Obama-backed Dem makes gains in Pa. primary

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Hill

The Democratic Senate race in Pennsylvania has tightened as the party’s establishment seeks to topple the insurgent candidate Tuesday.

Until recently, polls had shown Katie McGinty, the establishment favorite, consistently trailing rival Joe Sestak in the race to take on vulnerable Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.

Party leaders are still angry over Sestak’s successful primary challenge against then-Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in 2010 and eventual loss to Toomey by 2 points in a year of major gains for Republicans.

But in a poll released Monday, McGinty overtook Sestak for the first time, leading him by 6 points, though a substantial number of voters remain undecided. That leaves political observers saying the heated race is anyone’s game.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/277583-obama-backed-dem-makes-gains-in-pa-primary

[jberryhill]

1. Yeah, she went negative with misleading ads using out of state money and refused to debate

Details here:

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2016/04/sen_joe_sestak.html

[MBS]

2. I don't like the nasty history of this internecine fight.

Here's also an article in this morning's Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-gop-in-chaos-democrats-struggle-with-their-own-deep-divisions/2016/04/24/e8d8064e-089f-11e6-a12f-ea5aed7958dc_story.html

I don't like the fact that this seems to be more about a personal argument between Sestak and the Powers that Be than a more objective calculation by the party of political strategy. And I'm personally skeptical that a candidate with little previous experience (McGinty) can be more competitive against an incumbent in November than someone of Sestak's experience.

I'm not a resident of PA, so can't pretend to know what's really going on beyond what I read.
But the whole thing smells bad to me.

[Beowulf]

3. The article has some things wrong.

The party asked Sestak to run, then Spector changed parties, mostly because he was going to lose the GOP primary to Toomey. The party then asked Sestak to withdraw, but he refused. The DSCC then made an unusual move and gave Spector the money they were holding for the general election. Sestak won the primary but was left with little money and virtually no party support.

[houston16revival]

4. Wall Street Pat must go

Toomey has tried to nuance his refusal to support a vote on Justice Garland

He's afraid to do his job and defend his no vote

These Republicans are trying to vote no with no fingerprints

Get paid and don't do your job = get FIRED!

[dicksmc3]

5. They are dissing Sestak

The ESTABLISHMENT DEMS are influencing elections across the country. Now you know what Bernie is tallking about -- MONEY OUT OF POLITICS!! Obama doesn't like Sestak because he was a threat to Specter. Soon after that Specter switched parties to become a Dem. That told me right away that Specter was bought and paid for by the establishment Dems, Obama included. Then Specter lost to Toomey and we got a republican bunch of fools in the congress. Nuf said???

[ReRe]

6. +1

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. Here's to McGinty!