I love this idea

[sisyphusshrugged]

Blogtopia (ysctp) is a-buzz with what I think is an inspired idea.

Remember when you first encountered the wonder that is Arlen Specter? For many of us, it was during the Anita Hill hearings, where he first earned his place in the national progressive heart as "some guy who's every bit as dreadful as Orrin Hatch." As I understand it, if you're from Pennsylvania, he's been dreadful for lots longer than that - we just never noticed out here in the wider world.

I mean, try and imagine that. It must be like having Bob Barr/Dornan or Al D'Amato still representing you in Congress.

Ick.

I (falling meekly into line behind Atrios and Jeralyn Merrit and Counterspin) think it would be a terrific idea for Jim Cappozola to run.

Lemme splain why I personally think that this (if Jim doesn't mind the attendant bad stuff that happens to people who run for office against prominent national Republicans these days) is a great idea.

Think about the mechanics of it - Specter, who now has to fight with a desperate President Bush and his mighty national fundraising Maw of Death for desperately scarce re-election funds (and Bush doesn't care if he loses Congress - politically, holding all three branches is a problem for him. He has the two he needs. Congressmen have a nasty habit of remembering what you promised when you campaigned in their district) almost certainly makes Jim his Designated Opponent, because he doesn't take him at all seriously compared to whatever Traditional party hacks are running.

Then we all of a sudden get the papers quoting... Jim.

Picture it. The national press, as ever and more than ever, will be looking for someone to explain why the current situation sucks without acknowledging that one of the reasons it sucks is that they haven't done their damn job for years. Comes across whatever central memewatch ticker they all use: Jim. One of their own. Nationally known Blog ("...increasingly popular international phenomenon on the internet. Recently, liberal anti-war blogs have been making an unusually strong showing in..."). Mildred. The whole package.

And then all of a sudden, there's someone on the news and in the papers actually talking about what's going on, and, you know, it's Jim, and people are hearing it, and we're all happy, and they get to pretend it's new News and elide the whole "where the hell have we been" thing so they're happy too, and Arlen Specter at the very least has to work harder, and probably uses his muscle to take funding away from some less established national Republican, and someone I know is in People, and it's all upside.

I'd volunteer for that.

Hey, Jim, have your campaign manager get in touch.

edit: Hey, he's got the Agonist (who has links to endorsements from Mike Finley, Mad Kane, Testify and a new guy to me named ParadoxIX) Lean Left too.

edit again: Jesse's on the bandwagon.

edit serially: Devra's in.

edit another time: Yeehaw, he's the coveted (and lyrical) Jeanne vote.

edit [clever thing]: the eminent Sideshow agrees.

Comments

[supergee.livejournal.com]

Ah, you innocent young child!

I remember Arlen Specter from the early 60s, when he was getting Ralph Ginzburg thrown in jail for printing up pretty pictures of nekkid people and trying to mail them from Blue Ball, PA. Sumbitch hasn't changed a bit.

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

I think not spending the extra energy to go the extra eight miles and mail them from Intercourse was just laziness.

[supergee.livejournal.com]

Actually, he tried to do that, too. Specter said the whole business was proof of what pandering, smutmonering scum he was.

gee whiz

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

Is that what the kool kids call it, mongering?

Gee, supergee

[(Anonymous)]

Why do you suppose you and I remember the Blue Ball connection?

First Amendment Forever!