So it begins: the senate ad wars...

[noel711]

Just heard a Toomey commercial against Sestak:

The usual right wing stuff, anti-bailout, anti-health care,
anti-civilian trials for 'terrorist suspects.'

Could he be any less creative?

This is gonna be a boring campaign..

I hope Sestak uses the 'juice' he pumped up against Spector,
and trounces Toomey's ass.

What are you seeing/hearing in your area?
I'm in the Lehigh Valley...

[MH1]

1. I heard a talking head this morning scoffing at the notion of Sestak as some far-left liberal

it was either on WHYY or KYW, the only stations I listen to in the morning.

Can't remember for sure - does Chris Situllo make sense? - but anyway he said Sestak was never that liberal on the key things like defense and national security, and Toomey will not make the 'ultra liberal' label stick.

[MH1]

2. Yes it was Chris Satullo on WHYY

http://whyy.org/cms/news/center-square/2010/05/23/too-many-empty-teases/38835

the piece is more about Sestak beating Specter, but mentions "You'll soon hear Sestak described as an extreme liberal, a radical etc etc. This is hilarious. He's a garden-variety East Coast Democrat."

It's a good thing for his chances in PA if he's not seen as too liberal now. The fact is that he IS better than Specter on many issues progressives care about, that's why most progressives supported him against Specter. But he's not radical at all, and it will be up to the radicals to decide if they dislike him enough to sit this out and possibly help right-wingnut Toomey win, or accept the fact that Sestak is as good as they're going to get in PA for the next few years.

[PADEMJES12]

5. by radicals do u mean moderate democrats or conservative democrats?

i think the only ultra radical in this race is toomey? agreed?
im not i guess in the category as a progressive dem.

[MH1]

6. yes, Toomey is a radical and the only one in the race

I was referring to left-wing radicals who have run from the term to the cozy embrace of 'progressive', but when somebody wants to achieve the ideal overnight and any incremental progress is 'not worth it' and a 'sellout' that person is really a radical, not a progressive, in my book. Sestak is a progressive (in most issues areas), NOT a radical.

Hey did we just agree on something?

:wow:

[noel711]

3. Maybe I haven't been paying attention..

Frankly I don't follow the republicans,
but Toomey is boring, no personality,
and seems to lack any appreciable clout to go after Sestak.

Chris Satullo has the journalistic chops to state an opinion,
but I think that both
Toomey and Sestak are pretty blank slates to the public,
and this campaign will define them.
The spector of Specter last week sucked up all the air in the room,
so this race could change public opinion, one way or another.

I think Sestak ought to go out hard to define himself
before the right wing defines him.
I appreciate his relentless campaigning out among the people,
that's the bottom line: old fashioned, community based,
hand to hand, face to face campaigning.

[Bunny]

4. +1

Sestak needs to start now. I heard my first Toomey ad on Saturday morning - Joe needs to get out in front of this.