Posted on 06/21/2010 2:14:07 PM PDT by randita
GOP Faces Possible NY 23 Repeat June 21, 2010 3:09 PM
By Reid Wilson
GOPers stung by a divisive intra-party battle last fall face the prospect of a split party, once again, in the race for an upstate NY House seat that should favor the minority.
Last Nov., Rep. Bill Owens (D) won Army Sec. John McHugh's seat with just 48.3% of the vote. Still, it was enough to win after Assemb. Dede Scozzafava (R) and accountant Doug Hoffman, running on the Conservative Party line, split the GOP vote.
After Hoffman attacked Scozzafava's moderate -- GOPers backing Hoffman labeled her liberal -- record, Scozzafava dropped out of the contest and backed Owens. Hoffman finished with 46% of the vote, while Scozzafava took 5.6%.
This time was supposed to be different. Unlike in Nov., when local party officials picked Scozzafava and inadvertently ignited activist backlash, this year's primary would pit 2 well-funded candidates against each other. A single winner was supposed to face Owens in the fall.
But, for the second straight time, third parties could have a serious impact on the race. Hoffman, running again, has the Conservative Party line a second time. And businessman Matt Doheny (R), who unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination last year, has secured the Independence Party line -- which Scozzafava won last time around.
That means the winner of the state's GOP primary, to be held Sept. 14, may not get a clean shot at Owens. Hoffman has said he will stay in the race even if he doesn't win the GOP nomination, while a Doheny spokesperson refused to speculate on what the future would hold for his campaign.
"Right now, we're just focusing on winning the Republican primary," said Doheny aide Alison Power. But, she added: "There are a lot of long-time, active Independence Party members in the district."
"We're very happy about" the endorsement, Power said. "Doug is running no matter what," said Rob Ryan, Hoffman's top strategist. He slammed local GOP leaders as party insiders out of touch with the needs and interests of the party electorate. "This is the same cast of characters that brought everybody Dede Scozzafava last year, and they tried to bring Steve Levy in the governor's race," Ryan said.
The 23rd District leans to the right; no Dem had won the seat, which stretches from the VT border through the Finger Lakes region to the outscurts of Syracuse, in more than a century (Of note, Pres. Obama won it last time around, taking 52% of the vote).
Local party officials are quietly backing Doheny, still bitter that Hoffman cost them their chances at the seat. And national party officials, once bitten, are now shy about getting involved in the race.
"We have 2 strong candidats, so it's up to the voters to decide," said Tory Mazzola, an NRCC spokesperson. "In our opinion, Doug Hoffman has proven he can run a successful campaign, and that's part of the reason we're hands-off."
Key House Races ping.
Is Hoffman favored?...... He is sort of charismatically challenged.
The fringe parties don’t matter, except for dims who won’t vote on the republican line, so they vote on the independence party or even less likely the conservative.
Because it's all about "him". This isn't a repeat of last time. This is a primary that is contested like any other primary. If Hoffman has a compelling message and can articulate in a compelling way, he'll win. If he can't, he won't. It's that simple.
If he loses the primary and runs as a third party candidate, then it proves he's not only a poor candidate, he's not very bright either.
The the annointed GOP insider another leftist RINO? in that case the conservative is right to run.
Sorry, don't agree. Hoffman's 3rd party candidacy guarantees a Democrat victory. Third party candidates, like Hoffman, is EXACTLY what the Democrat election machine dreams about.
At least there is a primary this time.
If that costs the GOP a seat, then perhaps the GOP should consider actually campaigning towards those who might choose to vote outside the party, rather than campaigning towards Democrats.
The Conservative Party in NYS is about the Conservative Party in NYS.It’s looking for jobs and influence and eventual control of the state GOP. It is not doing this for matters of policy or ideals but to gain control of patronage. NY has a plethora of secondary parties and each is in the hunt for influence and jobs. If the GOP were to offer a few plumb judgeships to the Conservatives, Hoffman would be abandoned quickly.
If Hoffman says he’ll stay in the race even if he loses the nomination, maybe he’s not such a good choice after all.
We need for the entire RNC to resign!
The party is fighting Hoffman because he is “too conservative.”
.
Has the pro-abortion Doheny promised to drop his Independence Party nomnation if he loses the GOP primary?
I’d rather lose with a true conservative than win with a RINO.
In the long run, that is the way to win hearts and minds.
He’s made no officla decision one way or the other, saying that he’s concentrating on winning the primary.
That article was written from a liberal perspective but there is still a big difference between 1994 (the magic time) and now. In 1994 there hadnt been a Republican majority in both houses for decades and certainlty not with a Republican president even in our parent’s lifetimes. We could imagine and dream anything then. Young Rush lead us each day talking about conservative Republicans cutting government and giving us more freedom when they get power. But it didnt work out that way.
The current Republican party cannot get the voters to give them the blank slate that the party of 1994 got. It’s sad because I had such optimism 16 years ago, it felt great, but this doesnt. Gridlock is our best hope now.
btt
That was definitely written by a lib publication but one distinctly disenchanted with the o-bumble presidency, and giving a valuable perspective on Republican prospects and conservative infighting.
NY-29 doesn't even have a freakin' Critter.
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