Reply #9: You make a good point. But I think it's too much nuance for out-of-state commenters here.

[Demit]

I bet they don't know that Arlen Specter is married to Joan Specter, a LONG time Democratic City Councilwoman in Philadelphia. Arlen never was the rabid Republican that some people want to make him out to be. Which is why Phila area Democrats have voted for him time and again, me included. Sometimes I'm really not happy with his actions, but then again I'm sometimes really not happy with Obama's actions over the last year and a half either.

Joe Sestak is not exactly a reincarnation of the golden age of principled Democrats. And he made a very poor showing in their debate last week. He came across as insincere, and rote, and I can't help but think here is a very ambitious man, wanting to jump right to the Senate before completing his second term as a House member. But I don't think he has the political chops. I have no confidence in him going up against Toomey in the fall. This is a big state, and Toomey is from the western part of it, which has an instinctive resentment for anybody from the Phila area. They may not, however, be quite ready to put Mr. Club for Growth into power. I think Arlen represents the moderate compromise to those voters— and he's the devil we know—and thus has the better shot to beat Toomey. I'm leaning Arlen.