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Enter Ridge?

By The New Republic Staff

May 4, 2009

Tom Ridge seems to be sane Republicans' top choice to challenge Pat Toomey in the Pennsylvania GOP primary, now that Arlen Specter's switched parties. A new Q-Poll--which shows Specter leading Toomey by 20 points but Ridge by only 3 points in a hypothetical 2010 general election match-up--should only cement that preference. I suppose Ridge is marginally more conservative than Specter, but it would be strange if the same Pennsylvania GOP voters who drove Specter from the party suddenly accepted Ridge.

P.S. Two complaints about the aforementioned Q-Poll. How come no polling on a hypothetical Ridge-Toomey GOP primary match-up? And why no polling on a hypothetical Specter-Sestak Democratic primary match-up? Aren't these general election polls sort of putting the cart before the horse?

--Jason Zengerle

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The Plank, Arlen Specter

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