The Admiral Positions Himself Amidships

As the Propositions Board (far right column) has suggested for months, Pat Toomey's longstanding and substantial advantage in polls seemed unlike to survive the "whites of their eyes" period.

More recent research vindicates the expectation that Joe Sestak's strengths -- his record of achievement and service, his sensible positions -- would position him favorably against Pat Toomey -- a former Wall Street trader and nightclub operator-turned-professional ideologue -- as Pennsylvania elects a United States Senator.

The Sestak campaign is disorganized, and its candidate's amateurish speechifying is as risky as it is endearing, but retired admiral Sestak seems strong enough to be a slight favorite against a candidate who craves criminalization of abortion, promotes privatization of Social Security and favors government enforcement of bigotry against gays, especially in a state with at least a million more Democrats than Republicans.

UPDATE: In a contest with two flawed candidates, Dan Onorato is closing on Tom Corbett, suggesting that Democratic malaise and electorate amnesia may not provide the strong springboard on which Republican campaigns must rely. This is additional good news for Joe Sestak, the best candidate by far among the four men seeking the principal statewide offices in Pennsylvania's general election.

Infinonytune: Anchors Aweigh, United States Naval Academy