Democrats Delighted as Republicans Eat Their Own in New York Race
One of the best things Democrats may have going for their 2010 electoral chances is Republicans.
Take New York's 23rd Congressional district special election set for tomorrow: a month ago, the race in this historicallly Republican rural district included:
- A Democrat given scant chance to win
- A seasoned Republican state legislator endorsed by the local Republican party, RNC chair Michael Steele, House Republican leader John Boehner, and Republican opinion leader Newt Gingrich
- A third party candidate supported by the radically ultra-conservative crowd, including self-righteous wingnuts Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman.
The third party candidate, Doug Hoffman, chose Fox News' Glenn Beck Show last week on which to gush:
- "HOFFMAN: I'm not cool with ACORN or the working families' party, or people that vote like democrats and run on Republican lines.
- BECK: How do you -- I mean you have Sarah Palin that endorsed you. Was that a surprise to you?
- HOFFMAN: Yes, it was. It was also a big honor."
Like pre-schoolers gleeful at the prospect of getting their way at any cost, the conservative smashmouth gang absurdly nitpicked and exaggerated the record of Republican Dierdre Scozzafava, who Frank Rich noted in his New York Times column has a "voting record slightly to the right of her fellow Republicans in the (state) Assembly." She departs from partisan conservative orthodoxy on only a few social issues, including pro-choice and gay rights stances.
Assemblywoman Scozzafava dropped out of the race over the weekend when polling clearly showed that she could no longer win the November 3rd election. She then threw her support behind Democrat Bill Owens, saying:
"I have been always been an independent voice for the people I represent. I have stood for our honest principles, and a truthful discussion of the issues, even when it cost me personally and politically."Since beginning my campaign, I have told you that this election is not about me; it's about the people of this District. It is in this spirit that I am writing to let you know I am supporting Bill Owens for Congress and urge you to do the same...
"In Bill Owens, I see a sense of duty and integrity that will guide him beyond political partisanship. He will be an independent voice devoted to doing what is right for New York. Please join me in voting for Bill Owens on Tuesday.
"To address the tough challenges ahead, we must rise above partisanship and politics and work together. There's too much at stake in this election to do otherwise."
Per polls this morning, 18% of New York's 23rd district voters remain undecided, so either Democrat Owens or Conservative Hoffman can win in this very conservative region.
That's of lesser concern nationally than new lessons in boldness learned by the Sarah Palin crowd when they mercilessly ran the Republican establishment candidate out of the race.
Spit-in-your-face conservative tactics may work to bully candidates and voters in a very conservative district, but it won't play in Peoria. Or win Senate 2010 elections in Florida, Colorado, or Indiana.
Meanwhile, thanks to fellow conservatives, the Republican party nationally is in shambles. And 2010 Democratic mid-term elections prospects look brighter today, despite a host of liberal stumbles under the Obama administration.
(Photo of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: Eric Engman/Getty Images)
Comments
Again as always, the rank and file conservatives feel that if you go against your party on any issue, then you don’t deserve to be a member.
They are not interested compromise, but they are interested in following their alpha male like most primate social orders.
The real question I have is why Hoffman ran as an independent in the first place?
Hoffman ran for the GOP endorsement but was upended by establishment Republican Dede Scozzafava, who incidentally voiced support for big government bailouts and Obama’s stimulus package. The irony here is that she can blame “radical” conservatives for her loss all she wants (I find it in bad form that she would endorse the very Democrat she was running against), her real problem was her liberal voting record. Conservative Republicans had no real candidate to vote for until Hoffman entered the picture. When he did, the tables turned for Scozzafava, and despite Deborah’s rosy outlook, it appears Hoffman’s going to take this race.
Indeed, it does look like Hoffman will win this election. And Scozzafava dropping out probably decreased chances for Democrat Owens to win New York-23’s special election on Nov 3. The jury is still officially out, of course, and 18% of voters are undecided, per the Fox News poll today.
But to reiterate my larger point: “That’s of lesser concern nationally than new lessons in boldness learned by the Sarah Palin crowd when they mercilessly ran the Republican establishment candidate out of the race.
“Spit-in-your-face conservative tactics may work to bully candidates and voters in a very conservative district, but it won’t play in Peoria. Or win Senate 2010 elections in Florida, Colorado, or Indiana.”
I wonder if Scozzafava dropped out of the race to save her party rather than for her own principles. Maybe the decision was handed down from the leaders of the Republican party. Clearly her endorsement of Owens has made Hoffman more electable to the potentially confused Republican voters in the 23rd district of NY. Everyone knows that the conservatives would have split the votes between Hoffman and Scozzafava thus creating a victory for the Democrats.
Now that she has endorsed Owens maybe the conservative voters in NY will think that she really was a “liberal” and have no choice but to vote for Hoffman.
I’m starting to think it was a complete tactical decision handed down from above, and it appears to be working.
Well Deborah and Justin we all stand corrected.
I would never have thought her support would have helped Owens win. What’s funny is that the Palintologists’ tactics backfired. If the conservatives want a real leader they should look for someone who is a little more mainstream rather than following the anti-science/anti-reality religious wrong off a cliff.