Arlen Specter Is Old but Not Dumb

Arlen Specter has defected from the Republican Party not because it's too conservative, but because he is too old. When you're 79 and running for another six-year term, the big issue isn't politics, it's age. Specter's Republican primary opponent, former Rep. Patrick J. Toomey, may be a lot more conservative than Specter, but, as attractively, he's a lot younger, too.

Nobody's going to cast an uncritical vote for a 79-year-old if there's a sentient alternative.

Except, of course, the Democratic president of the United States, who will get a filibuster-proof majority if he does. The president has promised to hand the doddering Specter the Democratic Senate nomination in Pennsylvania, guaranteeing him victory in an overwhelmingly Democratic state, in return for the old coot standing with the Democrats.

You don't get more nakedly opportunistic than this.

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Comments

[J G H]

10:28 AM on 04/30/2009

The Republican line spun by a biographer of Rupert Murdoch, owner of FOX. I have often not agreed with Specter, particularly on his votes for Meese and Thomas, but I have always felt that he was ethical and thoughtful, two characteristics which explain why he no longer feels comfortable in the GOP. Face it, at 79, Specter could retire in comfort without all the stress of political life in general, and the boredom of congressional hearings in particular. This is not so much about coming back to the Senate as it is about trying to make a difference. He used to vote with the Democrats40-45% of the time. I do not expect to see this increase to much beyond 50%, but I also do not see him supporting Republican filibusters at all. The real problem for Democrats is that Pennsylvania tends to alternate between Republican and Democratic governors; if the trend continues, we must hope Specter remains healthy, because the Republicans do have a real shot at having one of their own in the governor's seat if a replacement needs to be appointed.

[ggmome]

09:02 AM on 04/30/2009

90 percent of my family still reside in Pennsylvania. They all know Specter and the 'games' he plays, they have the T-shirts from the Warren Commission. When the defection of Specter was announced, my phones and computer and webcam were constantly in use, with the chatter. Young and Old were furious!

Alls I am going to say is, Specter you just became grass, and my friends and family left in PA are going to mow you!

[Citizen-Jane]

10:33 PM on 04/29/2009

"...is old but not dumb."
To paraphrase Mudbone. You don't get to be old by being dumb.

This was a savy move by Arlen I don't believe that he meant to benefit the democrats as much as he did it to benefit his future. I hope that he doesn't go down the path of Joe Lieberman or cozy up to Evan Bayh. But its good to see the dems continue to expand its tent.

The repugs lost big time yesterday and they know it.

[wildflowermaven]

05:31 PM on 04/29/2009

This age stuff is totally bogus. Specter's age is not the issue, its that the PA Republicans are skrunken in number and far-right in orientation. Toomey would have won, but not because he's younger. Ageism does exist, but so much in the Congress, especially not in the Senate. And Specter seems pretty sharp to me, don't think he's "doddering" by any stretch of the imagination.

[J G H]

10:45 AM on 04/30/2009

Consider the Republican fawning over a drooling Strom Thurmond. Age is not the issue, it is spin

[larry278]

04:24 PM on 04/29/2009

Opportunism is sometimes called get up & go & ambition. Yes, Sen Specter is an opportunist, one of the better of that breed. There is little to say of Pat Toomey; I'll let Pat speak for himself. That is how Mr Toomey loses elections.

[Weirdwriter]

04:11 PM on 04/29/2009

Wow, what an ageist commentary. Never heard "doddering" used to describe Sen. Specter. Does he show evidence of senility -- other than he didn't make the switch earlier?

[jbusch8]

03:15 PM on 04/29/2009

talk about a mutually beneficial relationship!!!

[jcwtts1]

02:47 PM on 04/29/2009

Complete nonsense. The GOP is running ultra cons who can not under any circumstances win the general. Pat Toomey would get crushed in the general no matter who the dems ran. He won't let it happen to him the way it did to about 10 other senators on the right. But here is the thing. What do we get from it. If he votes with us that is one thing, but if he screws us he won't win the dem primary.

J

[silverball]

11:54 AM on 04/29/2009

....yeah, ain't it GRAND???.....LOL....i guess this is where you first, call it a democracy....and second, politics.......