One possible effect: Other moderate Repub senators might not be attacked by the right as harshly now

[jsamuel]

With Specter leaving due to the right's inability to accept differing views, the right might realize it risks loosing more senators if it continues to ostracize its own members for not voting with them 100% of the time.

[Budgies Revenge]

1. OR

It could just reinforce the repub base's belief that they must be more right wing! Either way, it works out to the Dems advantage:D

[jsamuel]

2. ha!

[L. Coyote]

14. Having two Rs running against each other in PA is NOT a Dem advantage!!!

We want two Rs running against each other in the primary, not the General election!

[Jack Rabbit]

3. But they're not being attacked by the GOP Leadership

They are being attacked by Rash Windbag and his ilk, who do not hold any elected office or official position in the RNC or any state party.

I'm sure Rash Windbag is going nuclear on Senator Spector as we write our posts.

[jsamuel]

4. just tell them to keep digging

[Occam Bandage]

5. Or they'll take it as evidence that moderates can't be trusted,

and double down on their efforts to pressure Snowe and Collins.

[Kahuna]

6. Another victory we can credit to Michael Steele!!! Heck of a job, Mickey!

:applause:

[Arkana]

7. Or they'll do the exact opposite and start branding them all traitors

which I believe is more likely.

[foo_bar]

11. yeah, they're not going to become moderate by losing all their moderates

Even neocons like Specter forced the repubs into a more cosmopolitan worldview than the sum of their Christian Dominionist base, now they're free to discard the Rockefeller repub cover story and concentrate on putting god in the Constitution, and indiscriminate torture (God'll sort em out).

[Arkana]

12. Abe Lincoln would weep if he saw the modern GOP.

It teeters on the brink of becoming the Constitution Party--the crazies who want giant Ten Commandments monuments everywhere.

[Are_grits_groceries]

8. They have never learned "The Law of Holes."

I don't expect a change. Rightward-ho!

[Schema Thing]

9. oh it's all good

the pubs are going to be afraid to challenge Obama. Already are showing signs of wanting to rethink their "just say no" strategy.

[Robbien]

10. Freepers over at freeperville are estatic over Spector leaving

and they believe that the elections in 2010 are going to be overwhelming GOP victories.


Guess they think that the new WaPo poll results of only 21% of Americans identifying themselves as GOPers must be made up propaganda.

[Arkana]

13. And that's why they lost in 2006 and 2008.

Reality stares them RIGHT in the face and they refuse to acknowledge it.