As Democrats and the media try to dress up Arlen Specter’s switch to the Democrats as a sign of the drift of the GOP in the direction of extreme social conservatism or some such, it was really nothing more than, to quote a Democratic Party strategist, “a cowardly act of a cornered man.”
As Byron York (via Glenn) puts it, “He’s a Democrat of necessity, and everyone knows it“:
More than a few in the GOP were gobsmacked when Specter explained his defection in nakedly strategic terms. “He made perfectly clear in a private conversation with [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell that his decision was made last Friday, when his pollster came to him and said, ‘You will not win the Republican primary,'” a top Senate aide told me. “So the decision to run as a Democrat wasn’t because he wanted to leave the Republican party, or because the party was mean to him.” Specter said much the same thing in public; his decision was born of sheer desperation.
But, just for argument’s sake, let’s say he did make the move because of the GOP’s drift to the right. It’s a good sign for the GOP when we realize which issue hastened his departure from the Republican caucus.
The Republican position on abortion hasn’t changed in the past few years. So, while pro-choice, Specter stayed put in a party with a pro-life platform. Twice in the past five years, Republican legislators, with the then-Republican President’s support pushed the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA), which would block states from recognizing gay marriages. Specter didn’t join the Democrats who shared his pro-choice views and who, on the whole, opposed the FMA.
Only after he voted for the spendthrift “stimulus” did Specter secure an opponent in the Pennsylvania Republican primary. It was his support of excessive government spending which alienated him from the GOP.
So, if the GOP is truly moving in a rightward direction, it’s doing so on the right issue–standing up against out-of-control spending.
You didn’t mention the 200,000 Republicans who switched to Democrat in PA. So the GOP in PA has, therefore, by definition become more right-wing. Doesn’t make Specter’s decision’s any less self-interested or self-motivated – this was clearly all about his re-election chances, and everyone knows that – but the GOP primary electorate in PA has become more right-wing since so many primary voters in PA have switched from GOP to Dem. Perhaps you should ask why so many voters have fled the party?
However, what we don’t know is how many of those 200,000 changed just so they could vote in the Democrat primary (e.g., Operation Chaos).
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#1 – “You didn’t mention the 200,000 Republicans who switched to Democrat in PA.”
Ah, tp, that was during the spring primary in 2008 in order to pursue “Operation Chaos” in order to deliver PA to the weakest DNC candidate out there. You know, sort of like what your side of the aisle does to OUR candidates (i.e. NH in 2000 going for McCain vs Bush).
It doesn’t mean they fled the party; it means they voted as such during the primary to wedge the DNC. And for a while it worked – neither The Snob nor Shrillary managed to sew up the nomination by Super Tuesday.
Try again, tp TIT.
Regards,
Peter H.
If anything the Dems have moved more to the extreme left than at anytime in my 53 years on earth. I remember when Joe Lieberman was considered a Liberal, Now old Joe almost looks Conservative.
How may of those switched so they could vote against Obama in the primary? PA is a closed primary correct?
Joe Lieberman was in the same predicament. The solution to saving his senate seat, leave the Democrat Party. He didn´t become a Republican despite all the speculation of him being named as John McCain´s VP candidate. He became an independent and saved his seat. When he announced his defection he said he would still caucus with the his former party. He has voted with his party most of the time. His independent status allows him to vote his conscience, when it opposes the party line.
Arlen Specter could have done the same; become an independent, caucus with the Republicans and vote with party when his conscience concurs and vote against it and salve his conscience.
yes PA is a closed primary state. I am someone who switched over to dims to vote against obambi. I remind the person that in 2004 Arlen and fast eddie Rendell encouraged dims to switch their party affiliation to GOP in order to vote for him instead of TOOMEY.
Arlen also took union $ to pay dims to campaign for him against TOOMEY.
Arlen was flat out told YOU ARE FIRED.
I encouarge all to address your complaints to the state party and national party and make it clear NO $ as liong as they support people who do not represent their constiuants regardless of what party they are.
Roberto,
the Lieberman situation was different. In PA you cannot lose on one ticket and run on another afterwards.
Very astute observation.
barbara.
Granted. But Arlen has lost the race. It is his polls and other polls that say he will likely be defeated. What I´m saying is he could (I think PA would accept it) have, like Joe, become an Independent and continue to caucus with Republicans, and voting as he normally would. What I have seem in the Bucks County Courier he has the sympathies of many, which surprises me since when I lived there it was staunchly Republican.
Correction. Arlen HASN´T lost a race.
Running as an indepedant is not an easy thing to do, and I kinda doubt Specter is strong enough to run on his as an indepedant. From what people have said, it sounds like the option to run as an Indepedant was not there for him.
I am not going to disregard that fact that what he did was motivated out a self interest to protect himself. Politicans do a lot of things to save their seat, this is just one the bigger actions. Primary voters are generally more extreme than most voters, they are more motivated and passionate than the average voter. Arlen Specter’s base of support has declined in the state, geographically anyway. I believe the article stated that had been a decline in Republican presence in the east and a rise in the west, Arlen Specter has depended on the east to hold his primary wins.
I would say its apperently not just Specter who feels their is a growing rightward extremism in the party. Several higher ups in the Republican party have sourced concern about it, so it seems to be a shared opinion at least in some circles of power. The rebranding effort seems to be part of that effort to change the party’s image, which seems like a move to moderate it on some issues or clarify them anyway.
Independant even, jeez