Was PA-12 a Preview of the Dem's November Strategy?

Top of the Ticket thinks it might be:

It is the great mystery of our times -- and of this election cycle -- that Republican Tim Burns lost toDemocrat Mark Critz in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District.

For one thing, the political climate -- anti-incumbent, anti-Washington, anti-insider -- was in Burns' favor.

For another, the district -- although held for decades by the late John Murtha -- is not safe territory for Democrats. Arizona Republican John McCain carried PA-12 in the 2008 presidential election, andPresident Obama's approval rating at the moment is in the 30s.

But Democrats believe that in a toxic year for incumbents and despite unfriendly districts, they can win on tactics. The Critz victory -- and it was not even close, with a 53%-45% tally -- suggests they may have a point.

Burns, taking his lead from Republicans in Washington, ran against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,Obama's healthcare reform effort and wasteful government spending. "I don't claim to know how Washington works because I don't believe that it does," he said.

Critz talked jobs, jobs, jobs, charging that Burns, as a businessman, outsourced jobs overseas. Burns tried to portray the pro-life, pro-gun Critz as a Washington insider, "one of them." That was technically true -- Critz worked for Murtha -- but the accusation didn't stick because Critz ran as "one of you." Murtha's ability to bring home pork to the 12th district was much appreciated by blue-collar voters strapped for jobs.

In the end, said Jennifer Crider of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  "Critz won PA-12 with a message of creating jobs and stopping the outsourcing of American jobs. ... "Tim Burns lost by nationalizing his message."

If the Dem message is going to be all about creating jobs the GOP has a ready-made comeback - where are the jobs the Dems have been promising for two years? Why has unemployment soared to nearly 10%? Why have the Democrats spend their time passing socialized medicine and other nonsense instead of concentrating on policies that create jobs?

The GOP cannot let the Dems get away with unfounded claims and promises they've made in the past and haven't kept.

Special elections like this one and NY-23 earlier in the year tend to draw a lot of outside attention to a district, and that doesn't always play well with the voters.  In both cases Democrats won races they probably should have lost.  We won't have the same dynamics working in November when the entire country is in play.