A relative unknown throws his hat into the primary ring

[Freddie Stubbs]

Charlie Crystle is fed up with the way things are done in Washington, and he’d like to do something about it. But the Lancaster, Pa., businessman/millionaire views Rep. Joseph M. Hoeffel (D-District 13), a fellow Democrat, as part of the problem, instead of the solution.

So to the dismay of many in his own party, Crystle last week declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Up until that point, Hoeffel, a three-term congressman from Abington, was the only Democrat running.

“There’s a series of things” that led Crystle to his decision, he revealed in an interview this week, but “the bottom line was these constant attacks on the middle class by irresponsible fiscal policies of this administration, and the failure of both Democrats and Republicans to stand against it.

“When you’re beholden to corporate interests, like the insider candidates are, it’s hard for them to act on behalf of the people on a consistent basis,” he said.

Besides being virulently anti-free trade, Crystle has cast himself as a human-rights crusader along the lines of former President Jimmy Carter. He serves as a technical adviser to Witness.org, a group that helps grass-roots movements across the world stand up to human-rights abuses, and has spent quite a bit of time addressing the issue of child exploitation in Central America.

But Witness.org is affiliated with pro-Palestinian organizations like the Arab Association for Human Rights in Israel, the Shatila Project in Lebanon and the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group.

more: http://www.jewishexponent.com/Zoom.asp?storyID=17955&szparent=569&pubID=221&

[goobergunch]

1. IMHO this is bad

If Hoeffel has to waste money on this primary challenge and loses the Senate seat because of it, I think everyone will agree with me.

[LynneSin]

2. Yeah, it was such a waste we had a primary for Governor's race in 2002

I mean, Casey was the favorite, supported by the PA Democratic Party and most of the statewide unions. Why should we have bothered having a primary when Rendell came in as not only the underdog but also behind in the polls by double digits?

:eyes:

This is so irritating when I see posts like this that says we shouldn't have primaries. Then in Jan of 2005 we'll be bitching about the horrible candidates we had in the 2004 elections and folks like me will be asking "Well, what candidates did you have in the primaries"

Remember, no one knows who Joe Hoeffel is outside the Philadelphia region. If you go to Central PA and ask my friends and family who they are voting for in the 2004 PA Senate race they'll say Specter cause that's the only candidate they know. And yet most of these people voted for Rendell in 2002 because they were very familiar with Ed Rendell when Nov 2002 ran around.

Even if Hoeffel is the eventual winner of the primaries, this primary will only help him, not hurt him. It'll force him to go out there and campaign in the rest of the state NOW instead of after the primaries. (And that's hard campaigning, not a few measily stops here and there in familiar places). ANd remember, Arlen Specter ALSO has a tough primary candidate with Rick Santarium wannabe Pat Toomey. So I see this as all coming up equal.

Why not find out more about Charlie Crystle before you write the guy off. I think you'll find this guy has alot to offer Pennsylvania and a great choice for US Senate!

[DemBones DemBones]

3. Well said. From that little bit, Crystle sounds like a good

candidate, not that I know anything about Hoefel.

[jiacinto]

6. Jews won't vote for Crystal

His support for Pro-Palestinian causes will cost him in both the primary and in the general eleciton.

[plurality]

9. Pennsylvania Jewish population

Pennsylvania
Jewish Pop. State Pop. Percentage
282,000 12,056,000 2.3
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/partners/Preview.HTM

Sounds like a good idea to nix a candidate because 2.3% of the population might not want to vote for him.

[goobergunch]

5. My concern is the $$ factor

Specter's probably going to have a decent fundraising advantage at the outset. However, the Toomey primary will hurt him there. We always seem to have less money than the Repukes, and I'm hoping that if Hoeffel runs unopposed, he'll have more money and at least even the playing field against Specter.

Furthermore, Crystle has never held elective office and doesn't seem as well-positioned as Hoeffel to beat Specter IMHO. This could be a once-in-a-political-lifetime chance to beat Specter due to the Toomey challenge...I don't want to blow it on a second-tier nominee. Crystle ought to run in PA-16 (his CD)...we didn't even field a candidate there in 2002 and Joe Pitts is the pits.

[w4rma]

4. This is a good thing, IMHO. Crystle looks like a strong contender. (n/t)

[jiacinto]

7. Like an anti-Israel, pro-Palesitnian

candidate has a chance?

[plurality]

8. a little presumptuous here aren't you?

I didn't see anything there that says he is anti-Israel. Or does supporting human rights for Palestinians automatically make one anti-Israel these days?