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Prelude to Republican Fratricide
NewMajority ^ | October 22nd, 2009 at 10:04 am | David Frum

Posted on 10/22/2009 7:38:50 AM PDT by cc2k

At the beginning of the summer, most observers expected Republicans to win all three of the big elections on Nov. 3. Two weeks out, it suddenly looks very possible that Republicans will win only one: the Virginia governor’s race. The other two will be lost—not to superior Democratic organizing and messaging, but to the GOP’s own divisions.

By all rights, the special election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District should be a Republican cakewalk. Stretching across the hunting and fishing towns along the Great Lakes and Canadian border, the district contains Fort Drum, base of the 10th Mountain division, and re-elected its Republican congressman in the disaster years of 2006 and 2008 by margins of 60-plus percent.

Yet polls show the Republican candidate in serious trouble. State Republican Party leaders prevented an open primary race and instead engineered the nomination of one of their own, moderate, pro-choice Assemblywoman Deirdre Scozzafava.

Angry conservatives in the 23rd rebelled, rallying to the third-party candidacy of local accountant Doug Hoffman. Hoffman and Scozzafava are splitting the Republican vote between them, allowing Democrat Bill Owen to emerge as the front-runner.

(Excerpt) Read more at newmajority.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: frum; gop; hoffman; ny23; scozzafava
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To: Cedric

You are part of the problem. I’m sure your definition of “far right” includes 98% of Freepers.


41 posted on 10/22/2009 7:59:07 AM PDT by thecabal (Destroy Progressivism)
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To: cc2k

Unlike the party it claims to represent, the GOP is more concerned with the total number of “R” in office than any particular agenda. If the GOP were about actual values and platform instead of a confusing, diluted elephant logo this wouldn’t be an issue.


42 posted on 10/22/2009 7:59:49 AM PDT by Natural Law
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To: Ingtar

Since the toothpaste is already out of the tube, it would be best if the Democrat won this election.


43 posted on 10/22/2009 8:00:06 AM PDT by Cedric
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To: dirtboy

It would be interesting to know how accurate Frum’s past predictions have been.


44 posted on 10/22/2009 8:00:16 AM PDT by AmericanVictory (Should we be more like them or they more like we used to be?)
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To: Cedric
The undeniable truth is that Hoffman will throw this election to the Democrat.

GOOD!

The Democrat is less liberal than the Republican in this race.

This is not a REPUBLICAN dicussion forum. This is a CONSERVATIVE discussion forum.

45 posted on 10/22/2009 8:01:05 AM PDT by Lazamataz (DEFINITION: rac-ist (rA'sis't) 1. Anyone who disagrees with a liberal about any topic.)
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To: Cedric
The undeniable truth is that Hoffman will throw this election to the Democrat.

Actually Scozzafava is throwing the race to the Dem. If she got out of the way Hoffmann would probably win. If not, better the Dem win then Scozzafava; we don't need any more Olympia Snowe type RINOettes.

Let the whiny RINOS write their ridicule pieces...If we cared what they thought we'd be supporting their RINO instead of the real Conservative.

46 posted on 10/22/2009 8:01:25 AM PDT by skully (Sorry I didn't know Marxism was a race!!)
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To: Verginius Rufus
Scozzafava would be just as bad as the Democrat when it came to voting.

Are you kidding me?? Scozzafava would be 100 times worse. Scozzafava would be another Olympia Snowe. The MSM would love her as she provides "bipartisan" political cover on vote after vote. The MSM would have her on every talk show always siding with Democrats and denouncing the GOP. Behold, the "new maverick"!

47 posted on 10/22/2009 8:01:43 AM PDT by Obadiah (Obama: Chains you can believe in!)
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To: tgusa
aren’t listening anymore

...or thinking, apparently.

48 posted on 10/22/2009 8:02:09 AM PDT by Cedric
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To: Cedric
If Hoffman stays out, the GOP wins the seat.

If Hoffman stays out, a loopy ACORN-endorsed liberal wins the seat.

Pass.

49 posted on 10/22/2009 8:03:40 AM PDT by Lazamataz (DEFINITION: rac-ist (rA'sis't) 1. Anyone who disagrees with a liberal about any topic.)
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To: Cedric

To what end? Scozzafava’s stances on most issues are not only far to the left of the balance of the district, they’re identical to, or to the left of, the Democratic candidate’s. Pro-abortion. Pro-card-check. Pro-porkulus. The original post did a good job of listing them all. If you elect Scozzafava, you elect, basically, a Democrat who votes for John Boehner for Majority Leader, and that’s it.

Remember, the NY 23rd was represented for nine terms by a conservative Republican, who’s only gone because he accepted Obama’s offer to become Secretary of the Army. The district barely went for Obama in 2008, and typically returned the conservative Republican House incumbent with around 60% of the vote every election. It is not a district that “needs” a RINO to stay Republican...far from it. It’s as safe a Republican district as exists in the entire Northeast.

The point is, the GOP SHOULD NOT win that seat by nominating a liberal—not a “moderate,” a liberal by any definition. If this is who they choose to nominate, then they should lose, period. Preferably to the conservative who’s having to run outside the Republican power structure, but failing that, at least to the “real” Democrat.

This is where conservatives draw the line. This is where we stand our ground and say to the Republicans that we will not accept liberal candidates like Scozzafava, no way, no how. We tried it their way, and it got us John McCain, Lindsay Graham, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Jim Jeffords...I could go on. Now, it’s our turn.

}:-)4


50 posted on 10/22/2009 8:03:48 AM PDT by Moose4 (Ted Kennedy: "If they bring up Camelot, we get to bring up the lady in the lake.")
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To: skully

When is the last time a candidate chosen by a national party stepped aside so a candidate not chosen by the party could win?


51 posted on 10/22/2009 8:04:53 AM PDT by Cedric
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To: Cedric

Best is if the Conservative wins. I agree that the Dim winning is better than the Lib with the R after the name winning, however.


52 posted on 10/22/2009 8:06:07 AM PDT by Ingtar (Asses far Left of me; Rinos to the Left; FReepin' on the Right with you.)
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To: cc2k

Frum is a tard. But that’s not the point. I think the guns are pointed in the wrong direction here. Consider:

The NY GOP is the villain here. Activist liberals run the party while conservatives sit at home and whine about Micheal Steel, Newt Gingrich, and George Bush. It’s not hard to become involved in politics at the precinct level - in most cases all you have to do is show up.

If conservatives in NY won’t show up for a precinct, county, or state convention, why are they surprised when the party nomination goes to someone favored by an activist liberal?

Don’t get me wrong. I hope Hoffman wins. Might even send him money - but this is the wrong template. If conservatives wait for a general election to become active - we’ll lose way more than we win.


53 posted on 10/22/2009 8:06:58 AM PDT by crescen7 (game on)
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To: Cedric

>> The undeniable truth is that Hoffman will throw this election to the Democrat. <<

Yes, and that’s a very good thing because it means a reliable conservative can retake the seat in 2010.

(But if Dede were to win now, she’d probably hold the seat for many years.)


54 posted on 10/22/2009 8:06:58 AM PDT by Hawthorn
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To: cc2k

Anyone know what the latest poll numbers are? Dede couldn’t have helped herself this last week.


55 posted on 10/22/2009 8:08:53 AM PDT by Tribune7 (I am Joe Wilson!)
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To: Cedric

Regardless of politics, how could you support someone that calls the cops if asked a question?


56 posted on 10/22/2009 8:10:27 AM PDT by Tribune7 (I am Joe Wilson!)
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To: Cedric; tgusa
Wrong.

If Hoffman stays out, the GOP wins the seat.

Sorry Ced but it Hoffman stays out Scozzafava wins the seat ... and the country takes it between the cheeks once again.

It's not about party labels, it's about principles.

57 posted on 10/22/2009 8:10:37 AM PDT by tx_eggman (Obama has "Czars" because men with more integrity than he has still use the titles "Don" and "Capo")
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To: Cedric
The undeniable truth is that HoffmanScozzafava will throw this election to the Democrat.
Fixed that for you.

We will see who is right. The third place in this election will be the one that threw it to the winner. If Hoffman wins, it might be that Scozzafava threw it to him from Owens by pulling liberal votes from the Democrat.

The race is a virtual tie right now. And Scozzafava was basically beaten until the RCCC went all in last week.


From the desk of
cc2k:
I support Doug Hoffman for Congress (PayPal).

Please, spread the word about this important election on November 3, 2009 in New York’s 23rd congressional district.

58 posted on 10/22/2009 8:11:15 AM PDT by cc2k (I have donated to Doug Hoffman, have you? [check my recent reply posts])
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To: Cedric

Comrade - what if we don’t like the policies of the candidate selected by the Central Committee?

I would rather have a Dim that is more conservative than the RINO. The Dim you basically know how they’re going to vote ... the RINO becomes anybodies guess.


59 posted on 10/22/2009 8:12:54 AM PDT by JoeVet (First rule of holes ... when you find yourself standing in one - stop digging ... unless ur a Dim)
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To: Cedric
The undeniable truth is that Hoffman will throw this election to the Democrat...

You make a good point, the Republicans have certainly done it before. In this case, however, A win by the Democrat would be preferable to a Scozzafava win. Here's why: Scozzafava is way to the left of the Democrat candidate. She and her union goon husband have courted the Democrat Party with signals that she would switch parties for the right political favor. Whoever wins will have to defend the seat in 2010. The Republicans can nominate someone suited the the demographics of the District and defeat the Democrat. Scozzafava, as an incumbent on the Republican ticket, may infest us for years. The best outcome, of course, is for Hoffman to win and that can be done.

60 posted on 10/22/2009 8:13:18 AM PDT by centurion316
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