I think the answer there is that no Republican with any ambition for national elected office will endorse anyone in this race. The race is really radioactive to Republicans.
If you endorse someone and they don’t win the election, you have hurt your own political viability. And, endorsing someone outside your party, even if they win the election, such an endorsement isn’t really helpful to your future political career.
The leadership of the RCCC and the House leadership have screwed up with this candidate. They have doubled down with an all-in move rather than falling on their swords in disgrace for allowing this candidate to run as a R (I call Scozzafava a big “R” democRat).
The vetting process failed. Blaming it on staffers as Sessions and others in the RCCC have tried to do just points to a management problems. This is not a decision that should have been delegated to staffers. The problem isn’t the staffer, it is the person who delegated this to the staffer.
Fred Thompson obviously has no future plans politically. So his endorsement was available. Newt has been mentioned as a potential candidate in 2012, but I don’t think he really wanted to do that. I think his endorsement this week was a confirmation that he doesn’t care to run in 2012.
I don’t think that Sarah Palin is ready to take that jump. It would be a bold move, but there really isn’t an upside for Palin. Hoffman would benefit greatly, but Palin wouldn’t get much if he wins, and would accomplish nothing if Hoffman failed with her endorsement.
There is only one other Republican that I can think of who might make an endorsement in this race, and if he does, it would be really big news. He also is closer to Hoffman's positions on the issues than anyone else. His name is John McHugh, and he was elected to this very seat last year by over 65% of the voters in his district. He would have local credibility well beyond any of the “celebrity” endorsements from national figures.
Markos Moulitsas, founder of The Daily Kos has endorsed Scozzafava. Dede Scozzafava has also been endorsed by NYSUT, the largest labor union in New York, and an affiliate of the National Education Association.
Scozzafava also holds these positions:
Scozzafava has also run in past elections on the Working Families Party (a progressive party associated with ACORN) line on the ballot.
This lady isn’t a RINO, she is a big “R” democRat.
There are also 17 RINOs in the house who have donated funds to this Liberal democRat's campaign. They include Boehner and Cantor. I don’t have a full list, but I will be looking for it. These RINOs should be targeted for elimination in the primaries next year.
| From the desk of cc2k: |
She was not "allowed". She was handpicked. They could have chosen Doug Hoffman but apparently believed an ACORN-Planned Parenthood candidate fit with the GOP philosophy better. The local GOP or whomever needs to be replaced ASAP.