Election 2009: Change We Can Believe In (Vanity)

self | November 5, 2009 | Jim Davis

[Philo1962]

Our online activists have been very, very busy. Using Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and cell phones, we've been directing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Doug Hoffman and Chris Christie campaigns. We've been calling voters, urging them to vote for conservative candidates. Personally, I've been e-mailing a few acquaintances of mine in the Dede Scozzafava campaign, asking them to convince Scozzafava to drop out of the race.

We work behind the scenes, and under the radar. Quietly and effectively, we've been directing support to the conservative candidates in these races.

A few months ago, we were working on behalf of the Jim Tedisco campaign, in a special election in New York's 20th Congressional District. Last November, Democrat Kirstin Gillibrand won with over 60% of the vote in that district. Just five months later, a true conservative lost by less than 0.5% of the vote.

But a loss is still a loss. It was discouraging, and we didn't do very much for months after that.

Then we noticed that John Corzine, the Democratic governor of New Jersey, hasn't had a job approval rating over 40% for more than a year. He keeps raising taxes. Members of his party keep getting arrested for bribery and drug possession. So we pulled out all the stops and devoted ourselves to a powerful effort on behalf of the conservative Republican candidate, Chris Christie.

A friend of mine on another discussion board described the results this way:

Obama made three trips to New Jersey
to campaign for Corzine, who followed
the Obama campaign plan to the letter.
Obama's voice was used for Corzine's
Robocalls. Corzine spent $23 million
of his own money, outspending Christie
by a 3-to-1 margin. He enjoyed all the
advantages of an incumbent. Christie
had a third-party candidate splitting
the conservative vote.

And Corzine lost.

That's change we can believe in.

We decided to stay out of Virginia because McDonnell was going to win without our help, and Christie needed everything we had. As it turns out, conservative GOP candidates made a clean sweep of all statewide offices in Virginia, and they increased their majority in the House of Delegates (in Virginia's state legislature).

About 18 days ago, it looked like Doug Hoffman was really coming on strong in the special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District. The key members of our group had a very heated discussion: do we keep on pouring everything we've got into New Jersey, or do we try to help Hoffman? At that point, it was a difficult decision. We were concerned that if we split our support we could lose both races. Christie was in a difficult race, and he needed everything we could do for him.

That was when I contacted my friends in the Dede Scozzafava campaign. I asked them to convince Dede to drop out of the race and endorse Hoffman. I explained that we were deeply committed in New Jersey and we did not want to split our efforts. I mentioned that Dede hadn't been picked by the voters of the Republican Party in a real primary, but by the country club members who run the party. The party belongs to the rank and file voters, not to its leaders.

I promised that if Dede did all of this, our group would support her for a statewide office in 2010, and I mentioned the New York State comptroller's office. No other Republican had declared any interest in that office, and it was a logical next step in Dede's political career.

I got very little response from them in the 24 hours that followed, and I got back in touch with our people. We made the difficult decision to shift all of our resources into the NY-23 race. It was like Patton taking a 90-degree turn with the Third Army to relieve Bastogne. I started contacting other people on the staffs of prominent Republicans at the national level.

The results were phenomenal. Right away, Sarah Palin endorsed Hoffman. Then Tim Pawlenty (2012 presidential nominee, perhaps) endorsed Hoffman. Dick Armey was on board already. And the money poured in. My friends had already given generously to the Christie campaign and now, they reached deep in their pockets and invested the rent money in Doug Hoffman. I will forever be grateful.

Then Dede dropped out of the race. I thought we had it in the bag. I finally took a deep breath, took half a day off and spent some time with my family. I was still prepared to support Dede next year, in spite of the fact that we didn't get an endorsement of Hoffman from her, and I sent an e-mail to my contacts in her campaign explaining that. Both of those moves were big mistakes (taking half a day off, and promising to support her in spite of her refusal to endorse Hoffman), and I humbly apologize for that. While I was offline and away from the phone, Dede started sneaking around and telling her supporters to switch their support to Owens, the Democratic nominee.

When I got wind of this, I was skeptical about the report. But then she appeared at a campaign event with Owens, loud and proud, and endorsed him in front of God and everybody. I was astonished. Nobody had seen this coming, not even my contacts in her own campaign. Matt Burns, her communications director and one of my contacts in her campaign, immediately sent out an e-mail announcing that he was supporting Hoffman.

During the next 48 hours, we shifted into high gear and made as many calls to voters in the district as we could. We all have "day jobs" and families. In the end, Doug Hoffman lost. But we sent a message to Republican leadership that they'd better stop nominating liberals. And Dede Scozzafava has no future in politics, unless she joins the Democratic Party and is honest about where her allegiances really are. She deserves nothing but our contempt.

I must say that 2010 is going to be a very good year. Keep your powder dry and your bayonets sharp, Minutemen.

[Nephi]

We saw outrage from the Republican leadership when Joe Wilson showed contempt for the bald face lies coming out of the usurper in the peoples’ chamber.

Here we have a woman who had the support of top ranking Republican officials and betrays them and makes them look like fools. Or did she? Where is the requisite outrage? Newt’s mea culpa appearance on Hannity didn’t seem to have anywhere near the passion he had when he was defending party loyalty and Dede.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[jla]

"The results were phenomenal. Right away, Sarah Palin endorsed Hoffman. Then Tim Pawlenty (2012 presidential nominee, perhaps) endorsed Hoffman."

Why do you cite Pawlenty as a potential 2012 nominee and not Sarah Palin?

[Philo1962]

The Democratic Party smear machine is all geared up to attack Sarah Palin and her family in 2012. They’ll continue to do oppo research for the next three years. Levi Johnston will continue to feed them juicy little lies in his quest for celebrity and the almighty dollar. Those lies will be endlessly repeated as if they were proven facts.

Furthermore, Sarah isn’t going to really be ready for their onslaught. The interview with Katie Couric showed how the Obamabot whores in the press would ambush her at every turn and also, it showed that Sarah wasn’t fully prepared.

I wish that Sarah would be ready in 2012, and that the conditions on the ground would be favorable. But wishing won’t make it so. Unless she spends the next three years in intensive training on national level issues, she will lose in 2012 and it will be the end of her political career. we can’t afford to lose her like that.

Let me remind you of what happened to us in the first year of our involvement in World War II. Our forces at sea were badly outnumbered and were frequently slaughtered, or won by a hair’s breadth. Our training facilities and shipyards were under enormous pressure to rush new units into battle before they were ready. We didn’t. You know the results. In the end, we won the war.

If Pawlenty loses in 2012, Sarah will be ready in 2016. And if Pawlenty wins, I see her as either his Secretary of the Interior or his Secretary of State — the latter post being the best one to get her even more ready. Then, in 2020, she would be truly formidable as Pawlenty’s replacement.

[Philo1962]

There’s nothing to “get away with” here.

[jla]

"I wish that Sarah would be ready in 2012, and that the conditions on the ground would be favorable. But wishing won?t make it so. Unless she spends the next three years in intensive training on national level issues, she will lose in 2012 and it will be the end of her political career. we can?t afford to lose her like that."

I have to ask, why do suppose people like Fred Malek, Thomas Sowell, and even Beck and Limbaugh have opined Mrs Palin to be the polar opposite of your description above?

Are these gentlemen all wrong and you right in assessing her viability as a serious national candidate?

[Philo1962]

The Democrats started getting ready to beat “Sarah 2012” in September 2008. As you can see, their smear campaign hasn’t even slowed down. I want all of that effort to be wasted. They will be extremely frustrated, and feel like the fools that they are.

I don’t perceive Sowell’s description of Palin to be an unqualified endorsement. If she chooses to run, I would of course support her as the nominee. But Pawlenty is ready now, and in my opinion, Sarah isn’t quite ready. That Katie Couric interview exposed some weaknesses.

[Philo1962]

Ping. If you want off this list, or if you’d like to discuss the activities of our group, please Freepmail me.

[Grampa Dave]

If true, this is obscene!

Being seriously talked up as the next CEO of our taxpayer owned Bank of America. All based on his prior street cred!

[PhilCollins]

This year, a Michigan democrat state senator resigned, and a Washington democrat state rep. died. This week, Republicans won both special elections. So far, this year, Republicans have a net gain of seven state legislators, from special elections. I didn’t hear any TV reporters mention this fact.

[Bob J]

Keep up the good work. Conservatism needs more of this kind of pragmatic day to day hard work rather than torches and pitchforks.

[Old Badger]

Good point jla! Everybody should step back and take a good look at where all those experienced leaders have brought us up to this point.

Sarah Palin is definitely a leader who doesn't put her finger in the air to find out which way the winds blowing and then go in that direction. That's what Palwenty did before endorsing Hoffman and those types of "politicians" we don't need. What some freeper said about him was correct ....... "blazing a new trail that somebody else cleared" (or something to that effect).

I won't support any more rhinos regardless of what the outcome may be. For me, it's Sarah Palin or nobody!

[Liz]

White House hacks resorted to saying Ohaha was not watching the results come in. Press secretary---and resident liar, Robert Gibbs---said the elections don't "mean much" to Ohaha. Here's a couple reminders that show the truth to that lie.

HERE'S HOW DESPERATE THEY WERE TO WIN NJ Obama went to New Jersey three times---Biden was there twice.

The NY Times reported :

(a) every TV ad Corzine put on the air was being screened by Obama's WH team.

(b) Corzine's aides gave the WH daily briefings.

(c) Obama’s pollsters took over for Corzine’s polling team, and,

(d) White House operatives were on the ground in New Jersey, for everything from internal strategy sessions to secret, obscure pep rallies with Latinoes, (still toweling off after swimming the Rio Grande).

Corzine had a "Peruvian PAC" endorsing him. Latino invaders from Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Spain, together with Puerto Ricans, are currently "registered" to vote in NJ (or being trucked in election day) under several names.......all voting for Corzine under several identities.

All of the pundits claimed the race was "close" and that the counting would go on til the wee hours. However, Repub Christie came charging out of the gate well-ahead. Then two hours after the polls closed, he was declared the winner by a comfortable 5 points.

In the end, Obama's NJ appearances----saying he needed Corzine as "his partner"----made him a handy target for voter discontent. He and Corzine paid the price.

SUMMIMG UP Ohaha was castrated on Tuesday night and he still doesn't know it yet. Well, maybe when Michele asks for sex, the reality will kick in....... (/snic).

[mtnwmn]

I have been working hard on FB and in the local Republican party. Americans participating in the Tea Parties has given me hope.

[mtnwmn]

How can we get the GOP to have universal closed primaries?

[potlatch]

[devolve]

Great Slideshow .gif potlatch

How did I know you would do that?

[potlatch]

Don’t know, it was a last minute thing.

[sirchtruth]

There’s nothing to “get away with” here.

Here's what I think you're all about, and I think it is a flaw in your thinking.

Not every republican is conservative, I take it we agree with each other on this? Those who are not conservative, like John McCain (and you know he's not) are trying to make the republican party in their image, moderate/rino. These people are centrist, Washingtonians, and system wonks who want the staus quo because this is where they've learned they can derive power. They are elites and do not concern themselves with the people's agenda, but their own. This is what you fail to recognize and you can not survive as a prosperous party with people who only have their self interest at heart. Now if John McCain wants to come over and embrace a conservative agenda fully then I welcome him, but all he's ever done is rail against conservatives and voted to stop a conservative agenda!

So, if you don't understand the difference between someone who's only voting certain ways to further a more moderate agenda, opposed to someone who actually is conservative and cares about "We The People..." then you are totally out of touch with what is this political reality.

[Philo1962]

Hi. You seem determined to engage me in a mudslinging fight that our “friends” at Democratic Underground, Daily Kos, MoveOn.org, Huffington Post and 1000 smaller leftie blogs will be able to link to, point at and giggle about until the sun burns out. Even if Jim Robinson deletes the thread, Google creates a cache that is permanent and can be linked to by leftie bloggers.

If that’s what you want, then you’re a fool and destructive to the conservative cause. Tell me why I should even try to have a conversation with a person like you