The Unrepentant Republican Party

Americant Thinker ^ | August 26, 2010 | Sam Foster

[neverdem]

English novelist George Eliot once penned the following: "Iteration, like friction, is likely to generate heat instead of progress." Albert Einstein famously quipped, "insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." 

There are more than a few famous quotes on the destructive nature inherent in the repetition of foolish behavior. What is to be said for the way in which the Republican Party is actively pursuing a repeat of last November's special election for NY's 23^rd Congressional District? If you were outraged at Dede Scozzafava, wait until you see their latest candidate, Matt Doheny.

It was merely ten short months ago that the nation was held captive by events surrounding the special election for NY's 23^rd Congressional District. We saw the ascendancy of conservative Doug Hoffman and the rejection of the progressive establishment Republican and SEIU-Working Families candidate Dede Scozzafava. The contest ended with a narrow victory of 3,000 votes for Democrat Bill Owens, who won as a result of Dede Scozzafava draining 5% of the vote.

In the aftermath, conservatives caught a glimpse of what they hoped was a moment of clarity from Republicans when high-ranking Republican leaders such as John Boehner openly regretted their support for Dede Scozzafava's candidacy. Convinced of their sincerity, conservatives moved on, but did the GOP?

Seemingly, Hoffman's strong grassroots support, national attention, and narrow defeat should have ensured him the confidence of the county Republican leaders for the November elections. 

It did not. 

Although Doug Hoffman had been seeking the Republican candidacy since his defeat in 2009, the local party leaders sought out a primary challenger. By last April, NY-23's Matt Doheny had secured nine out of eleven endorsements from county Republicans. The Republican committees never contacted Doug Hoffman for a meeting, citing a variety of excuses.

David Sickler, Republican Chairman for the Ogdensburg City Republican Committee, intimated the intentions for the committees' decision in an opinion essay for a local newspaper. To summarize, Mr. Sickler came up with two important reasons for backing Matt Doheny. He felt that Doheny was the more rounded candidate. More importantly, he and his contemporaries still harbored a grudge against Doug Hoffman for having bucked Scozzafava's coronation. The local kingmakers desired a more...loyal candidate.

If Republicans are looking for a loyalist, then Doheny is their Manchurian Candidate in disguise. He proved himself to be quite the party lapdog by going along with the candidacy of Dede Scozzafava and financially supporting her election bid with the highest donation allowed by law. Stepping even further, he turned down the chance to run on the Conservative Party ticket ahead of Doug Hoffman, sacrificing his so-called conservative ideals in exchange for not "alienating the Republican Party." 

Amid questions stemming from his contributions and support of Dede Scozzafava, Mr. Doheny has brazenly shown unrepentant solidarity with his Republican handlers and adamantly maintains no regrets in supporting Scozzafava's candidacy. Absent too, is any criticism of Dede Scozzafava's liberal views. The omission raises the question: if Doheny is in fact a different candidate from Dede, why wouldn't he be critical of her views?

The truth is that Dede Scozzafava may actually be a better candidate than Matt Doheny. While Matt certainly appears to have superior qualifications, the lawyer-turned-banker has an extremely flawed past. Earlier this month, Matt Doheny admitted to having been charged with two separate BUI convictions two weeks apart from each other. During one of Doheny's altercations with the Coast Guard, he became so belligerent that he needed to be restrained with handcuffs. The charges weren't just some mild, youthful indiscretion from twenty years ago; this happened in 2004. Highlighting perhaps both a lack of judgment and character, records show that Doheny was sued twice for rent evasion at two separate apartments as recently as 2005. 

Matt may be articulate and affable, but his past trouble with the law is not going to play well in an election where voters are particularly sensitive to their candidates' ethical fiber. Did the Republican leadership even bother vetting this candidate?

I attempted to contact Matt Doheny's campaign and several Republican Committee Chairmen to determine whether Matt had informed them of his criminal convictions prior to receiving the Republican endorsement. I received no comment. However, they say actions speak louder than words, and local Republican bosses are still flocking to Doheny's camp. Last week, former NY-23 congressman David Martin endorsed Doheny and, in a show of solidarity with the party elite, defended the party chairman's political decision-making.

The unrepentant GOP is not unique to NY-23, either. In NY's 1^st congressional district, Chairman Ed Cox continues to push his son's candidacy over conservative and district favorite Randy Altschuler at the expense of losing an opportunity to unseat three-term Democrat Tim Bishop.

While the September primaries will likely resolve the Republicans' mistake in NY-1, the damage has already been done in the case of NY-23. Given NY's proclivity for third-party ballot lines, Matt's name will appear on the Independence Party ticket, and Doug Hoffman on the Conservative line, despite the Republican primary outcome. The flagrant hatred exhibited by Republican leaders for Hoffman makes it hard to believe that party bosses could unite under Doug Hoffman's potential candidacy. Thus, another three-way race is brewing in NY-23, and the possibility for the district to shed its sickly shade of blue is quickly slipping out of reach.

Republicans hope to flip as many as eight NY seats in their bid to retake Congress and halt the Obama agenda. In a state as blue as NY, every race counts, which makes the unrepentant Republicans in NY-23 all the more culpable. By never recognizing or admitting their mistakes with Dede Scozzafava, they have repeated their mistakes in their support of Matt Doheny. 

Despite numerous opportunities to change course over the last year, NY-23's Republican kingmakers have made it clear that they are not asking for forgiveness. It demands the question: how long will this NY-23 story repeat itself, and where will it happen next? 

Sam Foster is a writer for the blog Left Coast Rebel and founder of Upstate Political Report, a site dedicated to covering NY congressional races. Please feel free to e-mail him at livingstonconservative@gmail.com.

[The Duke]

Some of the Republican candidates out there are old school, but there's plenty of new school amongst them as well. I've been seeing it first hand for months here in Tampa.

But 100x more important than the truly conservative change in the Republican Party is the sea change that is taking place in the hearts of Americans as we've started to wake up and realize that life is no longer a game.

[Leisler]

You ‘re not a compassionate conservative.
/sarc

[lentulusgracchus]

I am a beast! I am unrepentant, I am non-reconciling, I am .....wait for it ..... white!!!

<ranting chorus>"Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate!!"

"Thank you, thank you ..... thank you verra much, I'll be here all week ....!"

[xzins]

Have the conservatives run as Constitution Party candidates. While it might ruin the race, it will also make it clear that conservatives will no longer play ball with idiot Rinos who believe they own the Republican Party as a divine right.

It’s got to stop.

[Clintonfatigued]

Hoffman has better name I.D. I don’t think that Doheny can overcome that.

[Jordo]

Let’s make sure Doug Hoffman wins the Republican primary...

http://www.doughoffmanforcongress.com/content/index.cfm

[smokingfrog]

Can’t say it better than nathanbedford.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[af_vet_rr]

Have the conservatives run as Constitution Party candidates. While it might ruin the race, it will also make it clear that conservatives will no longer play ball with idiot Rinos who believe they own the Republican Party as a divine right.

Republicans as a group don't have the guts to rock the boat - we'll keep right on electing RINOs to office, because they'll keep scaring us with the "if you don't support us, a Democrat might get in" b.s. That b.s. happens to have worked very well for them over the last 20 years.

As far as I'm concerned, a liberal with an (R) next to their name is the same as a liberal with a (D) next to their name, but many people disagree with them.

[Cicero]

Well. I’m extremely sorry to hear this bad news.

Yes, I agree that these folks are out to line their pockets. But they are also certainly the stupid party, when they do things that absolutely ensure that they will lose elections, as they seem eager to do again in the 23d.

The Dems are totally corrupt, but at least they have the good sense to play it to win.

As for Democrats putting socialism first, what is socialism but the most successful proven method in history to climb on top of the political heap, screw the people, but put a veneer over it so the people thank you for screwing them.

[xzins]

I used to say exactly that to others: if you vote for a 3rd party, then the dems will win. I thought I was right.

But then there was a whole series of betrayals by rinos in the pub party: voinovich, snowe, collins, graham, mccain, harkin, brown, specter, etc. Now the pubbies are talking about giving up on pro-life, and pro-family and turning to choice and same sex marriage.

Well, they’re doing it without me.

A vote for a jackass liberal is no different than a vote for an elephant liberal.

Since I lose in my conservatism with the Pubs, I might as well lose while trying to establish a home for conservatives.

[Bigun]

Anyone who ever thought the words “Republican” and “Conservative” to be interchangeable was and is TOTALLY misguided!

They are not and never have been.

[wolfcreek]

And the NWO wins buy a knockout.

[cva66snipe]

But then there was a whole series of betrayals by rinos in the pub party: voinovich, snowe, collins, graham, mccain, harkin, brown, specter, etc. Now the pubbies are talking about giving up on pro-life, and pro-family and turning to choice and same sex marriage. Well, they’re doing it without me. A vote for a jackass liberal is no different than a vote for an elephant liberal.

It's going to take a changing of heart of We The People to turn this around. If enough hearts change then the following happens

If…My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

If not? Then our leaders are indeed our earthly judgment for our hearts as a people. Right now the Constitution Party is the remnant of the Reagan GOP. It's founder was one of three men who helped bring about the Reagan years and a cultural turnaround or awareness unseen in years. Howard Phillips was one of three co-founders of The Moral Majority. Paul Weyich who thought of it and Jerry Falwell a DEM at that time was the third.

As far as I know it was Paul Weyrich which back in late 1995 was among the first to sound the alarm the GOP was selling us out. The first one he exposed for doing this was Trent Lott his former friend. There was a lot going on many didn't know about and weren't hearing. By the 2006 presidential election it was too late.

Yes the ills of today were present even in the 2006 convention in the speeches given but no one was listening those who were stayed home in 2006 in disgust. Not many were listening in 2000 when men like James Dobson were snubbed and Log Cabin GOP embraced by the GOP POTUS candidate. Dobson was a Reagan adviser. This week we likely know the reason why with the outing of a Bush adviser and former RNC chairman.

If we truly believe in our values and convictions then in faith we need to start acting upon them even in the voting booth. Though it may seem futile at the time it is part of putting the verse I posted into action.

Our Founding Fathers were hardly a majority nor were the ones who opted for war with Great Britain and the crown to win our freedoms. They were men of faith. Not perfect by any means some actually were deist in their beliefs but none the less they had faith.

I can't give a Liberal Republican a vote anymore than I can give an alcoholic family member a drink because it takes down the rest with them. It's enabling. Sometimes when you stand against wrong you will loose. That lesson was taught to me the last two years in something I knew in my heart I was doing right. It doesn't mean I don't continue the fight to right the injustice but it means some things you place in GOD's hands for Him to resolve to His will and glory in His time. Whether it's fighting for abused kids or fighting for the survival of our nation the fight is the same and the same GOD presides over both.

With more and more people being outed in the last few months who wore conservative disguises and deceived many the more I know my leaving the GOP as a straight party ticket voter back in 2000 was correct. It's a matter of moral conscience to which man should listen and obey. Doing otherwise can bring serious cause and effect issues in our spiritual lives. I don't vote for a person because they might win or even a lesser of evil if it's one or the other with no other choice I vote neither. I vote for the ones who stand on issues because they are right stands to take.

[neverdem]

But then there was a whole series of betrayals by rinos in the pub party: voinovich, snowe, collins, graham, mccain, harkin, brown, specter, etc.

Voinovich is retiring this year. Snowe and Collins are probably the best you can do in Maine. Ditto Scott Brown in Massachusetts. McCain just ran to the right of J.D. Hayworth. Specter defected and was defeated anyway. Harkin from Iowa is a rat.

Now the pubbies are talking about giving up on pro-life, and pro-family and turning to choice and same sex marriage.

Who is?

Crying Bigotry: Last Refuge Of The Liberal

Note what connects these issues. In every one, liberals have lost the argument in the court of public opinion. Majorities — often lopsided majorities — oppose President Obama’s social-democratic agenda (e.g., the stimulus, Obamacare), support the Arizona law, oppose gay marriage, and reject a Ground Zero mosque.

IMHO, there are more opportune fish to fry at this time. You have to play the hand you're dealt, but you, a chaplain, want perfection? It's time to use the Tea Party movement to take over the GOP, IMHO. It's something like Clinton's, "It's the economy, stupid." No, I'm not calling you anything. I'm just quoting.

[SunkenCiv]

If you were outraged at Dede Scozzafava, wait until you see their latest candidate, Matt Doheny.

Thanks neverdem.

[truthfreedom]

Maine is not as liberal as MA, VT, RI, CT, NY, NJ.
It’s about as liberal as NH.

Maine could have a more Conservative Republican instead of Snowe or Collins.

Provided LePage wins Governor, he could be Senator later perhaps.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

‘Chairman Ed Cox continues to push his son’s candidacy over conservative and district favorite Randy Altschuler at the expense of losing an opportunity to unseat three-term Democrat Tim Bishop.’

Dick Nixon’s GRANDSON is running for Congress? Time sure marches on.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Sobering stupidity.

Gotta admit the demo’s don’t make this kind of mistake - Greene (NC senate race) a very rare exception - but even so, the democrat’s race-blinded minions followed their true colors.

[neverdem]

It’s not called the STUPID Party for nothing. I’m hoping the Tea Party Movement can inject some common sense and integrity into the GOP. You can see why NY needs its Conservative Party. The NYGOP has too many idiots.