Specter the Defector

Have you been watching the media brouhaha about Arlen Specter’s switching parties? I watched his news conference explaining his reasoning the other day and the one thing that struck me was his honesty. How often do we get to see true honesty in a politician?

Sen Specter stood behind the podium and, in front of God and the media, said he was switching front right to left because he had looked at the poll numbers in his state and realized that he was going to lose the primary. Either he had become too liberal for the Republican voters or they had become too conservative to support him. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t going to leave his 29 year career in the hands of the people who vote for him. Trust the unwashed masses? Horrors. Surely if the Repubs couldn’t see how fabulous he was, then the Dems would.

Specter’s personal fabulosity aside, isn’t it nice to hear a career politician say straight out that he really does consider the average voter to be too dumb to be trusted with anything as important as universal suffrage? He didn’t talk about high minded political ideals or a spiritual awakening that let him to shed his personal principles and embrace the other side of the aisle. He did try, once again, to explain why he voted for the bailouts, but I don’t think anyone is really paying attention to that anymore. The Democrats need no explanation and the Republicans are sick of hearing it.

Say what you want about Specter: turncoat, liar, career politician, opportunist, etc. For myself, I am relieved to see an honest man holding elected office in this country. He freely admits that he isn’t there for the public, it’s all about his own image and legacy. That’s fine. Many people run for office to feel important. In fact, a certain level of narcissism is necessary in a politician. They just don’t usually have the cojones to state that it really is all about them.

So, Arlen Specter, kudos to you on your brazen honesty. The voters of Pennsylvania will have a choice this Fall between a Conservative Republican and you, an honest man. How will they make that decision?