Does the math prove GOP claims about special election?
Anyone who has heard a conservative talk about the May 18th special election in PA-12, where Democrat Mark Critz defeated Republican Tim Burns, has heard the same rationale for GOP defeat: it was all Joe Sestak and Arlen Specter’s fault. The argument goes somewhere along these lines, Burns’ downfall was part of a nefarious plot by Ed Rendell to put the election on a date when Democratic turnout would be spiked. The website PA2010 looks at the numbers, and is skeptical of the claim. They point to primary turnout in 2008 (and general election in 2006) to rebut the claim. It is also worth noting, from digging through the numbers on Monday afternoon, that the number of voters participating in the 2010 primaries from the 12th district doubled from 2006 among Republican voters, while only increasing by 37% among Democrats (2006 results here. This would also seem to rebut that GOP claim about the Senate primary doing undo harm to their chances in the 12th. THE GUBERNATORIAL RACES NY-Gov: Lazi
