Wow... D-Casey is killing R-Santorum in the PA polls !!

[snowbear]

<-- 51% 36% --> http://homepage.mac.com/jholbo/nutwork/images/Santorum,%20Rick.jpg

I read on here that some Pennsylvania Democrats hope that Chuck Pennacchio wins the nomination, but today's polls show Casey beating Pennacchio 70% to 5% ... YOW!!

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/13859952.htm

Sounds like Santorum will be standing in the unemployment line soon... http://eliteleague.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/lol!.gif

[acmavm]

1. The sooner the better. n/t

[babylonsister]

2. larissa, I gotta tell ya, I

click on your comments partly to see your smilies, and am laughing! :rofl:
Mr. Casey looks intense, and very attractive in that pic. He sort of reminds
me of Colin Farrell. I hope Santorum's goose is cooked!

[snowbear]

6. Smilies... what smilies....

....

BTW.. if anyone from PA drops in, who's ahead in the Governor's race?

Don't drop Ed Rendell just to get a "football star"

I hope Pennsylvanians learn from California that "star status" does not make a great leader..

[babylonsister]

9. I've read Swann was a total zero on This Week Sunday;

hopefully his fate is sealed by his ignorance.

[Carla in Ca]

34. Looks like Santorum is slowly

ahem, getting out of range of keeping his seat.

[AtomicKitten]

3. An ass deserving an ass-kicking.

[Warpy]

4. Santorum has been such a weasly little nutcase that he could be

beaten by a ham sandwich, which is why I've always wondered just why the fucking DLC had to cram Casey, an antichoice nutcase, down the party's throat in that race.

Just asking.

[vi5]

5. Yeah, this will be great until Casey is elected....

..and starts voting more conservatively (as his record indicates he is) and then everyone on here is screaming for his head, calling him a DINO and wanting to rally a primary opponnent for him.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

10. I promise not to scream for his head.

You have it in writing.

Just make the current weirdo go away forever.

[babylonsister]

11. So do you think Santorum is preferable, seriously. I don't

live there so know next to nothing about Casey.

[vi5]

16. No. I loathe Santorum...

And I'm not crazy about Casey's pro life stance nor his other conservative opinions/positions. But I'm also of the mind frame that anyone with a D after their name who gets us a majority is o.k. I just think that if Casey is as conservative as I think he is, that while people on here now are all giddy at the thought of him taking down Santorum, once he wins and votes the way all signs point to him voting, people on here will be screaming their heads off about him in a negative manner.

The same way that everyone on here screams about Leiberman (who I loathe also) and telling him to leave the democratic party, but if it ended up being a 50/50 split or a 51/49 dem majority and Joementum did just that and gave control back to the republicans, people on here would be screaming just as loud.

I also don't live in PA but have lived there for a total of 8 of my 36 years.

[babylonsister]

19. So we have to hope for the lesser of two evils, preferably

with a (D) next to his name. I guess as we approach November we'll get a feel for who is who, even if we can't affect the vote.
You're right about Joementum; he sure seems to be a DINO and I too loathe him, especially after the Alito disaster, and his stance on Iraq, and...ad nauseum.

[politicaholic]

7. Is the unemployment line in or outside of the 700 club studio?

I suppose that'll free him up to crusade against all of those people applying to marry their dogs and cats.

Santorum, an ass for all seasons.

[napi21]

8. I hope it lasts for the next 9 months! Never underestimate the

evil vindication of the Pubs! I listened to an interview with Casey on Lynn Cullen's show today. He's a very calm controlled guy, and did very well, I thought.

I think there's a lot of dislike for Santorum in Pa, but we've all seen what false TV ads and fake scandals can do to a Pub opponent. If you've forgetten, just ask Howard Dean, John McCain, or John Kerry!

I'm doing my part in slamming Santorum to all my friends in PA! I'd stay up all night to be able to see this AH make a concession speech!!!!!!!!!!

[drm604]

12. The problem is

that Casey is in some ways a DINO. He's against women's reproductive freedom. Still, if it comes down to a choice between him and Santorum then I'll have to vote for him in the hope of at least overturning or weakening the Republican majority in the Senate.

The only reason he's doing so well against Pennacchio is because of name recognition. His father Robert Casey Sr. was Governor of PA from 1987 to 1995. Being named "Robert Casey" seems to give one an almost magical advantage in this state. From here:

Will the real Bob Casey Please Stand...

Restricted from seeking another term as Auditor General, Casey (Robert Casey Sr.) declined to seek the office of state treasurer in 1976. Instead, a county official who also was named Robert Casey won the primary and the general election, spending virtually no money and doing virtually no campaigning. Voters merely assumed that they were voting for the outgoing Auditor General. In 1980 the Republicans launched an extensive advertising campaign to clarify that "Casey isn't Casey," and the state treasurer was defeated for re-election.

In 1978, another candidate named Robert Casey, a different Robert Casey, this one a teacher and ice cream parlor owner, likewise received the Democratic party's nomination for lieutenant governor, again with a no-spending, no-campaigning strategy. This Casey, who joined Democratic gubernatorial nominee Pete Flaherty, narrowly lost to Richard Thornburgh and William Scranton III.

Maybe I should legally change my name to Robert Casey!

[radio4progressives]

15. Zogby has Pennachio beating both Casey and Santorum see my other post

:shrug:

[drm604]

22. Don't get me wrong.

I hope Pennacchio does win the Primary and does go on to beat Santorum. I've met Pennacchio, I support him, and I'll vote for him in the primary. But reality, and the electoral history of the name "Casey" in this state, tells me that the general election will very likely be between Casey and Santorum.

I hope that I'm wrong, but it'll take a massive effort to get people to look past the name and to actually understand where the candidates stand on the issues.

[radio4progressives]

29. oh darn... i guess with a name like Pennachio a voter is going to mark

Casey's name instead... :shrug:

then we're going to be plagued with more Ben Nelson's. A DLC wet dream..

I'm sick of the DLC i could just fucking scream....

[drm604]

35. I'm with you.

I'm pretty confident that Pennacchio could beat Santorum in the general election. I'm still not giving up hope, but the voter's of this state drive me crazy. When I was phone-banking at the local Democratic headquarters, at one point we were asking people's preferences for President and Senator. Arlen Specter (R) was running against Joseph Hoeffel (D). Most of the Democrats were planning to vote for Kerry and Specter. And I'm in the eastern part of the state, just outside of Philly. Not only were they going with the recognizable name, they were splitting their ticket to do so! That is the kind of behavior we're up against.

There is one difference, Specter is pro-choice so I guess it's possible that that gained him so votes (or at least kept him from losing some), whereas Casey isn't. But I'm pretty sure that a large proportion of the people were going by name recognition alone. I wish I had a clue what to do about it. :shrug:

[ISUGRADIA]

39. Yeah only after they go through what, 10 issues to make people

"aware" of the candidates' stances. Most Dems in PA have no idea who the hell Pennachio is and with only $50,000 raised by him it's likely to stay that way.

[WinkyDink]

13. It's a given.

No contest.
We'll get a nominative Dem, and the Republicans will get his vote.

What's not to love? Heh.

As for Swannie: Yeah, here's his Swann song: "Swann favors ban on abortion"~~~
"GOP gubernatorial hopeful also backs marriage amendment." (http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/state/all-a1_5swannfeb13,0,2344731.story)

[radio4progressives]

14. Casey Supported Alito, Opposes Choice and Workers Rights, says website

I'm not from your neck of the woods, but was interested in your article..

so i read it, visited Casey's website and read his bio. then i clicked on Chuck Pennachio's site and the first thing i see is the Zogby poll has him beating Casey and Santorum, and that Casey supported ALITO!!!!

There's a lot more there too.. here check it out:

http://www.chuck2006.com/

Casey’s Support for Alito a Blow to Democrats, Pro-Choice Voters, and Working Pennsylvanians
January 31

By supporting today’s confirmation of Samuel Alito, Bob Casey Jr. has again aligned himself with Rick Santorum and George W. Bush in their efforts to tilt the U.S. Supreme Court to the far right.

I stand with the overwhelming majority of Democrats in the U.S. Senate and Independent Senator Jim Jeffords and pro-choice Republican Lincoln Chaffee who opposed the Alito nomination. It’s revealing that Bob Casey stood with the far right today instead of with the Democratic Senators who voted 40-4 against Judge Alito’s confirmation. (read more)
http://www.chuck2006.com/info.asp?content=release_1-31
========================================================
Zogby poll: Chuck beats Santorum and Casey
January 27

At long last, someone asked the question we've all been waiting for. When Pennsylvanians are given a choice between Rick Santorum and Chuck Pennacchio, Chuck wins. And he wins bigger than any other Democrat in the race.

A new Zogby poll shows that Chuck wins the highest percentage of votes against Rick Santorum of any potential Democratic challenger when likely voters learn where the candidates stand on key issues. Chuck led Santorum by 45.4 percent to 43.5 percent among likely Pennsylvania voters compared to Casey's lead of 40.1 to 38.3. These numbers also shows that when Chuck goes head to head against Santorum, more respondents were inclined to vote.

The poll is consistent with a December Quinnipiac poll that showed Casey's support plunging when voters learned of his opposition to legal abortion. A recent poll by Strategic Vision shows an even further slide. The Zogby poll confirms that when Pennsylvanians learn about Bob Casey's positions on the issues, his support slides. When they learn more about Chuck's positions, his support soars. (read more)

So, Chuck fans, what do you think about that?

(snip)

cont...
=======================================================
Poll shows Casey's support will plummet as voters learn he opposes choice
December 13

A Quinnipiac poll released today shows that support for Bob Casey Jr. in the 2006 U.S. Senate race will sink as voters abandon ship over his opposition to legal abortion. The poll revealed that when voters are informed that Bob Casey Jr. and Rick Santorum both oppose legalized abortion, about a third of Casey's pro-choice supporters change their candidate preference. (See Question 40 in the poll.)

Twenty-two percent of Casey's pro-choice supporters say they would not vote; seven percent say they don't know what they would do; and six percent said they would vote for a third party candidate. The poll finding supports one of Chuck Pennacchio's central arguments. Dr. Pennacchio is a consistent supporter of women's reproductive rights and privacy rights and has maintained throughout the campaign that Democrats should not compromise away these rights in the misguided pursuit of short-term political gains.

http://www.chuck2006.com/info.asp?content=release_12-13

[Crowdance]

17. Looks like Chuck truly represents Democrats

My understanding is that party leadership supports Casey because they're afraid of "values" voters, and has left Pennachio hanging out to dry. Nevermind that this whole "values" voters idea has been debunked. It must be frustrating to be a Pennsylvanian and have the party shove an unsuitable candidate down ones throat, especially when that candidate doesn't numerically stack up against the Repub opponent.

[ruggerson]

18. Well let's vote for Santorum then, by all means!

n/t

[radio4progressives]

20. You got a problem with Pennachio? Let's hear about it..

just asking.. :shrug:

[ruggerson]

21. I don't care who it is frankly, I'd vote for Betty Boop is she could beat

little Ricky.

[snowbear]

25. LOL.... Senator BOOP !!

I have bro-in-law in Philadelphia.. but I know diddly-squat about Pennsylvania.. Except for maybe Mario Lemieux, Sydney Crosby, and other incredible hockey players!)

I think post #12 (drm604) who is in PA must have nailed the reason for the "Casey Charisma"

Evidently.. it's all in a name? .. Who knew?

Signed: Larissa Trump ( )

[radio4progressives]

27. i sure do like your graphics, i can't seem to figure out how you get to

post them though.. i tried and i tried to figure it out.. how do you get have those?

[snowbear]

31. OOhhhhHH, I'll send you a PM in a little while with easy directions!

I'm getting ready to run my mutts down the street (they have that "lemme out" look in their eyes )

And a little later tonight, I'll give you the super easy directions in a PM!! :hug:

[ruggerson]

33. She's quite the patriot, ain't she?

:)

[radio4progressives]

26. well then let me suggest you vote for Pennachio and NOT Casey!

I gotta say though, that is an unfortunate name!

too close to "pinnochio" :rofl:

[ruggerson]

28. I'm not in PA

but in the primary i'd probably vote for Pennachio and if Casey was nominated, I'd gladly vote for Casey.

I want Democrats, in number, to regain the majority, to control the committees, to stymie Bush and to make sure no more court nominees get through.

If that means we have to elect a few DINO's, so be it.

The magical number "51" is more important than shooting ourselves in the foot.

[radio4progressives]

30. do you remember the Alito Vote? n/t

[ruggerson]

32. Sure. There wouldn't have been an Alito vote

if Dems had the majority. Bush would never even have sent the name down.

[radio4progressives]

36. You honestly Believe that?

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[dsc]

37. He may have sent the name but it wouldn't have made it out of committee

and we have pretty good proof of that given the party line vote in committee.

[ruggerson]

38. It's not a question of belief, I know that.

Bush is an idiot, but not into sacrificing one judicial nominee after another. Alito would either never have been sent down or if Bush had been stupid enough to send him down, he wouldn't have made it out of committee, if we had controlled the Senate. That's reality.

[Hippo_Tron]

41. Depends on whether Casey could get onto the Judiciary Committee

If we keep the social conservatives off of the judiciary committee then we would be able to keep nominees like Alito out. However, these people can move up in rank and eventually weasel their way onto the judiciary committee if they really want it. It depends on how much arm-twisting our leadership is willing to do in order to keep a solid pro choice pro civil liberties block on the judiciary committee.

[Daylin Byak]

23. Ladies and gentlemen of DU, we have a Ben Nelson on our hands...

Seriously I would like to tell all the Dems from PA to think about not voting for Casey in the primary and voting for Chuck Pennachio if you want a real Dem in Congress and here's the reasons why....

Casey is pro-life and wants the ruling on roe v. wade abolished, he supports the war in Iraq and would of voted for roberts and alito to the SC if he was in the Senate right now and he would alienate Democrats in PA

If he beats Santorum I have a feeling we have a Ben Nelson or A Zell Miller on our hands and everyone on this board will complain on how he won't stand with the party at times when we need him the most.

Got my Pennachio shirt and wearing it to school tommorrow.

[meow2u3]

42. Casey has always been in favor of workers' rights

Whoever asserted Casey is anti-worker is a damn liar!

[Doctor_J]

24. Hmm, since Casey seems to be anti-choice, anti-worker,

will he campaign with/for Swann or Rendell? :shrug:

[Hippo_Tron]

40. Don't forget, like 5% of voters show up on primary day...

Especially in non presidential election years. If I didn't live in Louisiana where we don't have primaries just general elections and then runoffs, I probably would have no earthly idea when the dates of primary elections were.

Pennacchio could pull a serious upset if Casey doesn't expect him to be a threat and doesn't spend money on a GOTV operation for the primaries.

[MrSlayer]

43. I'm voting for Pennacchio in the primary.

I think Santorum is a dead duck no matter who runs against him.

[f-bush]

44. Thank God...

send that neanderthal dead fetus hugging asshole packing!

[iconoclastNYC]

45. I know. Tell me why we didn't run a real democrat? N/T

[Daylin Byak]

46. Cause Casey..

Already has the name recgonition due to his father, his failed run for governor in '02 and since he's the current state treasurer.

The state party probally didn't want to find a candidate they they have to build up from the ground up.

[iconoclastNYC]

47. Good points.

It's sad that the DLC has such a huge head start over progressives in our party. All that corporate cash really builds a good bench to draw from.