Former three star Admiral and two term Congressman Joe Sestak announced yesterday that he would not be a candidate in the Democrat primary for governor. Then he went on to perhaps set a precipitous record by throwing his hat into the ring for the 2016 senatorial campaign in which he would face incumbent Republican Pat Toomey.
Why we asked? Sestak commanded an aircraft carrier battle group and was the “first director of the Navy Operations Group (Deep Blue), which sought to redefine strategic , operational and budgetary policies in the Global War on Terrorism.” Certainly he would be able to quickly master the intricacies of the governor position.
And as a former two-term Congressman and a Democrat candidate who was barely defeated by Toomey in the 2010 Republican landslide, he has many contacts statewide and a sense of the local issues.
One can never tell for sure what is going on in another person’s heart or what personal matters may be influencing their decision. And Sestak appears to be a very private person.
But there is no question that he has a passion for national defense and believes that much of our defense budget is going towards obsolete weaponry and could be much better replaced by modern technology.
On a recent visit, Sestak explained how during the cold war it was necessary to have our own atomic submarines shadowing those of the Soviet Union but how today modern methods can better and more precisely map submarine positions through use of sensors combined with satellite technology.
We very much regret that Sestak has chosen not to run for governor. We consider his chances of being elected governor in 2014 to exceed the likelihood of becoming senator in 2016. Moreover, he would be 63 when he took a senate seat. That means that by the time he would have status on committees in a second term, he would be in his early 70s. By a third term, when he would have a leadership position, he would be in his late 70s.
Compared to taking over responsibility for governing Pennsylvania in January, 2015, that is a long and speculative wait before having much influence. Moreover, with two terms at governor, he might be a candidate to become President. Now there is a position of maximum influence!
We wish him well. In the words of Joseph Campbell, “Follow your bliss.” Nevertheless, we mourn for Pennsylvania.
