Predictions for PA Governor and Senator

LVDem and The Yonk have posted some picks for Tuesday.

In the Governors race the question is not who will win but how big. The PA Republican party cleared the field for Number 88 and hoped to unite the party behind him. It didn't work. Lynn Swann is a celebrity but not a Governor. Rapid Edward could have spent the fall on vacation and still win this contest. Ed Rendell didn't take any time off and has spent most of the past year giving people a reason to vote for him. His signature issue of using gaming revenue to reduce property taxes hasn't pan out yet but nobody has noticed. I will cast a reluctant vote for Rendell and think he will score in the high 50's.

As much as Santorum tries to make Bob Casey the issue in the end it's all about Rick. If you're a political junkie or a reporter the guy is a blast. He talks about malpractice reform but Santorum's wife sued a doctor for $500,000 in 1999. She claimed that a botched spinal manipulation by her chiropractor led to back surgery, pain and suffering, and sued for twice the amount of a cap Santorum has supported. He claims to be a conservative ( remember them?) but thinks it's OK for the government to spy on your phone calls, but not his. He also said that the way to support our troops is to put one of his bumper stickers on your car. At first he favored Intelligent design then he was against it. And he is a fiscal conservative, you know, against government spending but spends his time traveling the Commonwealth handing out pork checks. I won't even get into the whole Terri Schiavo controversy other than to say what conservative would put the government in the middle of the most painful decision any family could face? But he did it with style. He flew to Florida on Walmart's corporate jet and blew off a voter forum about Social Security "out of respect for the family." But he found time to hit a few fund raisers and came away with a couple of hundred grand. This last week he has been comparing himself to Winston Churchill telling us if he loses we are all going to die. Compared to Rick's energy and passion Bob Casey is boring. I vote for boring. Casey wins by 10.



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