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 governors race. The other two will be lostnot to superior Democratic organizing and messaging, but to the GOPs own divisions.
By all rights, the special election in New Yorks 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 ...
Not to everyone, apparently. You can tell an election is getting close by the number of sermons given about conservatives coming home to the party as well as the hordes of trolls coming out from under their bridges.
Agreed.
Wrong. If Hoffman stays out the House GOP is stuck with another RINO who will break ranks on key votes and weaken the party caucus, perhaps for decades. With Hoffman in one of two things happens. Either he pulls off an upset or he gets a clean shot at a very weak Dem incumbent next year. Either way conservatives and Republicans are better off.
Supporting Hoffman makes sense even if you ignore the fact that Dede is a terrible candidate. Ideology (and aesthetics) aside, she's an embarrassment we can well do without. None of the rationalizations for Republican support of Scozzafava make the slightest sense, and everyone with a firing synapse knows it.
Am I mistaken, or is the Democrat more moderate than the Republican in this election?
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.
I couldn’t.
And for what? A pubbie that endorsed card check, tax hikes AND abortion? In other words, a pubbie that alienates just about every wing of the conservative movement - fiscal, economic freedom and socon? If you think Maine's Glimmer Twin RINO senators are bad, just wait.
None that I know of. Nor do I expect her to step aside, but she's still in the way. A liberal like her has no business running on the GOP ticket in this district. If there was a primary for this seat instead of her being hand picked by the party, she wouldn't even be on the ballot.
This seat is up for reelection again in 2010, and the GOP will have a primary. More likely a conservative candidate will run. It would be better to try and take out an incumbent Dem, then an incumbent RINO; otherwise will be doing more of the same vote splitting next year in this district. NY GOP messed this one up.
Then the problem isn't Hoffman or the conservatives but the official candidate. The GOP simply picked a vain, unreasonable person. They blew it.
And what do conservatives win?
That's right- nothing.
I just don’t see Hoffman winning.
But if he’s the real deal, this race will raise his name ID and he can win the Republican primary in 2010.
The primaries are where the changes must take place.
But the GOP’s stuck with her now.
The ideal would be for her to come in 3rd, but I don't think that's gonna happen.
This Frum article is just a foretaste of what is to come if (as I suspect) the Democrat wins and Hoffman comes in 3rd.
It's not "fratricide", Frum: liberals are not our "brothers" in this fight. They are destructive invaders and need to be expelled before they destroy the GOP.
So, as Howie Carr likes to say: screw.
The Republican insiders did not vote ideology, they voted for an insider who could be counted on to push for favors for GOP insiders, in exchange for her legislative support to the Dems.
Mr. Steele is entitled to preside over the 2010 Republican campaign.
Okay, Dave, if the Republican came off as smart and presentable and at least minimally competent (and at least minimally conservative) and the Conservative Party candidate were a stumbling mess, I might tend to give the GOPer the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately for you, it’s shaping up to be exactly the other way around. I’m trying to figure out exactly what the New York party saw in Ms. Scozzafava, because I’m not seeing it. Party loyalty is not a suicide pact.
Mr. Steele is entitled to preside over the 2010 Republican campaign.
There's a good chance that'll be the case, unless Hoffman wins, and I think he has good chance to win.
I see your concern about the Dems getting another seat, but in this case; I think sending a msg to GOP leadership is more important, then giving this RINO a toe hold incumbency. Let the Dems have the seat for a year.
The NY GOP made this mess, but believe me the national GOP is watching this race, they'll get the point. Whether the GOP elite will set aside their arrogance and reach out to conservatives is another matter.
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