Sen. Arlen Specter

Being in my 30's and having been born and raised in Pennsylvania, Senator Arlen Specter's name has been something of a household name throughout most of my life. I have to admit that I never really knew about him much beyond his name. I also admit that I did vote for him when I was in my 20's and voting for the first time, not because I knew anything about him, but because his name was one I had heard for years and figured he must be doing something right.

The most recent election though, I opted not to vote for Sen. Arlen Specter, once again not because I knew anything about him beyond his name, but because I felt that it was time to have someone new in his position. I felt that someone who had been in office for thirty plus years should maybe consider stepping down so that someone new could step in. I guess it was because of President Obama's campaign slogan stating it was a time for "change". I figured that after being in the office for over 30 years that the possibility of him not producing too much in the way of new ideas or perspectives, could be there and that maybe it was time for a different person with fresh perspectives and ideas to be brought to the table.

So, why is Sen. Arlen Specter changing parties? I don't know, and considering my ignorance about his track record and only having heard rumors over the years that he allegedly spoke out against his political party, maybe it's a deal where he stepped on too many toes and figures if he wants a fighting chance at holding his office, maybe he should re-invent himself and change parties. I don't know what the reason is and to be honest I'm registered Democrat, but when it comes down to who I vote for, I look at what they are saying. Party affiliation doesn't mean much at all to me. What I do know is that I need to get more involved in actively understanding what the people on each ballot are standing for and what their track record has been before I cast my vote in the next election.