Was Spector promised "no primary challenge" for coming over? Can the party actually enforce that?

[Ken Burch]

He's clearly not going to be able to ask labor to support him if he kills EFCA(there's not going to be any other labor legislation brought forth this year that can actually matter), and there's others in the party who will have concerns.

Will there actually be a real effort to enforce a challenge-free primary in for Spector in 2010? What does anybody know about this?

[Lilith Velkor]

1. That was probably the deal made.

I have no proof, of course.

Deals can always be broken, though.

[saltpoint]

2. I have no idea what happened in the Specter defection, but in the past

political parties, while they can't "enforce" an arrangement, can "arrange" events in which there is some circumstance coming down the road which can be engineered to work the way all parties want it to.

"In return for your vote on this crucial legislation, Senator, we can make some calls and keep the folks who'd be your strongest opponents off the next ballot."

That sort of thing.

[jwirr]

3. Isn't he 80 years old? I would guess there is a good chance he will

not be well enough to run.

[Ken Burch]

5. Perhaps. Why, then, didn't he just announce his retirement?

He could have used his health as a legitimate excuse(the man is still recovering from brain cancer).

Was it just about getting a last little bit of attention?

[ddeclue]

10. Because he views national healthcare as an issue worth dying at his desk for.

[msongs]

4. party bosses and their henchmen can make life rough for candidates believing in true democracy nt

[fishwax]

6. I don't think they can keep someone else from running, but they can withhold

party support to his opponent during the primary ...

[donheld]

7. Arlen Spector reminds me of the story

of the Civil War guy who wore a Blue shirt and Gray pants.

[ddeclue]

8. They can't literally enforce that but President Obama and Gov. Rendell (sp?) can do a lot to put

their thumbs on the primary scale - showing up in AF1 touring the state w/Specter, giving him their endorsements, raising money for them.

It's theoretically possible that some highly popular grassroots figure could run against this effort and win but it is highly improbable. The grassroots figure would need a LOT of personal cash to throw around to counter DSCC money and countering BHO's and Gov Rendell's popularity would be next to impossible.

If BHO wants Senator Specter in 201, it's gonna happen. If Gov. Rendell opposed it, then it might be within the realm of the winnable for a Specter opponent in the Democratic Party.

Doug D.

[Canuckistanian]

9. From what I gather, no

The word is, support for the GE but not for the primary.

That would be undemocratic.

[tularetom]

11. You think a smart guy like Obama would make a dumb deal like that?

And even if he did, seems to me Spincter just invalidated any deal with his "I will not be a loyal Democrat" bullshit.

[Ken Burch]

13. If anyone did, it would more have been Reid than Obama

Don't turn this into an implication that I was Obama-bashing.

[tularetom]

14. I don't think Reid is in any position to make such a guuarantee

Obama as the more or less de facto head of the party, would be.

But I'm with you. I don't think he did either.

[Garbo 2004]

12. The party machinery no doubt will support Specter and that will have an impact on

money, who campaigns in support, etc. I doubt Specter would have changed parties if he thought the party would later just discard him like a used Kleenex.

The party can't stop someone from running in the primary, but what viable Dem pol who wants a future and friends in the party will run against a party annointed candidate? A Dem challenger could run but without party support and all that comes with it.

I know nothing about PA politics, but have seen that happen in my area where the party annointed a candidate (biggies in the party nationally, not just local, announced their support way ahead of time) and other viable local pols, who otherwise would have run, all backed off and did not announce. They knew they wouldn't have party support, the big money, and they didn't want to burn bridges. The grassroots, outsider candidates didn't have the resources to make a viable challenge to the party annointed candidate.

[Gregorian]

15. That answers what I wanted to know. But campaign finance reform might change that.

It's past time to get this bullying out of politics. Let the people decide fair and square.

The more I learn about politics the more depressed I get. It's so entrenched and full of tricks. Pathetic.

[MannyGoldstein]

16. Specter Did Not Have Much Choice

As a 'thug, he was going down. I doubt if the Democrats promised anything more than to not fund a Dem opponent.

[PufPuf23]

17. Would the Democratic party want Spector as a candidate?

Seems Spector would be a poor candidate against a strong GOP like Ridge.

Spector should retire IMO.

[Mz Pip]

18. Specter said he wasn't

so maybe we should just take him at his word and if he doesn't deliver as a democrat then he is hardly entitled to run unopposed in the primary.

Screw that. I don't know what the politidal landscape of PE is but if Specter ends up voting just like a Repug on everything that comes up between now and the primaries then I don't see why he should go unchallenged if the Democrats have a viable candidate who could win in the general election.