<![CDATA[RealClearPolitics - Articles by Terry Madonna & Michael Young]]>http://www.realclearpolitics.com/authors/?id=18604Author <![CDATA[Pennsylvania's Odd Man Out]]> Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500 As a society we ask many probing questions about our politics and our politicians. Sometimes, however, we miss the obvious one - the question so self evident, so plain, and so clear that we overlook it altogether.

Case in point: one senior U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, prolific fundraiser, longest serving U.S. senator in state history, most successful state politician in modern times, former Republican now turned Democrat, and currently a cause célèbre in the national political world.

We speak, of course, of Arlen Specter. And the "obvious" question about Specter is this: why have so many otherwise sane people wanted to run against someone who has been the...]]>