A new Rasmussen poll suggests that Arlen Specter may have put himself in serious political danger by supporting the stimulus bill — that is, by alienating Republican voters back home, as he heads into his 2010 re-election campaign.
An overwhelming 69% of Pennsylvania Republicans oppose the bill, and 58% of Republicans say they are less likely to support Specter because of his vote for it.
Remember that Specter faced a right-wing challenge in the Republican primary back in 2004, and just barely survived by a 51%-49% margin. So his hold on the GOP base has been anything but solid in recent years.
This leave us with two important questions. First, will the grassroots GOP ire continue to linger about this bill? And second, will a viable primary challenger emerge, who could successfully tap into that feeling?
