Why did Sen. Arlen Spector change parties?

[L. Coyote]

Poll question: Why did Sen. Arlen Spector change parties?

Edited to add #3 and #4

[Lyric]

1. "Both of the above" should be an option.

[L. Coyote]

7. Done, plus some humor.

[NightWatcher]

2. Other: Power. I bet he made a deal for a good committee chair

[thewiseguy]

3. Bullshit poll

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Because the Democratic Party itself has shifted to the right

And where Specter now finds the Republican Party too extremist, the Democratic Party is now a comfortable fit.

[Occam Bandage]

9. The agenda we're pushing this year is the most liberal one we've pushed since at least Carter.

Clinton's early agendas were similarly ambitious, but the party wasn't behind him at all.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are the most obstructionist and the most beholden to the extremists within their faction they've ever been. I think if you're going to reference a rightwards shift, you're referencing the wrong party.

[L. Coyote]

13. Agreed.

[Occam Bandage]

5. A democracy functions when everyone does all the right things for all the wrong reasons.

Fear of the electorate is the only reason politicians don't simply vote themselves unlimited hookers and coke at the beginning of each term, and then go home for two years.

[baldguy]

6. He was going to get a tough primary challange in the GOP

And then have to go through another race in the general election - either of which he might lose. Of the two, his GOP opponent would be slightly less difficult.

[Mz Pip]

8. I'm not going to be snarky here

I think it's much like he says - he's just not a fit with the Republican Party anymore.

[L. Coyote]

11. That says something about his leadership ability!

[Orsino]

10. To save his own worthless ass.

Any other motivations, however true, pale in significance next to this most powerful motivator.

[Marr]

12. Is it even a question? We're talking about Arlen Specter here.

Quite possibly the most craven, self-serving person in an institution famous for it. His only close competition is Joe Lieberman, and I still think he's got Joe beat.

He's doing this because the Republican "brand" is used up and he knows he'll lose next year if he runs as a Republican. That's *it*. The con will continue as usual.

[Reader Rabbit]

14. Other: Obama offered him a pony.-n/t

[L. Coyote]

15. Done.

[demokatgurrl]

16. Wow, that's a tough one...

:sarcasm:

[L. Coyote]

17. Imagine choosing the lessor evil of two Rs in the PA general election!!!