PA-2016: Sestak prepares for battle

[Vega]

Sestak is probably too liberal to win in Pennsylvania; it hasn't elected a Democrat who didn't run as a moderate since Joseph Clark. Sestak did come close in 2010, but now Toomey is seen as moderate instead of "extreme," and has the benefit of incumbency. Dems most likely need better candidate recruitment to beat Toomey in a neutral year.

Toomey is far from a moderate. Supporting background checks on extremely dangerous guns doesn't make you a moderate, it makes you sane.

[Vega]

I think Sestak can win this fairly convincingly. Obama was never a great fit for Pennsylvania, Hillary very well could run ahead of Obama throughout western PA. Unlike coal country, it doesn't seem like Democratic support is going to totally collapse. Although it was a state and not federal race, Wolf met his statewide averages in counties like Cambria, Fayette, Greene which have trended GOP for years and Obama lost easily.

I'm inclined to agree. Minus the strong turnout and hence support for Obama in Phillie, he's been pretty unpopular all along.

Clinton will return some of the more Conservative Democrats to the Dem camp... at least for 2016.

[Vega]

Sestak is a rear Admiral and has a natl security background, despite his liberal stances, but we have a better shot in IL and WI and FL and NH, this would be an added race to the ones we already have, not the first one we pick up.

I don't know how Democrats have a better shot in FL or NH. Also, voters have pretty consistently shown that being a veteran doesn't get you elected.