Toomey Gets High Marks From Media, Pundits

Here's a roundup of reviews and observations on the Pat Tommey  Senate campaign in Pennsylvania:

• “But so far Pat Toomey has controlled the conversation in their nationally watched statewide contest . . . Beyond his early advantages, Toomey has done more with the available weapons. The political environment does not bode well for politicians linked to Obama’s policy agenda, and a stream of commercials have painted Sestak as a supporter of massive government, staggering deficits and ruinous health care reforms.” (Colby Itkowitz, Morning Call, 08/23/10)

• “This has certainly been, so far, Toomey’s summer in terms of his ability to frame the election he wants, tell the narrative he wants to tell.” (Terry Madonna, Franklin & Marshall College Professor of Political Science, Morning Call, 08/23/10)

• “Toomey rolled into the York County Republican Party’s campaign headquarters on East Market Street shortly after noon as part of a four-day, 23-county “more jobs, less government” tour across Pennsylvania.  The former three-term U.S. House member used the stop to highlight his differences with Democratic opponent U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak.  Toomey said Sestak is among the most liberal of Democrats and characterized him as a free-spender who supported faulty policies including the federal stimulus package, the auto and bank bailouts andfederal health care plan.” (Carl Lindquist, York Dispatch, 08/25/10)

• “Toomey has certainly been textbook.  His outreach to not only moderate Republicans, but also Democrats, has been exemplary.” (Democratic consultant Larry Ceisler, Morning Call, 08/23/10)

• “Toomey’s lead is being fueled by a combination of an eight-point advantage among Independents and a sizable chunk of Democrats who are buying into his message.” (Tim McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 08/24/10)

• “A sharp speaker with a commanding arsenal of free-market ideology talking points, Toomey said the federal response to the economic meltdown has been abysmal.” (Laura Vecsey, Harrisburg Patriot News, 08/24/10)

• “Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, rated Toomey/Sestak a toss-up back in May.  Now, he tells me, ‘Frankly, that’s one of the ratings likely to be changing. Increasingly, it appears that the GOP is going to have a good year in Pennsylvania.” (John Baer, “Toomey’s window has a view of DC,” Philadelphia Daily News, 08/25/10)

• “Liberal poll expert Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight—which is now hosted by the NYT—says Pat Toomey has an 88 percent chance of winning Pa’s open Senate seat this year.  He has consistently led in the polls (another this morning put him 9 up on Joe Sestak) and the closer you get to November, the harder it is to close a gap that great.” (Tim McNulty, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 08/26/10)