Summary Of Infindorsements: 2010 Primary

Rain and lackluster candidates (with a few exceptions) will persuade most registered voters to avoid polling places tomorrow. For those who decline to permit crappy choices and a few raindrops to stand between them and participation in representative government, the Infindorsements for 2010's primary:

United States Senate: Joe Sestak is preferable to another strong candidate, Arlen Specter, for the Democratic nomination. Neither Pat Toomey nor Peg Luksik offers a reason to pull a lever on the Republican side.

United States House of Representatives (12th): Mark Critz resembles the type of Democrat who has shackled southwestern Pennsylvania, but his Republican opponent in the special election -- Tim Burns, a family values phony -- makes him an easy choice until a better opponent (from either party) emerges. In the Republican primary, neither Burns nor Bill Russell is worth the electronic impulse it would take to register a vote.

United States House of Representatives (4th): Jason Altmire, despite his right-wing Tourette Syndrome affliction, is better than his Democratic competition (which doesn't exist). Keith Rothfus, a Pat Robertson-style religious righter whose sense of morality includes switching parties to sabotage the other side, has little to recommend him, but his lack of Mary Beth Buchanan's record makes him less objectionable.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives (20th): Neither Alex Dubart nor Adam Ravenstahl deserves a vote in the special election; the voter's best call would be to write in "Abolish This District." In the Democratic primary, voters should choose the best man among Dan Keller, Mark Purchell and Tim Tuinstra, so long as they ensure that at least one of them outpolls a well-funded, well-connected, poorly equipped Adam Ravenstahl.

Governor of Pennsylvania: Six candidates, not an ounce of enthusiasm. For Republicans, neither a politically compromised prosecutor nor a Bob Jones extremist deserves support. For Democrats, a frontrunner with ample cash but illusory principles seems destined to win in May (and lose in November) because none of his opponents conducted a competent campaign. For every Pennsylvania voter, the best course is to commit to finding a better choice for governor in 2014.