The Republican Party needs a bigger tent.

Watching the coverage of the Arlen Specter switch I began to see a man with the same dilemma I found myself in last year. Before you start to say that he's a traitor, or that he is doing this for political gain, or any other crazy reason, just remember the Democrats that became Republicans after the 1994 election. Right after the election. Specter is running in 2010. He will be running as a Democrat.

Yes I heard Brent Hume say that Specter is just a survivalist, yes that is true but what Juan Williams said on the Britt Baer show is also true, that the Republican party is now the party of the south, and white men.

I cannot blame Arlen Specter for what he has done, he came a little later to the party than I did but for almost the same reasons.

Arlen Specter called out an organization called the Club for Growth.

What the Club for Growth did was run candidates in Republican primaries not to win an election but to win the primary to get the incumbent Republican out of the race. And what did these Republicans do, they only voted with the party 80% or more of the time.

Ronald Reagan said that he would consider someone a friend if they voted with him 80% of the time, this is not enough for the Club for Growth.

You may have problems with MoveOn.org and George Soros, but they don't run candidates just to have the incumbent Democrat lose.

You have to see the Club for Growth like a scout or recruiter for a sports team, just that they are scouting not to help the team but to knock out the starting quaterback, so their guy can play third string.

I hope you realize what Arlen Specter's defection means for the Republican party.

Yes he was a moderate Republican, yes he voted for the stimulus bill, yes he is not considered a Christian Conservative.

What this really means is the Republican party no longer has a Senator in a blue state.

I will say that again,

THE REPUBLICANS HAVE LOST A SENATOR FROM A BLUE STATE.

Right now the Republican party needs to expand their tent, not fold it up for the one guy who is still holding the tent pole. Sphere: Related Content