attention Pennsylvania gun owners/voters

[alan]

Senator Specter has managed to "turn off" a lot of you. Congressman Pat Toomey might well have been a big improvement respecting firearms, gun control and gun rights. In case anyone hadn't noticed, Toomey lost the primary election, Specter got the nomination. Specter got more votes, shame on those who voted wrong, and certainly shame on those who didn't vote at all. Perhaps it's the fault of our "political system", frankly, I cannot say, though the fact that seemningly the best it can produce in the way of presidential candidates is what one might refer to as a contest between Mutt and Jeff, neither of whom I cared for, is something of a problem.

In any case Specter is opposed by Congressman Joe Hoeffel, from the eastern part of the state. Any way you look at it, it seems that Mr. Hoeffel, respecting firearms is the worst possible candidate. I really cannot say why it seems that we always end up stuck with what some might describe as "the choice between the lesser of two evils", or Tweedledee v. Tweedledum, but that seems to be the way the thing goes, perhaps because a candidate like Pat Toomey was unable to garner enough votes.

Anyhow, given the choices we have, Hoeffel appears to be the worst of the two. The rest is up to you all. In any case, remember to keep the pressure on your elected things, re the much to be desired, sunset of The Assault Weapons Ban. NO MERCY, it's got to go!!!

 

[Pappy John]

I really cannot say why it seems that we always end up stuck with what some might describe as "the choice between the lesser of two evils", or Tweedledee v. Tweedledum, but that seems to be the way the thing goes, perhaps because a candidate like Pat Toomey was unable to garner enough votes.

C'mon....you know how PA works. The big population centers of Pittsburgh and Philly are filled with the 'gimme more gubamint' liberals that are fairly evenly offset by the conservatives in the more rural areas in between. Spectre just skates by every election by being middle of the road enough to appeal to enough of the urban voters and depends on the rest of the state's Republicans to just pull the big "R" lever in the voting booth just out of party loyalty. (fear of more socialism..the Dem is almost always worse)

It seems that during the primary the Rep. political machine was too scared to put up a true conservative for the fall election for fear of loosing the cities entirely, so they scuttled the Toomey effort. For what it's worth he had my vote in the primary, but you know what they say....."If voting could change anything, it would be illegal."

It's a mystery to me how Santorum ever won in this state, but I'm glad he's there.

 

[alan]

Pappy John noted:

....."If voting could change anything, it would be illegal."

Last time U.S. Senate seat was "in play" in Nevada, as I recall, less than 600 votes was the margin in the election.

Your other observations do not seem to explain the Mutt & Jeff situation at presidential election levels.

As for Santorum, while he seems alright on RKBA issues, most of the time, on other matters, he strikes me as a throwback to the 14th century, if not earlier.

Otherwise, I've lived in medium to large cities most of my life. I voted for Toomey. Not enough others did.

 

[K80Geoff]

I cast my vote for Toomey also, but the NRA suported Specter. I believe that
Specter made a pact with the NRA to vote for RKBA issues. The NRA owns him now and he is smart enough to know how important RKBA issues are in PA.

Specter is "Progressive" enough for the Philly main line and conservative enough for the country folk. Like most politicians he knows how to juggle his voters.

 

[Pappy John]

Your other observations do not seem to explain the Mutt & Jeff situation at presidential election levels.

Ah, but think for a minute about that red and blue map put out after the election. All the major urban areas on the coasts largely opposed by the rural center. Pa is a microcosm of the country. You get blandness in your politicians because they assume they have the votes of one side, but they tapdance with the issues of the opposition enough to garner a few of the votes of the other side....enough to get elected. I'm picturing Kerry with his shotgun right now.