Let’s face it–if he weren’t considering it he would have said so already.

Help me out here folks. Ridge is pro choice like Specter is. Why would all of those conservative Republicans supporting Toomey over Specter now support a pro choice Ridge over Toomey? You know Toomey will make that issue prominent in a primary against Ridge.

Toomey will not be able to win in the general election.

I have talked to moderate Republican friends. They don’t like Toomey and think he can’t win. As a former Governor and generally well respected, Ridge seems like a strong candidate for a statewide race. They are pushing HARD to talk him into it.

However, I think it is unlikely that Ridge would want to leave his quiet and lucrative civilian life to spend the next year or so in a brutal campaign, and then 6 years in what may be a shrinking minority party. (Although a Ridge win might be part of a GOP resurgence). Ridge seemed relieved to exit politics, and I can’t image what could bring him back.

I agree with David Diano completely. I hope he runs but I don’t think he will.

Okay, let’s assume that Toomey has little or no chance of winning a general election. That didn’t stop the Republicans from supporting Toomey over Specter (in the polls) to the extent that virtually no one believed Specter could win a primary. Assuming that Ridge does run, why would that majority within the Republican Party who supported Toomey over Specter now support a pro life Ridge over Toomey? If they didn’t look beyond the primary of Specter-Toomey, why would they look beyond a primary of a Ridge-Toomey?

Lee makes a fair point but I think republicans would vote for Ridge over Toomey.

The reason why Ridge is, potentially, a better middle of the road candidate in a primary than Specter is Ridge does not have a LONG history of actively antagonizing conservatives.

Does that win him enough conservatives willing to barter ideological purity for electability? Enough to win a primary where Arlen couldn’t, that is?

I think it might.