Posted on 11/04/2009 3:25:20 AM PST by Scanian
ALBANY -- Bill Owens unexpectedly turned back an aggressive challenge by Conservative Party upstart Doug Hoffman to win an upstate congressional seat yesterday, becoming the first Democrat to represent the area in more than 100 years.
Owens, an attorney and retired Air Force captain, was leading by 3 percentage points. Hoffman conceded shortly after midnight.
"We stood up against two major parties that had a lot of money, but we got this far on determination," Hoffman told supporters gathered in Saranac Lake.
"I want to really thank everybody here and around the district and around America who stood up for our fight to take back America."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Let’s hope that next year a true conservative gets the pubbie nod through a primary vote with no back room party deals producing split votes.
That’s a bad lick.
For New York nothing is surprising.
Still better the Democrat we know that the RINO.
The message is still strong, we wont vote for RINO’s
Had the GOP not picked Scozzafava in the first place then her name wouldn’t have been put on the ballot and the Rats wouldn’t have won.
To me it is very sad that the people elected a representative of the Culture of Death. Where do they think they are going? They voted for abortion, higher taxes, and death panels for what reason?
>> retired Air Force captain
ROFL! Twenty years and he made it all the way to O-3? Wow, I’m impressed.
Naaaaaah. They will take all the wrong 'lessons' from this.
"It's a shameful thing what the Republican Party did to her," O'Neill said. "The way they treated our friend and neighbor Dede Scozzafava was going to create a backlash."
Let's see ... The RNC poured a million dollars in to help her, and they got big guns like Newt Gingrich to support her.
But the voters didn't show her much support in the polls, so Scozzafava dropped out before the election and openly supported the Democrat challenger.
And the Democrats think the Republicans did a shameful thing? Well, I agree ... but my reasons for doing so are not the same as the Democrats' reasons.
Amen. I hope the message of the govenors’ races and this race was that when the GOP picks conservatives...it wins. How much damage did the RNC do running ads against Hoffman before Scuzzy dropped out?
WTF?
You do recall the following, don’t you?
1) There was no primary to allow people’s true positions to be aired — party officials in consultation with DC RINOs chose Scuzzy.
2) A month ago Hoffmann was mired in last place.
3) Sarah Palin spoke up, but did not campaign in person. A couple of Tweets and/or Facebook postings.
(Contrast this, by the way, to the multiple PERSONAL appearances that Obama(+) put in for Corzine and Deeds. FAIL.)
4) Hoffmann surged.
5) The RINOs did a double-pronged attack. The GOP hierarchy and heavy hitters — including GOP chair Steele and RINO-turncoat-Newt — publicly endorsed Scuzzy.
6) The GOP also spent $900,000 on Scuzzy.
7) At the last minute, Scuzzy dropped out. This had the effect of negating all of the GOP-cast absentee ballots, now guaranteed to be wasted for purposes of defeating the DEM.
8) To make the stab in the back DOUBLY sure, Scuzzy officially, and in public, endorsed the DEM. (WTF???)
9) Hoffman still came within 3% as a Third Party candidate, after coming from nowhere to remove the hand-picked GOP RINO quisling.
10) But all they can do is say “we lost, boo hoo.”
I beg to differ.
Cheers!
That said, Owens aligned himself with the Party of the Flagburners.
The National GOP gave a major bucks to that woman (left wing Obamanite posing as a Republican).
They will hear about this today. As for others who use to give and claim to be Republicans, contact the National and Local Republican offices today and let them know when money is wasted on a Liberal the coffers will continue to dry up.
They fell for Democrat Bullcrap. It’s not uncommon as the procedure for Democrats to win, especially in Conservative territory is to campaign on Conservative issues, and then once elected turn as Left in their voting and support as possible.
Democrats believe all is fair in love and politics.
Yes, and some of the early absentee vote was probably already cast before she “suspended” her campaign.
Early voting, Motor Voter registration and other things complicate and honest election. Of course that is exactly why the Dems have been pushing them.
It is pretty uncommon in the Air Force. An O-3 retiree? I’ve seen it with Chaplains who spent some E time...but if even they usually make it to O-4...
Great post! I was thinking the same thing. Hoffman’s close finish after being so far behind is a true testament to the changing political climate. I think that had he had more time to campaign (if Scuzzy dropped out sooner or better yet had not been the GOP’s stupid pick in the first place) Hoffman may just have pulled it out and won! The Rats will try to spin this as a win but really in the big picture it isn’t.
Scozzafava took votes from Hoffman.
Right! I think they will continue to use this dishonest tactic because it is the only one that will work. Look for this in 2010.
I lay blame at the feet of Newt and the GOP. Had they supported the right guy from the beginning, he’d be in office right now. Instead, they backed the RINO who, in the end, took votes from the real conservative and stabbed them in the back to boot. Even with that, he came close.
BUT, New Yorkers should be smarter. If it wouldn’t affect those who voted for Hoffman, I’d like to see Owens double their taxes.
And I can’t help but wonder if some dirty tricks @ the polls took place... because of the machine malfunctions in some of the heavily dem. areas.
The democrat who lost in my district in 06 is challenging the republican who won in 06 for the GOP nomination for the house seat next year.
So will Hoffman run next year? he has the organization and the name recognition.
Having Republican leaders stand by (encourage) the RINO to endorse the Democrat is the ultimate dirty trick.
Mr. Steele having scuzzyfazzza endorse the democrat as a tool towards protecting the two left wing parties is a dirty trick.
The MAJORITY of America is CONSERVATIVE.
Scuzzy should have withdrawn.
Scuzzy should have endorsed Hoffman.
Mr. Steele needs to look at the 6% the RINO won. I bet it is just zombie R voters.
(other losers are Tim Pawlenty and all the back of the paraders)
Not bad for not being funded until the last few weeks..kind of a weak victory, but they won so good on them.
I do not know much of owens...the little I do know of him, he does not seem to be a strong democrat as a moderate that breaks republican more than occasionally. I could be wrong of course, but looking at some of the things he supports and opposes, that’s what I came to.
They will take all the wrong 'lessons' from this.Yes. As your Republican Leadership, we vow, from here on out, to choose even BETTER Democrats for our Dear Republican Party to support.
On balance I will take the NJ governor over this obscure race anyways. For our purposes, which is to spike ObamaCare and Cap and Tax we got alot of momentum last night and really gave pause to some on the fence Democrats. Let’s not mope about this one, Hoffman made a real game of it and will have a shot next year. I am not into moral victories but to use a football analogy we won 35-7 last night with the Hoffman race spoiling the shut out. Karl Rove pointed out that the Pubbies had a great night in state races nationwide from PA to Washington state. With all that being said..Upstate NY join Boston, the States of Vermont and California in being political suicidal and enjoy your double digit employment...dummies.
If the alleged leadership was smart, they would tap Hoffman.
If the alleged leadership was smart, all those red hat ladies in the pizzaria secret conference would be fired from the local party.
The Tea Party is not done. Time to clean out NY23’s GOP club rinos.
Doug Hoffman will win in November 2010 in a one on one race..... So this Dem better enjoy his short term in Washington DC. He should not buy a house or anything
its not a bad result
We were able to seperate the people who were the the RINOS, the traitors, the brave, the leaders, the followers in this race
He enlisted out of high school and stayed in the reserves after leaving active duty and going to college.
Owens had full Party support, complete with get out the vote apparatus. I’m pretty sure Hoffman didn’t have that kind of support.
The worst part of this is there are Republican leadership this morning who are probably happy with this result.
Time to purge the local GOP club that held the secret meeting to pick the absurd RINO.
Excellent list of bullet points describing what happened in this election.
Let me add this thought:
Although it’s a shame that Hoffmann lost, it’s still an excellent outcome that Scuzzy was forced out... by US.
We must follow up that result by making it as clear as we possibly can, to the MORONS WHO RUN THE GOP, that we WILL NOT SUPPORT RINOS, no matter what the consequences.
Note to GOP: Do not place liberal Democrats on the Republican ballot.
Scazza got well over five thousand votes.
I like each of your points, I hope that Owens is going to D.C. a little weary because he has to know that he didn’t recieve a “referendum” to do anything. He slid through.
What are you doing to take over that local and state GOP to make sure candidates you want get nominated?
Well Owens better rent in DC not buy, cause is he ain't gonna be there long. For what we needed last night it was an 8 out of 10. NY23 was not really a fair fight for Hoffman, he did not have the party money, support and a hostile enemy on two fronts. He did a good job and came close, we'll send Owen's home next year and Dede, better get used to being some obscure State rep cause your National ambitions died last week.
Even Ross Perot couldn’t muster that much of a percentage of votes.
He spent millions, had Larry King to hold his hand, and had a very long time to campaign.
This election was close but not close enough. We can do better.
We will win big in 2010
Let's be really honest here, had the GOP spent as much time and effort on you instead of dim wannabes. you would not be in the position you are in now.
I am proud of you and all who seen and supported the same ideals that you did. So we lost this one; it has only made us stronger and more determined next time.
Yes, no contest. WE WON the big one, no matter which way they try to spin it
“We will win big in 2010”
As they say....from your typing fingers to G-d’s ears!
I suspect he had prior enlisted time. Being passed over from Lt to Lcdr (03 - 04) 3 times in the Navuy is an auto resign time unless serving as a LDO.
Wacky Barack has a history of removing opponents before an election.
Obama played hardball in first Chicago campaign
As a community organizer, he had helped register thousands of voters. But when it came time to run for office, he employed Chicago rules to invalidate the voting petition signatures of three of his challengers. Obama's past battlesThe move denied each of them, including incumbent Alice Palmer, a longtime Chicago activist, a place on the ballot. It cleared the way for Obama to run unopposed on the Democratic ticket in a heavily Democrat district.
The Democrat ground game turned out their vote in Clinton and St. Lawrence Counties. Both counties voted for Obama, Clinton by a 22% margin in ‘08, and both Counties have incomes under the median National average.
The number of Owens votes from these 2 Counties more then made up the difference for the district.
Now, you may ask, where was Hoffman's support from the Party? Good question as evidenced by this.....
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2009/11/03/gop-establishment-awol-on-doug-hoffman/
That’s what happens when party bosses pick a candidate in a pizzeria. Unprofessional. Unsuccessful.
Just holding a primary would be an improvement over the way that mess was created.
The Dhimmis like her so well? Good—they can have her. And any other RINOs they want to accept.
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