With respect to the libertarian angle, ‘m not so sure. The fiscal conservative, social liberal tact is vastly overated. In fact, the opposite may be true especially in Pittsburgh. Penn is filled with the union worjer ethos. The SW corner is filled with gun owners, Catholics, sportsmen, patriotic types that eschew the Republican Party for “Corporate” reasons and trade policies.

If Obama tracks har Left on immigration, it mayhelp immensely with this vote.

I meant, of course, Parents, Aunts/Uncles, etc….. I was the FIRST Republican basically and have since many years back converted Mom/Dad/Sister and a few Family Friends and Neighbors…. Did so, in part, by running for Office on the Republican ticket and demonstrating first hand that the Family “Conservative” principles/values fit best and are ONLY considered in regard to any Government legislation/meddling when Conservative Republicans control levers of Government. It helped in getting the Engler era of Republican governance in Michigan.

It just goes back to some of these folks being delusional and thinking that the JackAss Party is anywhere close to the JFK Party. You must understand the PEER PRESSURE concept also an consider the area (Detroit) that we are in. They are surrounded by the Union mentality and they lack courage of any conviction and just float along to go along and get along – as far too many Americans do in BLUE areas.

As for eburke saying Norm Coleman fits the Red-Dog definition (waiting there to see who else falls into those parameters between Red-Dog or RINO) I don’t know for sure, have to take his word for it, but I was certainly supporting Norm and did feel he would stand by the Party in return!!! The point of the Red-Dog moniker, so as to differentiate them from out-in-out RINOs (whom I will NO longer tolerate). It seems the concept is taking root, as I’ve seen it being bantered in several different Diaries.

I work in a fairly politically divided environment and I *always* get an Amen from everyone (even the Obama kool-aid drinkers) when I say “I have no desire to bail-out a bunch of big banks who made a bunch of loans to people to whom they had no business making loans, nor do I have any desire to bail out the people who were too stupid to know that they couldn’t afford the loans they were making.”

People *get* this stuff in their guts. It’s the same way with amnest…and it’s even the same way with Global Warming. If the GOP leadership had the stones to quit caring what the NYT and the Georgetown cocktail set thought about them, and changed the playing field from gloom and despair to freedom for *Big Everything* there would be some *major* realignment taking place in 2010.

Instead- we get (crickets chirping)

I like the whole ‘Red Dog’ moniker because I *do* understand that Alabama ain’t Maine but if Tester and Nelson and Webb understand that you don’t buck the party on the biggies if you want to retain any influence, then by golly ya’d think the GOP leadership could figure it out as well.

NEVER GIVE UP THE FIGHT!! just as the country flipped for CHANGE they will flip RIGHT back for money back in their pockets and security!

1) Specter wants to be re-elected.
2) Toomey can get about or more than the same number of votes in a Primary against Specter as he did last time (assuming no other Conservative candidates)
3) Specter can’t get as many votes in a Primary against Toomey as he did last time because a chunk of the Registered Republicans six years ago have reregistered as Democrats and thus can’t vote in PA’s closed primary.
4) The Dem powers that be in both Pennsylvania and DC are willing to try to keep other Democrats from primarying him in 2010 in exchange for his switch.
5) Specter believes he has a better chance of beating Toomey in the General than he does in the Republican Primary.

And reaction from the party faithful seems to be running strongly to the positive.
Who cares what the outsiders think? They only suggest stuff that will hurt us.

Regards

Regards