Dems in disarray in must-win Pennsylvania Senate race

[brooklynite]

Politico:

...snip...

In the case of Pennsylvania, senior Democrats in Washington, D.C., and the Keystone State continue to court an alternative to Sestak, for whom they have little regard personally and even less as a candidate. Sestak went on to beat Specter in 2010, only to lose by 2 percentage points in the general election.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has called Josh Shapiro, the Montgomery County (Pa.) commissioner, to urge him to consider a bid, two sources said. Two other party bosses, Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Jon Tester of Montana, have talked to Shapiro to gauge his interest — as have Brady and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. The Senate Democratic leaders have reached out to other potential candidates and spoken to Sestak, as well.

“We just gotta have somebody who is really focused on having a good, top-flight campaign,” said Tester, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. While “we think Sestak can win,” Tester said, he wouldn’t answer whether the DSCC would back Shapiro if he ran, saying such a scenario is “a long ways away.”

“We don’t want a repeat of 2010,” Tester asserted.

I've met with both Sestak and Pawlowski, the two announced candidates, and my inside sources are telling me to wait before throwing support to anyone.

[elleng]

1. What, if anything, is wrong with Sestak?

[brooklynite]

2. I've been told he runs an independent, un-coordinated campaign operation...

...which doesn't actually run that smoothly.

[elleng]

3. Thanks.

So nothing 'substantive,' but he wants to do it his way, sounds like, so party doesn't want to support him.

[RobinA]

4. From Where I Sit

in SE Pa, and I'm not politically in-the-know, I just know what I see, it looks like the Democratic Party isn't particularly supportive of anyone in this state. Including Sestak when he lost by a slim margin.

They seem to like Shapiro, but he's one of those who would have been a Republican back when they were sane.