Bob Casey's performance

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Something interesting I noticed now that I bothered to look at the Pennsylvania Senate map is that while Casey did overperform Obama everywhere he didn't have any noticable strongholds, even in his home county of Lackawanna he only ran about 3 points ahead of Obama. He basically followed the same baseline as Obama and ran 1-3 points ahead of him in most regions. But most notable is out west he still lost Greene and Cambria (counties he broke 60% in in 2006 where you'd expect him to be quite a bit more popular than a generic Democrat.) He did win Fayette and Beaver though, lost Washington, but that county also has a stream of Pittsburgh exurbia growing into it which might explain some recent trends.

So Casey is now basically just scene as a generic Democrat who in this case happened to have a challenger who also said something stupid about rape (and yet still did better than the challengers who said stupid things about rape in the far more Republican states of Indiana and Missouri.) Probably doesn't mean anything long term, but interesting to note.

[Incipimus iterum]

agreed but why did Casey make it soo close its like he wanted to make it close for some reason

[Keystone Phil]

Smith's rape comment didn't get play here.

It doesn't matter moving forward. He won't run for a third term. This year proved he isn't invincible if he runs for Governor but that's a very different type of race.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Wait, what did Smith say about rape?

[Hash]

Wait, what did Smith say about rape?

He basically compared it to having kids out of wedlock, which in a way is much more despicable than what Mourdock and Akin said.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Wait, what did Smith say about rape?

He basically compared it to having kids out of wedlock, which in a way is much more despicable than what Mourdock and Akin said.

Why didn't Casey hammer him on that?

For Pete's sake, McCaskill managed to win by 15 points in a State Obama lost by 10, and Casey didn't even manage to break 55% in a State Obama carried! What the f**k? This guy is officially an epic failure.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What he basically said was that having your daughter or granddaughter get pregnant because of rape is "similar" to getting pregnant out of wedlock. I guess Casey figured he was winning anyway so there was no need to go after him.

[Keystone Phil]

Smith's point was that the situation is neither ideal, planned and often leaves a woman to raise a child on her own but that doesn't mean the child isn't worth bringing to term. It isn't the same as what Akin said. It is like Mourdock's (that is, completely and disgustingly taken out of context). Because Smith isn't articulate, the reporter pounced on him once he noticed Smith was slipping up. And, of course, Smith just dug the hole deeper (to a point where an aide tried to stop the Q&A segment).

I'm surprised Casey didn't use it but I guess their polls showed he was comfortably ahead. Then again, after running the type of race he ran, who knows? Maybe it would have went unused even in a close one.

[Maxwell]

I always thought the guy was kind of incompetent in terms of campaigning. The man is a very generic democrat besides abortion. 2006 was just a great year for Democrats.

If he runs for a third term he could be very vulnerable even in a neutral year.

[Speed of Sound]

I always thought the guy was kind of incompetent in terms of campaigning. The man is a very generic democrat besides abortion. 2006 was just a great year for Democrats.

If he runs for a third term he could be very vulnerable even in a neutral year.

Very vulnerable? Eh. He'll always have name recognition (both his father's, as well as his own now). He performs well enough with Republicans and the Democratic primary crowd is conservative enough that Casey is favored: a) so long as the opponent isn't a titan of recognition/reputation; b) he actually bothers to do any campaigning at all.

[Landslide Lyndon]

He will be vulnerable only if his opponent is willing to spend freely as Smith did.
Pennsylvania is an expensive state and retail campaigning can't put you over the top, like it did in North Dakota with Heitkamp.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Smith's point was that the situation is neither ideal, planned and often leaves a woman to raise a child on her own but that doesn't mean the child isn't worth bringing to term. It isn't the same as what Akin said. It is like Mourdock's (that is, completely and disgustingly taken out of context). Because Smith isn't articulate, the reporter pounced on him once he noticed Smith was slipping up. And, of course, Smith just dug the hole deeper (to a point where an aide tried to stop the Q&A segment).

I'm surprised Casey didn't use it but I guess their polls showed he was comfortably ahead. Then again, after running the type of race he ran, who knows? Maybe it would have went unused even in a close one.

I don't give a sh*t about the context. Comparing pregnancy from rape to pregnancy out of wedlock is disgusting and automatically makes you a disgusting individual unworthy to get half a vote. Period.

[Keystone Phil]

Smith's point was that the situation is neither ideal, planned and often leaves a woman to raise a child on her own but that doesn't mean the child isn't worth bringing to term. It isn't the same as what Akin said. It is like Mourdock's (that is, completely and disgustingly taken out of context). Because Smith isn't articulate, the reporter pounced on him once he noticed Smith was slipping up. And, of course, Smith just dug the hole deeper (to a point where an aide tried to stop the Q&A segment).

I'm surprised Casey didn't use it but I guess their polls showed he was comfortably ahead. Then again, after running the type of race he ran, who knows? Maybe it would have went unused even in a close one.

I don't give a sh*t about the context. Comparing pregnancy from rape to pregnancy out of wedlock is disgusting and automatically makes you a disgusting individual unworthy to get half a vote. Period.

Uh huh. Except it isn't the type of comparison it's being made out to be so save me the faux outrage.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Smith's point was that the situation is neither ideal, planned and often leaves a woman to raise a child on her own but that doesn't mean the child isn't worth bringing to term. It isn't the same as what Akin said. It is like Mourdock's (that is, completely and disgustingly taken out of context). Because Smith isn't articulate, the reporter pounced on him once he noticed Smith was slipping up. And, of course, Smith just dug the hole deeper (to a point where an aide tried to stop the Q&A segment).

I'm surprised Casey didn't use it but I guess their polls showed he was comfortably ahead. Then again, after running the type of race he ran, who knows? Maybe it would have went unused even in a close one.

I don't give a sh*t about the context. Comparing pregnancy from rape to pregnancy out of wedlock is disgusting and automatically makes you a disgusting individual unworthy to get half a vote. Period.

Uh huh. Except it isn't the type of comparison it's being made out to be so save me the faux outrage.

I don't give a sh*t what "type" of comparison it was. He put the two concepts in the same argument, and this is unacceptable.

[Keystone Phil]

Sometimes I wish I could be that simplistic in my thinking.

He didn't compare the means of getting pregnant. He didn't compare the trauma. So, again, spare me the faux outrage.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Sometimes I wish I could be that simplistic in my thinking.

He didn't compare the means of getting pregnant. He didn't compare the trauma. So, again, spare me the faux outrage.

I can't believe you really don't get it. IT DOESN'T MATTER what the purpose of your comparison is. Associating rape with out-of-wedlock pregnancies in your point, no matter what your point is, is an insult to rape victims. Just try to think for one second what it implies.

[Badger]

Smith's point was that the situation is neither ideal, planned and often leaves a woman to raise a child on her own but that doesn't mean the child isn't worth bringing to term. It isn't the same as what Akin said. It is like Mourdock's (that is, completely and disgustingly taken out of context). Because Smith isn't articulate, the reporter pounced on him once he noticed Smith was slipping up. And, of course, Smith just dug the hole deeper (to a point where an aide tried to stop the Q&A segment).

I'm surprised Casey didn't use it but I guess their polls showed he was comfortably ahead. Then again, after running the type of race he ran, who knows? Maybe it would have went unused even in a close one.

I heard Smith's entire conversation with the reporter. There was nothing "taken out of context" in what he said. HE volunteered the comparison of a child being born out of wedlock with a pregnancy engendered by rape.

Regardless of whether one supports imposing priosn on a young woman for aborting a pregnancy caused by rape or not, Smith's comment, inho, reflected someone who hadn't begun to think the issue through.

I suspect Casey didn't hit on it as hard because it would play up his own anti-abortion bona fides to liberals, while making him seem "more" pro-choice to socially conservative swing voters. Not sure why it didnt play out that way in IN with Donnally, but just my theory.

[Keystone Phil]

Sometimes I wish I could be that simplistic in my thinking.

He didn't compare the means of getting pregnant. He didn't compare the trauma. So, again, spare me the faux outrage.

I can't believe you really don't get it. IT DOESN'T MATTER what the purpose of your comparison is. Associating rape with out-of-wedlock pregnancies in your point, no matter what your point is, is an insult to rape victims. Just try to think for one second what it implies.

When he states that both are unexpected pregnancies and isn't comparing the actual devastation of the acts, you shouldn't throw a fit.

It was taken out of context when the reporter asked if Smith was suggesting that out of wedlock pregnancy was as bad as rape. The reporter knew he wasn't suggesting that at all.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Sometimes I wish I could be that simplistic in my thinking.

He didn't compare the means of getting pregnant. He didn't compare the trauma. So, again, spare me the faux outrage.

I can't believe you really don't get it. IT DOESN'T MATTER what the purpose of your comparison is. Associating rape with out-of-wedlock pregnancies in your point, no matter what your point is, is an insult to rape victims. Just try to think for one second what it implies.

When he states that both are unexpected pregnancies and isn't comparing the actual devastation of the acts, you shouldn't throw a fit.

It was taken out of context when the reporter asked if Smith was suggesting that out of wedlock pregnancy was as bad as rape. The reporter knew he wasn't suggesting that at all.

Again, it doesn't matter. It boggles my mind that you don't understand what's wrong with Smith's comments.

[Keystone Phil]

Or you're making this into something it isn't. Don't make this into my "not understanding." We have a difference of opinion. Leave it at that.

[TeePee4Prez]

God awful.  The fact he let Smith even come within a whiff of him is sad.  Should have HAMMERED Tom Smith on his Mourdock/Akin-like comments at least in the Philadelphia TV market.  Would have been lights out in the Philadelphia area then the state at large. It's not that the state was unmoved on Smith's comments, they weren't even made an issue!  Bob Casey's too nice.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Not sure if this is really a surprise; Casey is basically a complete nonentity (which arguably makes him one of the best members of the Senate by depressing default, but I digress) and Obama/Romney was the big draw for voters.

[Napoleon]

Or you're making this into something it isn't. Don't make this into my "not understanding." We have a difference of opinion. Leave it at that.

Ask him why it "doesn't matter'. You've at least used some logic to defend your position. Simply repeating "it doesn't matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and "unacceptable" is unpersuasive.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Or you're making this into something it isn't. Don't make this into my "not understanding." We have a difference of opinion. Leave it at that.

Ask him why it "doesn't matter'. You've at least used some logic to defend your position. Simply repeating "it doesn't matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and "unacceptable" is unpersuasive.

Wait, you are defending Smith too?

[Keystone Phil]

Or you're making this into something it isn't. Don't make this into my "not understanding." We have a difference of opinion. Leave it at that.

Ask him why it "doesn't matter'. You've at least used some logic to defend your position. Simply repeating "it doesn't matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and "unacceptable" is unpersuasive.

Wait, you are defending Smith too?

No, he's calling your line of argument idiotic. Now let's let this go.