Public Policy Poller on the O'Donnell Effect: Snowe and Collins Must Move to the Right

Newsweek ^ | October 1, 2010 | Colin Woodard

[Reeser]

“I think it’s virtually impossible anymore to be a moderate in the Republican Party and survive politically,” says Tom Jensen, of Raleigh, N.C.–based Public Policy Polling, which conducted a poll last month finding that Maine Republicans would favor an unnamed conservative challenger to Snowe by a 63–29 margin. “If Snowe and Collins are committed to being elected as Republicans, it is in their interests to move to the right.”

[Reeser]

It's happening, folks. Can anyone say "critical mass?"

[Army Air Corps]

The Maine Twins being pushed to the right? That would be a welcome change.

[Defiant]

If they did, it would be phony and temporary. They should stay true to themselves, and we will either vote them out in the primary or they will survive. Why is it assumed that people should pretend to be something they are not in order to retain power? Why would we be satisfied by a few pretend votes by them in 2011, when we know they will go back to being who they are as soon as they think we aren’t paying attention?

[VR-21]

They might campaign to the right, but once safely in office will revert to RINO treachery.

Like Goldwater said; "Let me rimind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"

[mmercier]

Looking at my atlas, a move to the right for the terror twins is off a short pier.

Lobsters need to eat too.

[cableguymn]

Yup, just look at McCain.. Ran to the right to beat JD and is now creeping over to the left again.

[tulloss]

LOL!

[Defiant]

What a shock.

[Lazlo in PA]

“Conservatism works every time it’s tried.”

- R. Limbaugh

[Outlaw Woman]

Well put. John McCain did this during the primary and won because of it (well that and 21mil)If he wins in Nov who can seriously say he will ‘remain’ conservative/to the right? Everyone with a half a brain knows exactly what he will do.

[truthfreedom]

Snowe should go Indy now, or January.

She wouldn’t win the primary, but if she just goes indy, she could get 40% possibly in the general.

[Defiant]

Republicans like her, and Bloomberg when he claimed to be one, and Lindsey Graham and Mike Castle, are in effect lying about who they are in order to be elected. They are progressives, but due to electability reasons, or due to their family history (e.g., Lincoln Chafee), they make a decision that they need to run as Republicans. If they were honest, they would just run as Democrats, because that's what they are. They are only slightly more moderate than a typical Democrat.

But they don't, and simply because they accept the (R) label next to their name, other RINO elitists like Rove and McCain and Krauthammer tell us conservatives must support them. We don't buy that line of garbage any more.