Hoffman Concedes in New York’s 23rd Congressional District Race

http://www.foxnews.com/ ^

[rwfromkansas]

Look at CNN, Fox, NY Times, MSNBC online.

They ALL say this was a big defeat for the Dems.

They dont’ even MENTION NY-23 in their main stories.

Frankly, this was a huge defeat for Obama and even they know it.

Great night even with NY-23.

[stevie_d_64]

Yeah, that 5 points could have come in handy for him...

It would be a different day, today, if the “republicans” in that district had seen the err of their way, in this situation, and helped the “real” consservative...

But Hoffman made an impact that WILL resonate across the entire country...

We have 12 months...I say we do not let up one bit...

[nathanbedford]

Jim I think you and Ray Malone might well be onto something here if I properly understand what you are driving at.

We are political junkies and committed conservatives who permitted ourselves to get sucked into a contest over process when the electorate, unencumbered by our obsessions, wanted substance. So when they saw the plebian masses of the conservative party rising up against the elitist Republicans, they were thoroughly turned off instead of being engaged as we assumed they would be. First, they were told by elitist Republicans that they have to support a far leftist and that they must oppose the conservative and the Democrat. Then they were told by the same Republican elitists that they must forget about the far leftist and oppose the Democrat and support the conservative. Then the far leftist whom the elitist had supported told them they should oppose the conservative and support the Democrat.

If you are a Rino or a Dino, why should you give a damn about who the elites tell you to oppose or support especially when the game changes every 24 hours? They simply say these guys are playing gamesmanship as they always have and it has nothing to do with me. They want my vote on election day to move their own chessmen around their own chessboards but what is that to me?

I cannot believe that Joe Biden made a persuasive argument to the electorate in this poor rural area to the effect that they should vote against Hoffman because he is aligned with Sarah Palin who favors on and offshore drilling. I think the explanation must lie elsewhere. I think it was a question of so much flip-flopping by the Republicans that the electorate simply did not believe that the Conservatives were acting on Joe sixpack's behalf. They do not follow these kabuki dances the way we do; they simply say, " screw you."

For all our earnestness and populism I don't think we actually conducted a campaign which touched on the concerns of the electorate. We conducted a campaign in our own bubble. We thought they shared our obsessions about process and party. They see us as an uninvited and alien intrusion into their lives.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I look forward to supporting him next election.

[mckenzie7]

I‘ve just checked yesterday’s election results.

All of the candidates that Obama endorsed and campaigned for lost.

Is this a referendum on Obama?

[WVNan]

Drudge had a picture of the GOP Call Center yesterday. IT WAS EMPTY. Not one person manning the huge bank of phones.

Right there is one place where we can go around the GOP's moderate efforts. When a conservative is running, we need to man the phones. Enough of us working our local phones can make up for the those not manned at the GOP call center.

[sissyjane]

Could they please look for a Hoffman with a personality?

[staytrue]

There are some huge disadvantages when you don’t run under a major party banner and Hoffman still almost won.

Yes there are, which is why 3rd party candidates have a record that is probably less than 10,000 to 1. Even Teddy Roosevelt could not win as a 3rd party candidate.

Hoffman is not Teddy Roosevelt and he should not have run as a third party candidate.

[SoldierDad]

Let's stop calling Deede a RINO and identify her for what she really is - a DimocRAT who attempted to masquerade as a Republican.

[staytrue]

But such a suggestion is heresy to many here

I think Palin should form a third party and run conservative candidates coast to coast (/sarcasm).

[Lakeshark]

Well, he was not a very photogenic candidate, couldn't speak that well, and was an unknown until about 3 weeks ago, plus the GOP ran hundreds of thousands of dollars of ads against him.

Twas the local GOP that screwed this pooch, Hoffman with all his negatives, still got her to leave the race, and in spite of what Dede the turncoat did, almost pulled it off.

I do agree generally about third parties, but this was just a weird series of events.

[sam_paine]

Anything else is unacceptable...

Oh really? That's pretty big talk for someone with a Marxist POTUS, a Marxist Congress, dozens of unelected Czars, a La Raza SCOTUS...

Unacceptable, like as in you're going to hold your breath? Whatever. Do you think Ronald Reagan was a "compromise" candidate? He allowed 12 million abortions during his 8 years. He kept the department of education. He increased the size of government and increased the grip of social security, medicare, etc. Was he a true conservative?

[staytrue]

The thing that disgusts me is the Republican throwing her support to the Democrat in the race over the conservative.

fyi, Hoffman signed a pledge to support the republican nominee and not run 3rd party.

[staytrue]

Was it not a north-easterner that said 'all politics are local'

That would have been Tip O'Neal and I think he was from MA.

[staytrue]

Last night I heard complaints that Hoffman was on Hannity with the Thompsons and sat there like a bump on a log between them.

I think bumps on logs would take exception to your statement.

[John S Mosby]

On target,Forrest. First, the RNC chose, following party rules, the completely wrong candidate to back, and funded her. I believe she was a shill, and never would have won against Owens anyway. We should examine that, but also take a look at who was the rep that left—was he any kind of conservative—probably not.What is missing from the RNC judgment in choosing people like Scozza is... the working men/women conservatives. People who may not have a job, or have a business that is being hammered. Joe the Plumber, Joe Six Pack, was absent from the elitist RINO guidance as he/she often is among country club RINOs. Their values are constantly faked out by the dems for a vote. The Watertown paper was editorializing that “Ft. Drum” is their lifeblood, so there is that working dynamic of the public military base trough feeding the public employee service unions (Owens) who are in place in the local governments. The other big political block is the dairy farmers, who live off price support programs, again from the feds. One hand washes the other. Why would anyone think Scozza, whose husband is a labor activist, would ever be a conservative? And, how did Scozza get chosen in the first place? Lot's of Freepers from upstate NY could comment on this. You're right that the voters in the district had way too much kabuki to follow, if they ever did. And, one has to ask... what kind of true blue republican would vote for Scozza.. knowing she was no longer a candidate. Add in her votes, or some %age of them, to Hoffman and he wins. So, should Hoffman run again,as a Republican, not (C) in 2010?

[hirn_man]

On a similar note, I think both the Republican party and conservatives both need to learn a lesson from this election.

We really need each other. The Republican power structure needs to promote sharp, conservatiive minded candidates, and conservatives candidates really need to have that R beside their name on the ballot.

Conservatives can kill the Republican party, but no third party candidate has the infrastructure to get their message and vote out like the 2 major parties.

The Replubican party needs to quit dissing its base and return to a principled defense of its core message and conservatives better stop cutting off their nose to spite their face.

It wouldn’t have hurt any last night if Hoffman lived in the district and if he had shown a little interest and knowledge of local issues too.

[nmh]

“Scozzafava endorsed the Democrat. Unbelievable how brazen Rats have become. “

The bwitch, Scozzafava was a REPUBLICAN that dropped out and endorsed a DEMONCRAT so Hoffman, a conservative REPUBLICAN could not win.

[Jewbacca]

Scoffozi endorsed the Democrat, no?

[myself6]

>>>” Oh really? That’s pretty big talk for someone with a Marxist POTUS, a Marxist Congress, dozens of unelected Czars, a La Raza SCOTUS...

Unacceptable, like as in you’re going to hold your breath? Whatever. Do you think Ronald Reagan was a “compromise” candidate? He allowed 12 million abortions during his 8 years. He kept the department of education. He increased the size of government and increased the grip of social security, medicare, etc. Was he a true conservative? “

Lol...

Look at where you said we were right now...

“That’s pretty big talk for someone with a Marxist POTUS, a Marxist Congress, dozens of unelected Czars, a La Raza SCOTUS”

...and that was AFTER RR...

The point is, compromise has been tried. It is a proven FAILURE by your own observation!

“That’s pretty big talk for someone with a Marxist POTUS, a Marxist Congress, dozens of unelected Czars, a La Raza SCOTUS”

We are at war with an IDEOLOGY! so Supporting that ideology with candidates that support that ideology in an attempt to garner the votes of people who will only vote for that ideology is placing a gun to your head and pulling the trigger.