Christine M. Flowers certainly thinks it is the "Ghost of Bob Casey" the elder who is going to haunt this Bob Casey, and she cites that he sounds more like a Republican on many issues in her column today int he Philadelphia Daily News. I'm more inclined to think Casey's woes are temporary, as yet. He's been slow to get moving. I've heard of few appearances, and Casey certainly has been slow to get off the blocks on the internet, thus there is little in the way of buzz in the Blogzome in favor of Casey. The Bob Casey for Senate web site, for instance, is lacking in depth and information, and he is slow to respond even if one does register there. Even the latest "news" is nearly three weeks old on the web site.
I registered at his site nearly three weeks ago, for instance, and got my first email a few days ago. Note that the message, very short, does not mention Casey's conservative stances.
I want to thank you for joining my campaign for U.S. Senate. I look forward to a spirited campaign ahead and fighting for the issues that matter to Pennsylvania.
I am running for the U.S. Senate because it has become apparent in recent months that the Republican leadership in Washington is viewing last November's election results as a mandate to push our nation further to the political right. I believe that is the wrong course for America. As Senator, I will fight to keep the focus on helping middle-class families, and I'll put the needs of Pennsylvania first.
I think that strategically Casey is making a mistake. Sure, this email is to a Democrat, so he may want to stress those parts of his stance that are progressive, but I think Pennsylvanians will react more positively to a guy who forthrightly says what he believes. Casey's anti-choice stance is virtually all anyone knows of him in Pennsylvania, and trying to hide that elephant isn't going to work for this primary season. But such a stance can take an honored role in an across-the-board progressive platform. Concern for life, if you want to call it that, can be linked to concern for peoples all over the world, and to an anti-war stance as well.
The problem is deeper, though. Casey isn't anti-war. He's got an image to construct still.
