Murtha aide pulls ahead in special election race

Tribune-Review (suburban Pittsburgh) ^ | 12 May 2010 | Mike Wereschagin

[moose2004]

The good thing is Burn’s supporters are much more motivated to vote then Critz’s.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

This really a crazy election. Burns could get elected to serve the rest of Murtha’s term, but lose the primary and therefore would be a lame duck. How nutty can it get?

[AuH2ORepublican]

“McCain won the district by maybe 1% Kerry won the district in 2004. It is not a swing district at all.”

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What is your definition of a “swing district”? Mine is a district that could swing to either party in any particular election. Given that President Bush got 49% in the PA-12 in 2004 and McCain got 50% in the district in 2008, it seems to me that its recent electoral performance proves it to be a district that could vote for either the Democrat or the Republican notwithstanding the fact that Murtha held it comfortably for decades.

[moose2004]

Very good point.

[Vigilanteman]

Correct on both counts. It is not a swing district. It is very much RAT heavy. But it is winnable. Those who see Critz in person are very unimpressed. Those who see only his television ads tend to be more gullible.

I'm surrounded by this district on three sides and know a lot of people who live in it. Nobody I know will admit supporting Critz. But it is a skewed sample as few of the people with whom I associate live off the government teat.

[MNJohnnie]

Swing districts are ones that elect Republicans and Democrats in fairly equal measure. MN 1 is a swing district. Swing districts are not ones that GOP Presidential candidates lose, or barely win, but that also return election after election Democrat congrescirttiers with huge vote margins.

The notion that this was a "Winnable" seat was wishful thinking

[MNJohnnie]

Good news here

. Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-W.Va.) lost his bid for a 15th term Tuesday in a primary defeat that further affirms the anti-incumbent sentiment coursing through the country. He is the first House member to lose a reelection bid in the 2010 campaign, and his defeat comes days after Sen. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) was knocked off the November ballot in that state's convention process.

[Vigilanteman]

Critz could also win the special election and lose the general election to Bill Russell or even Tim Burns. Primaries in Pennsylvania tend to have very low turnout. I think even the well-publicized match-up between Hillary and Zer0 two years ago failed to break 50%.

The activists tend to dominate primaries. A lot of them will be voting for Bill Russell just to repudiate the RINO wing of the GOP who runs the state party. Hopefully, these same people will be voting for Tim Burns against Critz for the unexpired Murtha term.

[Russ]

From this poll and others I have read today it’s obvious that the American people have not been hurt enough yet by the Democrats for them to wake up. Maybe they never will wake up...

[nina0113]

Burns' internal polling shows him leading Critz by 7 percentage points among voters who can correctly name the election day,...

So the ones who know when to go vote (they probably even know WHERE) are going to be the deciding factor.

[Pietro]

" but he is tainted with having been put up by the RINO wing of the GOP."

That would be the Ellsie Hillman wing of the party that despises conservatives.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

one can only hope.

[moose2004]

“Burns’ internal polling shows him leading Critz by 7 percentage points among voters who can correctly name the election day,.”

This is a very interesting way of describing “Likely” or “Most Likely Voters.”

[MadelineZapeezda]

My Dad, when he was alive, would swing his vote against the party in power. Rep president=dem congress or vice versa. He was a resident of sw PA....steel mill worker

[moose2004]

FYI, I called the NRCCC, they pointed out that 62% of respondents to this poll are Dems. Is that a fair sample?

[nina0113]

FYI, I called the NRCCC, they pointed out that 62% of respondents to this poll are Dems. Is that a fair sample?

It's not a fair sample, but it makes it even funnier that of the ones who even know when Election Day is, Burns is winning.

[ScottinVA]

Critz is advertising that he's pro-life, pro-gun and against ObamaCare

Same old "blue-dog" song. Tout your "independence" from the dem party and act "conservative," only to fold up and kneel at Queen Nancy's feet during a vote of a critical piece of legislation. For the dems, it always comes down to protecting their party above all else. Not buying it. Ever.

[moose2004]

I agree.

[cherry]

this is a confusing article....

is the primary next week?

or is it the election for the seat?

or is it both....a primary to see who will run in November AND an actual election to fill the seat NOW?

we must not let the rat win.....

[cherry]

just wait til the NRA starts supporting the rat like they did Murtha....