GOP Blames Sestak For PA 12 Loss

[MH1]

Poor babies.


http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/...

Dem enthusiasm has been lacking in primary races around the country this year, but the battle between Sen. Arlen Specter (D) and Rep. Joe Sestak (D) cost the GOP a House seat, according to a post-game analysis from the pollster who handled the race for the NRCC.

In a post mortem memo, Public Opinion Strategies partner Gene Ulm wrote that GOP turnout in the race to replace the late Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) was actually up, but that Dem excitement over the SEN primary drove voters to the polls, and handed Mark Critz (D) an 8-point win.

"he special election coincided with very competitive Democratic primaries that inflated the number of base Democrats anxious to defeat Arlen Specter," Ulm wrote in the memo to NRCC executive director Guy Harrison.

Though the district was the only seat in the country to vote for Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in the WH'04 contest and flip to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in '08, the primary brought out core Dem constituencies excited to back Sestak, and therefore more likely to vote for Critz over businessman Tim Burns (R).

Edit to add: if you have a little spare change and would like to see the GOP continue to blame Joe Sestak for things, please help out right here:
https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/sestak2010

[ingac70]

1. K&R

[Unvanguard]

2. Good. Hopefully he'll be blamed for their Senate loss in November too. n/t

[MH1]

3. I'm sure he will be

[FSogol]

4. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[dchill]

5. Ooh! Joe's got coattails...

already!

[WCGreen]

6. They just can't take responsibility for anything...

Finger pointing is their only response to anything...

[dkf]

7. Yay! I love it!

[Bitwit1234]

8. So what brought Democrats out in KY

they couldn't vote against Paul so why did the show up to vote in a primary.

[RandySF]

11. Democrats WAY outnumber Republicans in KY

Actually, Republicans had a record turnout for a primary.

[MH1]

9. Good NYT article with background on Sestak

for those who don't know much about him yet:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/us/politics/20sestak....

Funny thing, I've heard him say a hundred times that he went to Cardinal O'Hara (a local high school) but not til I read this article did I know he was valedictorian of his class.

[rurallib]

10. And the previous 5 in a row they lost? Sestak also?

Especially NY 23?

[RandySF]

12. I just think of those long faces

on Howard Fineman, Chris Matthews and Andrea Mitchell as they had to watch one their cocktail party friends lose miserably.

[MH1]

15. actually, Tweety seemed almost giddy as the returns came in

I have no idea what he was saying because the sound was down, but I was hoping he wasn't talking about Sestak sending a 'thrill up his leg' or whatever that was he said about W. It sure looked like he could've been saying that. He had this big goofy smile .... nah whatever his relationship was with Specter, I don't think Matthews was unhappy about Sestak winning.

Can't say for Fineman or Mitchell though.

[malaise]

19. FIneman said his mother voted for Sestak because

Specter voted for the Iraq war and Bush's tax cuts.

[MH1]

20. well those seem like pretty good reasons! nt

[Lagomorph]

13. Talk about pie-in-the-sky...nt

[Historic NY]

14. excuses are like a$$holes---the GOP fills that bill, anything but out & out defeat.

[HopeHoops]

16. I guess that means they're giving up on that asswipe Toomey.

[MH1]

17. oh I doubt it

but it's nice to see them blaming Democrats for beating them.

[malaise]

18. And in predicting victory for themselves

they didn't factor in a large voter turn out for Sestak.
Ah well!!