Chris Matthews for Senator of Pennsylvania?

[rabid_nerd]

Believe it or not, it's a rumor not only in the rumor mills of PoliticsPA and such but among some top dem operatives in the state.

Of course Hafer is conventional wisdom by many, and Casey would make an "easy win", but what do you think of the HardBall host taking on Rick Santorum in debates carrying the Democratic Flag?

On Edit: I like having so many STRONG CANDIDATES WILLING TO KICK SANTORUM'S ASS.. My personal "god"* preference would be a tie between Casey and Rendell, then Hafer or Hoeffel, then Matthews and Kerry make interesting potential.

(*=where if I would pick one unilaterally)

[liberal N proud]

1. It would get the whore off the television screen

He could do less damage there.

[MarianJack]

2. Former PA person here...

...so I still care but am not in the PA loop.

How about a second shot by Joe Hoeffel. After all, he lost the first time he ran for the House, too. I could live with Hafer (she did switch?) or Casey.

Sadly, Little rickey is sooooo bad that even tweety would be an improvement. You know that things are really bad when your least embarassing senator is arlen spectre!

[hopein08]

15. Hoeffel

I live in PA and I heard a few times that Hoeffel's run against Specter was, while being a genuine and hard fought attempt to be an incumbent, was also something of a test run for 2006 against Santorum. Apparently, and it makes sense to me, Hoeffel's more moderate stance would do better against someone less moderate than Specter, i.e. Santorum.

Hafer did switch and rumors are that Rendell will probably push for her to run since he's one of the big reasons she switched in the first place.

[MarianJack]

17. Thanx...

...for the update on my old home state.

BTW, Where in PA are you? I was in Glenolden (Philly suburb in Delaware county).

[hopein08]

18. No problem

I'm on the other side of the state. Erie, to be exact. Strange politics in these parts!

Just let me know if you've got any more PA politics questions and I'll try to answer:hi:

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. Hoeffel only got 42% of the vote

He didn't perform very well on that 'test.'

[WI_DEM]

3. Tweety would fit right in

he actually might be a bit more liberal than Casey. Isn't Casey pro-life? I think Tweet is at least pro-choice.

[Rose Siding]

4. Not from PA, but isn't it already apparent...

that Matthews will do anything for money? Not to mention his "accuracy" problems in discussing dems on his comedy show...

From the November 22 edition of Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Why didn't the Democrats talk about what has always been their bread and butter, bread-and-butter issues? I never heard a candidate talk about what it is like to try to raise a family on a limited income, what it is like to have two jobs where the parents never have time to even make love or hang out with each other, because all they do is work and worry. How come Democrats don't talk about real people? It's supposed to be the real people party. All they care about is tort reform and protecting the trial lawyers.

In his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on July 29, Senator John Kerry did not once address tort reform or trial lawyers, but he did say the following about the challenges facing working families:

KERRY: Here at home, wages are falling, health care costs are rising, and our great middle class is shrinking. People are working weekends; they're working two jobs, three jobs, and they're still not getting ahead.........

Senator John Edwards also did not mention tort reform in his July 28 convention speech accepting the nomination for vice president. But he had this to say about the plight of middle-class Americans:

EDWARDS: I stand here tonight ready to work with you and John to make America strong again. And we have so much work to do. Because the truth is, we still live in two different Americas: one for people who have lived the American Dream and don't have to worry, and another for most Americans who work hard and still struggle to make ends meet. It doesn't have to be that way. We can build one America.........
http://mediamatters.org/items/200411230018

[rabid_nerd]

6. Matthews was right though...

You didn't point out where Kerry or Edwards, "(talked) about what it is like to try to raise a family on a limited income."

Except to point out that some people have to work multiple jobs, Clinton would use the story to drive home a point.

It drives speechwriters nuts, but you have to use people in a story, like Dylan Malone, the father of Ian Malone, the child who had medical treatment cut off until Al Gore stepped in to help.

Those kind of stories. Making it personal.

Mr. Smith, in the audience who until the super duper Kerry program couldn't afford food or clothing, but now can afford to send his kids to college and the life saving drugs he needs.

[Rose Siding]

8. Those were two of the most visible examples

Did you really never hear the personalizations in the stump speeches of *every* dem candidate?

Matthews was not right. He's a lazy vaudevillian playing TV guy.

[rabid_nerd]

9. I actually did hear Edwards

and quite a few examples in his stump speeches, for what a VP's campaigning is worth..

But I felt it quite severely lacking in Kerry's...

But what can you do?

Besides want to eject Iowa and New Hampshire from the Union.

[chicagojoe]

5. I wish I was a Pennsylvanian, just so I could be part of...

...putting a political ass-whipping on that clown Santorum.

[rabid_nerd]

7. Move here

http://www.eveningsunhomes.com
http://www.eveningsunjobs.com
http://www.mcsherrystown.net

2% Unemployment in my Borough ;)

[chicagojoe]

13. Why would I leave Chicago, Center of the Universe ?!?!

[Joy Anne]

10. or move here a few miles farther north

Cumberland County has the lowest unemployment rate in the state. I imported two Democrats last year, from New Jersey and South Carolina.

[Penndems]

11. Affordable and beautiful houses in every price range ;-)

Pennsylvania is in the midst of a construction boom . . .

Buy a "fixer-upper" in the historic district of Harrisburg (it's undergoing a renaissance):



(Five bedrooms, one bath, basement, 1,552 square feet, built in 1910, price: $29,900)

or, how about this one, in mid-town Harrisburg?



Single Family Property, Area: 2, Subdivision: 15th Ward, County: Dauphin, Approximately 0.05 acre(s), Year Built: 1913, Two story, Basement, Dining room, price: $39,900

How about something on the high end?



Single Family Property, Area: 1, Subdivision: MOUNTAINDALE, County: Dauphin, Approximately 1.09 acre(s), Year Built: 1982, Two story, Garage, Central air conditioning, Community swimming pool(s), Spa/hot tub(s), Basement, Fireplace(s), Dining room, Den, Laundry room. Price: $1,300,000



Single Family Property, Area: 1, Subdivision: FOREST HILLS, County: Dauphin, Approximately 2.65 acre(s), Year Built: 1990, Two story, Garage, Central air conditioning, Spa/hot tub(s), Basement, Fireplace(s), Dining room, Den, Office, Laundry room. Price: $1,900,000


. . . or in the Harrisburg suburbs?

Camp Hill, Pennsylvania:



Single Family Property, Area: 6, Subdivision: Riverview Heights, County: Cumberland, Approximately 0.24 acre(s), Year Built: 1959, Single story, Carport, Community swimming pool(s), Basement, Fireplace(s), Dining room, Laundry room. Price: $134,900

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (near the Navy Depot):



Single Family Property, Area: 6, Subdivision: KINGSWOOD, County: Cumberland, Approximately 0.29 acre(s), Year Built: 1995, Two story, Garage, Central air conditioning, Fireplace(s), Laundry room. Price: $237,536

**********************************************************************
The seller's agent who represented us when we sold our home in PA told us about another one of his clients, a retired military officer from Hawaii. When he asked this gentleman why, if he was from Hawaii did he want to move to PA, his response was, "This is a great place to raise a family."

And it IS, too. :)

(On edit: typo)

[Devil Dog Dem]

12. Sorry, but he has done so much damage to Dems that I would vote Repug . .

. if he is the Dem candidate.

No way we reward that behavior from supposed Dems.

[Township75]

14. I would rather vote repug than vote for that A-hole...

I think Matthews is a complete opportunist, and would run as a repub if Santorum were a Dem.

Matthews hasn't lived in PA for a while now, rather DC...can you imagine how we would look if we bashed Santorum for living in DC and not PA, than ran a carpet-bagger from DC claiming to represent PA values? That would be a disaster.

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. Those rumors has been floating aroung since 1999

He didn't run in 2000. Then there were rumors that he would run in 2004. He didn't run then either. He has a pretty good thing going right now, and I doubt that he would risk it by running for office (especially when it isn't a sure thing).