Ridge Vs. Specter: Ex-Gov. May Run For Senate In 2010

Washington Post:

Former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge (R) is seriously considering a 2010 bid for the Senate seat held by Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter and will make his decision in the next two weeks, according to several sources familiar with his thinking.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[usawillprevail]

As someone who has watched Ridge lets not forget he had outstanding approval numbers while in office and when he left.

He is a bigger nightmare to spector than toomey and many dems we know like him and will vote for him over spector.

Ridge is definately going to be a difficult candidate for the dems and NO he does NOT want to run for President or VP. He has stated that over and over and over.

[HerbTee]

Fellow Huffposters:

As a PA resident, I just sent a very detailed and very supportive e-mail letter to Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak, strongly requesting he challenge both Arlen Specter and former PA Governor Tom Ridge in the 2010 PA Senate Primary. I ask that all interested folks, especially PA residents, please write to Congressman Sestak via e-mail to show your support and encouragement at:

http://sestak.house.gov/IMA/issue_subscribe.shtml

http://sestak.house.gov/

Thanks.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Senator Hulka...

[Mintcondition]

Time to start a letter writing campaign to the president's Web site to express our concerns. Step away from the Spectacle Mr. President, step away.

[sciabattoni]

bad move. Ridge is actually the GOP's best 2012 Prez contender.
Gov of a swing state. Ex Vietnam. Good marks as homeland security chief...

[ladyvader]

He told us to use Duct tape in case of a terrorist attack.

Let him run, doubt very much he wins.

[hilary916]

and Saran wrap. Lol.

[hortonhearsawho2]

we soundly rejected the last scars to show it tour...

[ThinkCreeps]

Threat level red in PA: imminent risk of fear-based opportunism.

[DCDemInsider]

Oh, Dios mío!

Obama jumbled his words as he welcomed guests to the White House to observe todays Mexican holiday, He welcomed eveyone attending a Cinco de Mayo celebration, but instead called it "Cinco de Cuatro."


El Presidente es, obviamente, más inteligente que cualquier hombre que haya vivido en la Casa Blanca antes.

Viva Zapata everyone.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Obamanos...

[hilary916]

Si

[Rastageneral]

¡Viva Zapata! ¡Viva Villa!... y que viva la Revolución!

[DCDemInsider]

You don't clear the field in a place like Pennsylvania," said former Vermont Governor Howard Dean.

--

Thats right and PA Dems deserve the right to choose our Candidate!

People, this is about the Obama WH clearing the field so we wont have a choice.

From what Ive seen here, very few understand that Obamas pledge to Specter is the problem here.

Everyone but The White House says there should be a dem challenger to Specter.

That wont happen unless Dems kick up a fuss and aim it at the Obama WH.

Joe is dying to run, everyone has known since 2006 that he planned to run against Specter.

Simply, as a former Sestak campaign aide, let me explain, if Obama raises money and does events for Specter, Joe can't and wont run.

Forget what uninformed people are saying here, though we can beat Specter in the primary, we can never beat Obama and the pressure of a WH endorsement.

if Obama publicly raises money and campaigns for Specter - no Democrat can run a real race. No way, no how.

We are ready to elect a great new Dem from PA. The question is will the Obama WH let us do this.

UNDERSTAND THIS - WE MUST PUSHBACK THE W.H. ON THIS NOW.

If you care about electing a real Dem from PA, tell them NOW at whitehouse.gov that you want an Open Primary and for the President to stay neutral.

[timm0]

Sloooooooow down....

Obama is not going to support him in a Primary unless he is insane. For starters, Obama was not supported by the Dem establishment in the prez primary - Clinton was. But Clinton had a lot of support from unions and other groups... not to mention that she was an actual Democrat.

If Sestak or Schwartz jump into the primary and Obama supported Specter, he'd be endorsing the likely loser of the primary - which he's not going to want to do. Specter will get poked in the eye by the people that rendell was able to rally for Clinton.

Obama's easy out here is to say that he's not siding with anyone in the primary. He'll support whoever wins the primary. Problem solved.

And even if he does get stupid and campaigns for Specter, don't expect to see a huge impact. From the e-mails I've seen roll around the PA county party group that I belong to, there is little room for optimism from the Specter camp about substantial support if there is a primary battle. Remember, Specter is a sure loser in the R primary. His defection was purely a survival move. The vote for the stimulus bill can only carry him so far.....

[RickyPoo]

Obama campaigned for Lieberman.

Lieberman lost.

Obama campaigned for Harold Ford.

Ford lost.

Obama campaigned for John Kerry.

Kerry lost.

Shall I go on?

The guy's been a great president so far, but he doesn't walk on water.

[timm0]

Let me say my point in another way.... just because he's Obama doesn't mean everyone will instantly change their minds about Specter and pump money into his campaign....

This is especially true if he continues to push back against a public health plan. And don't forget there is a Supreme court nominee to vote for soon.... lots of room for Specter to solidify opposition by Dems at large.

[ohiodem250]

Interesting that the grassroots has to run against Obama in this instance. It's sad on two accounts: 1) it's sad because it makes me realize that no matter how much a candidate was raised to power on grassroots activism once that politician is in power they're "establishment" and 2) it's sad because you apparently forgot all the lessons about grassroots politics that Obama's campaign highlighted. Are you going to give up on Sestak before it already started just because the President will campaign against him? That's not very "Yes We Can!" of you. Buck up and fight for the candidate you think is the best. And win.

[614banker]

Well said! Quite succinct.

[Marie62866]

Ridge has a lot of skeletons in the closet! He worked for Bush! He is pro choice! If he dosn't support the unions he is toast too!

Allyson Schwartz please run for the senate seat!

[RickyPoo]

Absolutely right!!!

The media keep trying to paint him as some sort of PA giant.

I think this guy's got one HUGE glass jaw that's just waiting to be smacked.

And Pat Toomey's got first crack at it even before the Dem nominee.

The bigger they come.........Well, I'm sure you can finish that quote.....

[cactusgal]

The Bush administration periodically put the USA on high alert for terrorist attacks even though then-Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge argued there was only flimsy evidence to justify raising the threat level… Ridge [said] .he often disagreed with administration officials who wanted to elevate the threat level to orange, or "high" risk of terrorist attack, but was overruled.

Mr. Ridge, like Senator Specter, will say or do whatever it takes to get him where he wants to be. Then, when he's safely ensconced, he claims to espouse a different view.

[614banker]

He has been endorsed by the Unions over a Dem before so, in the words of GWB, "don't misunderestimate" the man! Ridge will certainly be a nightmare for us Dems. 'Nough said!

[NeoStar9]

If Ridge runs and gets the nomination (depends on how far right the primary voters will be) and Specter wants to keep his seat enough this could cause him to finally change his stance on EFCA and Health Care. Or maybe they have already changed (or he wanted to vote for them in the first place) and he doesn't want to simply appear to have flipped on everything right away.

[RickyPoo]

First, assuming that Ridge can even get the nomination in a PA GOP that is FAR more to the right than when he was governor, which is a huge assumption, he will have to defend his pathetic disgrace of a record as a fear-mongering DHS working at the behest of Bush and Cheney. (What color code would you like today folks?)

A few ads reminding the public of that shameful mark on his political career will remind voters of what a toadying opportunist this guy is and those poll numbers will head south in a hurry.

Right now, this far out from Election Day, all the polls reflect is name recognition.

[timm0]

Lord, don't get me started on the color-coded panic levels.....

[SemperVeritas]

The color codes were not Ridge's idea. He was not even the one who determined what levels we were at.

That said, Ridge is certainly vulnerable. He has a lot of Bush-era baggage that will come back to bite him in the elections.

[67yrolfe]

I’m a loyal Democrat and a Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) voter. I’m not a fan of Tom Ridge and would never vote for a Republican and that includes Arlen Specter. Putting a D beside his name doesn’t make him a Democrat! If he’s our only choice in Pennsylvania’s stupid closed Primary system; I’ll sit this one out. I have great respect for President Obama, VP Biden and Governor Rendell but I won’t be forced into voting for Arlen Specter. What are they thinking?

I don’t believe that the Republicans are smart enough to get behind Ridge. But if they wise up and do so, Ridge can beat Toomey in the Primary. Many independent minded Pennsylvania Democrats will switch back and register Republican to vote for Ridge in the Primary and he can beat Specter in the general election. Either way the Democrats will lose a Senator thanks to this back room political Specter deal. Because if anyone is naïve enough to believe that Specter will remain a Democrat if he does win don’t know Arlen Specter! He may keep the D beside his name if it suits his purpose because he's an opportunist. But he'll vote with the Republicans and Blue Dogs.

[larry278]

If former Gov Ridge does run for a seat in the US Senate in the Pa, GOP primary, & wins the GOP nomination it will be a sign that Pa's GOP is having a lucid moment. Gov Ridge is pro choice & has been a moderate. Gov Ridge did serve W in the Dept of Homeland Security, that is a damning indictment of Gov Ridge.
I still plan to vote for Sen Specter in the Democratic party's Pa primary. But it's encouraging to hear of the moderate Tom Ridge thinking of running in a GOP primary. Pa's GOP owes Tom Ridge & Mark Schweiker(sp?) who served as Pa's gov when Tom Ridge went to DC to serve W.
Off thread: Mark Schweiker was a good gov. That should be remembered by Pa's GOP. You lost Specter. The GOP is in danger of having more electable moderates become Democrats.

[WindySailor]

Why does his picture remind me of a cross between Ed Sullivan and Boris Karloff?

[nb0183]

Please Ridge, dont make a fool of yourself!

[Rog49Thomas]

A bit late for that comment isn't it?

Or did you leave out "again"?