gears* here.

:hurts:
dbt

*Yank term for spanner in the works. Good morning, Cornwall!

[dusty64]

54. Well toomey was

a lot scarier than specter. There remains a strong possibility that he will go into the general election seriously wounded and many fundies will stay home rather than vote for him. If the cards are played right this still could become a Democratic pickup.