Some of the results from Tuesday’s primary elections raise
one basic question. Do they really stem from an anti D.C. or anti-incumbent
sentiment?
Two races, one in Pennsylvania and the other in Kentucky, point
to the answer being yes.
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter is now a lame duck. Current U.S.
Rep. Joe Sestak sank Mr. Specter’s bid for a sixth term in office with an upset
win to earn the Democratic Party nomination for the senate seat in November’s
general election.
Was it a victory for anti incumbency? After all, both men
are current office holders. However, Mr. Specter has been treading the halls of
the U.S. Senate for 30 years, while Mr. Sestak has been a congressman for less
than four years. It’s obvious which one is more of a Washington insider.
But the Democratic Party, including President Barack Obama,
Vice President Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell supported and
endorsed the Specter campaign and their results failed.
Many Democrats didn’t, and still don’t, trust Mr. Specter.
After all, he spent most of his political career as a Republican and only
switched to the Democratic side of the aisle last year. He did that to avoid
getting into a primary race against Pat Toomey who, all knew, would beat him in
a Republican primary.
Writing for truthdig.com,Robert Scheer called the soon to be ex senator a “windbag
chameleon.”
The race for the Republican Party nomination for U.S. senate in
Kentucky was equally revealing. Ophthalmologist Rand Paul beat out the state
GOP endorsed Trey Greyson, the Kentucky secretary of state.Dr. Paul ran on issues of fiscal responsibility and constitutionally
limited government.
Mr. Scheer also addressed the Paul campaign in the same truthdig.com
column:
“Rand Paul, like his dad (U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R, Texas,) is worthy of
praise for standing in opposition to the Wall Street bailout, which will come
to be marked as the greatest swindle in U.S. history and which was, as he noted
on his website, an unconstitutional redistribution of income in favor of the
undeserving rich.”
And Mr. Scheer calls himself ‘one lefty liberal” who’s not afraid of
the Paul victory.
Yet, the question remains. What does this all mean for November?
Right now, nothing. The anti Washington, anti incumbent sentiment may
or may not last. Such things rarely do, even when they should.
Remember the Republican Party contract with America in the mid 1990s.
They took control of the house and senate in the 1994 midterm election and
forced a balanced budget out of President Bill Clinton, but they soon became
the in party and helped George Bush multiply the debt several times over once
he took office.
So, it’s too soon to tell whether there will
be any major effect in November, but we can comfortably say there will be no
trickle down effect to the more local races. State reps Stephen Barrar and
Chris Ross will win reelection easily. The Republican machine will have its way
in those races regardless of other sentiment.
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