Operation Chaos Redux: Conservative Blogger Hatches Plan To Pad Specter’s Numbers

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), campaigning with John McCain (R-AZ) and Sarah Palin in 2008
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Call it Operation Chaos, the sequel. It’s the battle for the Keystone State and Rep. Joe Sestak has made up huge ground to catch up with Sen. Arlen Specter with days to go before Tuesday’s primary. Some Republicans who sneered at Specter and called him a RINO when he was on their side now think he’d be the easier Democrat to beat come November.

It’s a bit early to game out the general election since Republican candidate Pat Toomey is holding strong, but one conservative blogger is urging GOPers to get involved — in the Democratic primary — just in case. Sound familiar? Back during the battle royale between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, radio host Rush Limbaugh asked the GOP to vote for Clinton in state primaries to prolong the fight and (the idea was) to wound the eventual nominee before the general election. That didn’t quite work out, and it’s difficult to prove there were many Republicans who followed his advice.

“If any of those Pennsylvania Republicans who switched their affiliation to support Hillary two years ago are still listed as Democrats, this would be a very smart time to be voting for Specter, because he will be easier to beat than Sestak,” said blogger Stacy McCain, who is urging people to help keep Specter in the race.

If any Republicans want to vote in the Specter-Sestak primary, they would need to have their registration still listed as Democrats because you can switch affiliation within 30 days of the primary date.

McCain compared Specter to Sen. John McCain, saying that his age and moderate positions will make him an easy target for Toomey. But if Sestak holds strong (and recent polls show him now neck-and-neck with Specter), that “really bodes ill for the Republicans,” McCain said.

The TPM Poll Average of a Toomey-Specter matchup shows the Republican winning with 44.9 percent and Specter with 38.4 percent. The TPM Poll Average if Sestak were to win on Tuesday shows a different picture – far more undecided voters and Toomey holding 37.9 percent to Sestak’s 34.3 percent.

However, a new poll shows that 43 percent said Specter had a better chance to win in November while 38 percent said Sestak. That poll has Sestak up by 9 points.

This post has been edited to correct an error.

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