Sestak is really out there. His staff is jumping overboard… and he’s saying specter’s is crumbling???

Have to agree. Sestak does have a “clear path forward” to winning this race. He’s got a $5 million warchest, and a killer resume.

He’s gonna do real well out here in Murtha Country. People here are still talking about Specter blowing off Murtha’s funeral for fundraiser. How disrepectful can you get. They are pissed — how is Specter ever going to put that genie back in the bottle?

Plus Sestak’s military profile is a natural fit/ succession to Murtha and keeping the defense industry alive in this state.

Go Admiral!

LOL. Derangement, madness and mental decay are clearly taking their toll on the trouble-plagued Representative Sestak. His poll numbers are abysmal, and the public is dismissive. Five critical, high-level staffers have abruptly abandoned his floundering campaign. He has provoked and enraged the incumbent Democratic President of the United States. His opponent’s resources are vast – and easily eclipse his own. His ties to labor racketeers are under intense scrutiny by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The time has come for Representative Sestak to be placed in a sanitorium or mental hospital where he can come to terms with his delusions.

Alice in Wonderland, the man needs a straitjacket

Brett, I assume you’re talking about HateSestak?

No SESTAK, Mr. Bailey SESTAK is the one out of touch

The same poll shows Sestak in worse shape against Toomey than Specter.

Sestak can’t “magically” rely upon is own name recognition improving as a path to beat Toomey, since Toomey is in the same situation. The poll shows that people with an opinion/preference are picking Toomey over Sestak. Sestak’s head-to-head with Toomey: it helped Toomey.

Sestak has demonstrated he can’t put together a statewide organization and hold onto his staffers.

How many staffers would quit on Sestak in October?

We don’t see (or hear about) key Specter staffers leaving. Specter’s had the SAME campaign manager and political director since at least last summer, as well as plenty of other key staffers, in positions Sestak has yet to fill.

Sestak’s strategy seems like that of a kid putting off book report until the night before it’s due, then discovering the library doesn’t have any copies left. He’s unprepared.

Given the high numbers of undecideds and of those who do not believe that Specter deserves to be reelected, as well as the huge number of voters who said that they don’t know enough about Sestak to have an opinion about him, the opportunity clearly exists for Sestak to win this primary. But, if he doesn’t begin a media campaign damn soon, the election will be over and he will have beaten no one but himself. What’s he waiting for?

Lee Levan: Hi. How can Representative Sestak launch a media blitz when his Political Director, his Communications Director and other pivotal campaign staffers have abandoned him? He has been reduced to his embattled siblings (who are no doubt preoccupied with legal counsel at the moment) and a handful of overworked, underpaid interns! Difficult to wage a campaign of any kind without skilled personnel.

The question you raised, however, is a burning one: why has this candidate – who still suffers from minimal name recognition in some parts of this state – refrained from advertising thus far? It could be because of the above-mentioned staff turmoil – or perhaps Sestak faces a major dilemma. Squander his resources on a media blitz that will almost certainly fail, or conserve those resources and deposit them in a Legal Defense Fund, which almost ceratinly will need soon. Quite a dilemma indeed.

Just pick any one, it wont really matter………

Lee-
The argument “Given the high numbers of undecideds” is insufficient, because the “undecideds” might not vote nor make any decision at all.
You could make the argument that with 50% of the voters likely to come out, that Sestak can rally the other 50% of voters to his cause, get 100% voter turnout and win in a landslide. That’s not going to happen either.
Undecideds aren’t going to vote against Specter and his years of experience good/bad unless Sestak can present himself as a viable alternative. Sestak’s had lots of media coverage when he got in, the race had garnered national attention, and Sestak has actually LOST traction.
Sestak has nothing more to bring to the table than talking points. He’s PROVEN that he can’t translate a Naval career’s worth of “leadership” experience into running a congressional office or a campaign that is a magnet for quality staff. His 31-years of experience have been that those under HAVE to follow orders and can’t quit when those orders are unreasonable. That’s not how it works in the civilian or political worlds.

Hater-
I realize that it might seem like Sestak is getting a late advertising start, but the petition process hasn’t completed. If you notice, no one else is advertising yet either.
Voters have little attention span and with the current political climate with health care and such, ads would not only be a waste of time and money, but counter productive.
Onorato’s got a ton of money, but you don’t see him advertising.

No, advertising makes sense only for the last few weeks. Besides, Sestak doesn’t have a enough money to advertise for more than a few weeks.

Cong. Sestak raised a ton of money on the internet with Clinton’s and the DHCC lists in 2006. He raised enough in a short period of time to beat the incumbent along with a little help from Clinton’s Justice Dept. appointee’s.

It is apparent that his fundraising has not progressed enough to run statewide. It also figures that Specter, Obama and Rendell have cut off his labor contributions, and with other major donors seeing his pitiful polling numbers his contributions will be significantly harder to obtain (ie. nobody’s throwing good money after bad).

Once he doesn’t get the parties endorsement, staffers who want to work again and do not want to be associated with a candidate running against the party, properly resign.

The only staffers left have no need for future political positions (ie. his family).

Put a fork in him, he is cooked.

Delco mod, Joe Sestak must have the largest family in Pa. the office is packed full of staffers new and old, and only 3 are family members,of course they all worked on his two previous elections and there has been no nepotism in hiring of his congressional staff. How many successful campaigns do you have to wage to become a professional?

true democrat-
His siblings are paid at nepotism wages. His brother was still making $6,000 per month AFTER the end of the 2008 election, when Sestak claims he not only wasn’t running for Senate but had declined an offer to do so from the Dem Senate Campaign Committee.

Making that kind of outrageous money when there is no campaign may actually run afoul of some Congressional Ethics or FEC rules regarding “personal” use of campaign funds. One can hardly argue it’s industry standard wages outside of campaign season and fair compensation.

Actually, the first campaign was successful despite the efforts of Joe’s siblings. They got a lot of help from the Delco Dems to get off the ground, and Bill Walsh came in to crack-the-whip in the summer. The FBI investigation into Weldon changed the race from a virtual tie to a blowout.

The second campaign was against a nearly invisible opponent who had to be dragged into the race to fill the GOP slot. Sestak never even bothered to spend a dime on either TV or radio ads. That’s how little work was needed. So it was, hardly a contest to prove one’s mettle.

This third time, the team is managing the unusual feat of getting three strikes in a single at-bat. No message. No support. No organization.

I’m certain that this campaign will lay to rest the “Sestak” campaign mythology and show that hard work is not a substitute for “smart” work with top people.

Even back in 2006, I heard complaints from people that the Sestak office had a lot of people tripping over each other and duplicating work, and wasting effort that could have been used to help other candidates.
Other than Bryan Lentz, no Dem seats were gained under Sestak, despite his more than 10 point margins of victory. Part of the reason for this is that Sestak screwed over local Dems in Republican leaning districts by courting split ticket voters and not encouraging party-line votes.

The Sestak’s are now reaping what they have sown: manure (because they never bothered planting seeds)

Dave, I just had a moment of Democratic Clarity, (I hope it does not scar me for life), if Arlen Specter had not done a Cross Dressing, Transvestite movement BACK to the Democratic Party, YOU would be on here writing your legendary tomes in SUPPORT of Joe Sestak…..

95 South-
I would not be supporting Sestak under any conditions. Though, (if elected) Sestak would certainly have a preferable voting record to that of Toomey, I feel Joe is completely undeserving of holding any public office. So I would be here lifting a finger to support him. If there were any other primary challengers, like Josh Shapiro, I would be wholeheartedly supporting them over Joe.

When Joe ran against Craig Williams in 2008, I gave Joe ZERO support. I didn’t advocate for Williams. I pretty much stayed out of the race. I voted for neither of them.

So, your “moment of clarity” was completely filled with GOP smog.

I pretty much vote straight-Dem, unless I think one of the Dem candidates is a complete @sshole. I didn’t vote for Bob Casey Sr. back in 1990. (Oddly, enough, Casey was the one non-GOP vote ever made by a conservative friend of mine.)