Posted on 11/03/2009 10:24:33 PM PST by nutmeg
The race has now been called for Democrat Bill Owens.
This is a huge win for conservatives.
“Whaaaa. . . ?” you say.
There are two big victories at work in New York’s 23rd Congressional District.
First, the GOP now must recognize it will either lose without conservatives or will win with conservatives. In 2008, many conservatives sat home instead of voting for John McCain. Now, in NY-23, conservatives rallied and destroyed the Republican candidate the establishment chose.
I have said all along that the goal of activists must be to defeat Scozzafava. Doug Hoffman winning would just be gravy. A Hoffman win is not in the cards, but we did exactly what we set out to do — crush the establishment backed GOP candidate.
And make no mistake, despite the Beltway spin, we know for certain based on statements from the local Republican parties, that they chose Scozzafava based on advice from the Washington crowd.
So we have demonstrated to the GOP that it must not take conservatives for granted. The GOP spent $900,000.00 on a Republican who dropped out and endorsed the Democrat. Were we to combine Scozzafava and Hoffman’s votes, Hoffman would have won.
Secondly, and just as importantly, there has all of a sudden been a huge movement among some activists to go the third party route. We see in NY-23 that this is not possible as third parties are not viable.
Third parties lack funding and ability for a host of reasons. Conservatives are going to have to work from within the GOP. The GOP had better pay attention.
For all intents and purposes, NY-23 is a trial run for Florida. And in Florida, the conservative candidate is operating inside the GOP. If John Cornyn and the NRSC do not want to see Florida go the way of NY-23, they better stand down.
ping
ping
Fulton County machines break; court order issued
Last Update: 11/03 11:36 pm
Fulton County (WSYR-TV) – NewsChannel 9 has learned voting machines in Fulton County, which is a part of the 23rd Congressional District, have been impounded, after the machines were not working property today, the Fulton County Board of Elections confirms.
The county was forced to switch over to paper ballots.
They were not planning on counting any votes Tuesday night. We’re told by the Board of Elections, the paper ballots cannot be touched until the absentee ballots are opened a week from Tuesday.
The Board of Elections says they do not know how many people voted, but there are 22 districts in Fulton County.
Either candidate will win in FLa so that’s why it’s so confounding. It’s not like Crist is the only guy who will win so lets be pragmatic.
OK..ruin this one...
Why are absentee ballots counted a week after election day?
But, had it not been for 3rd party, would Hoffman been in and/or gotten as far as he did?
They’re lazy?
I don’t think absentee ballots are even counted, unless the number of absentee ballots could swing the election results.
Oh, I’m so sorry that I upset your loss appreciation threads. I’ll attempt to refrain from doing so in the future.
Yep. So Owens won, whatever...
I’ve always said I’d rather get knifed in the face than in the back.
Good riddance to Scozzafava, and the GOP party hacks who put her up in the first place can bite me.
It’s just amazing that you think tonight was a failure..it’s astounding to me.
When talking with Brit Hume on Fox News (about two hours ago) about Hoffamn’s looming defeat, Juan Williams gave the reasons why he thought that Hoffman was probably going to lose.
He said that the main reason that Hoffman was probably going to lose is because he entered the race late, because he lacked charisma, and because he lacked the political expertise to wage an effective campaign against Owens.
Liberals are trying to spin this to try and pin the loss on Tea Partiers, Sarah Palin, Hannity and so on. The reasons that Democrats are giving why Hoffman lost, though, are bogus.
If there was any reason(s) why Hoffman lost it would be more likely to be because of the reasons that Juan Williams gave, and not the reasons that Democrats are giving.
I mean, Juan’s a liberal and all!
Be sure to counter Democrats/Liberals talking points about why they think Hoffman lost with the analysis given by Juan Williams.
Yep, I agree with Juan (can't believe I'm saying that! LOL).
A Democrat won a seat for the first time in 100 years giving them another vote in the House. I do not see that as a victory.
THE BIG PICTURE. We keep saying that we’d rather have a D screw things up then an R. It’s only a year. We’ll take this seat back...And all the others. What a bunch of whiny babies...I’m shocked at FR. This was a huge night for us and some of you are just choosing to be miserable.
Did you read the comments above by Erickson? On its face Hoffman’s loss is certainly not a victory, but NY-23 will be up for grabs in less than one year from now (2010). Hopefully the GOP can do it right next year by listening to its conservative base rather than GOP party hacks.
Not me, Hildy! I'm kind of down about Hoffman, but I AM looking at the big picture. The campaign for NY-23 2010 starts in less than one year... we'll get it back!
I'm thrilled by the McDonnell GOP win in VA (plus the Lt. Governor and Atty General) and absolutely stunned that Christie won in NJ. A political earthquake, as Sean Hannity has said. Overall a great night!
Do you fail to see that the Dems had the seat either way even if Hoffman did not enter the race??????? Scuzzy was a Dem all along, as conservatives pointed out. Good riddance to her. One year with the Dem, and a real conservative will take the seat back.
ABSO freaking LUTELY!!
Good point. It's not like we would have had conservative votes from Scuzzy. Might as well hang the unpopular liberal votes around the neck of the democrat than around a RINO claiming to be Republican.
LOL. Seriously, it is just inexcusable that Newt didn’t do his homework concerning Scozzafava. What the heck was he smoking when he endorsed a pro-Card Check, pro-gay marriage, etc. “Republican” candidate?? I’ve really lost respect for Newt over this one...
>>Conservatives are going to have to work from within the GOP. <<
I strongly disagree with the author.
“America is at that awkward stage. It’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.”
- Claire Wolfe, 101 Things to Do ‘Til the Revolution
I agree with Rush Limbaugh, that conservatives need to take back the GOP (the way Reagan did)... NOT form a third party. So, I guess that would involve conservatives working from within the GOP...
Add that Scozzafava endorsement of Owens to that list.
Yeah I didn't think that endorsement would amount to much either, but the fact remains that Hoffman was ahead in 2 polls from Sunday night, up 17% in the PPP poll, and up 5% in the Siena poll. So why did he lose?
I think those 2 polls were taken before the full effect of Scozzafava’s Owens endorsement had come through. It would appear that Scozazafava, like any local politican, has some hard core supporters, over whom she has some influence. They just switvhed their votes from Scozzafava to Owens when she told them to. That together with some of the undecided's probably pulled Owens over the finishing line.
Hoffman will win in the Nov 2010 race. He will be congressman, just a little later than we had hoped for.
Had Scuzzy won, she would have been voting with the Dems, but would have been tough to remove, as the Repubs would not support any conservative challenger in the primaries, telling us all to hold our noses for the good of the party. Screw that!! It would have been better for Hoffman to win over Owen, but it would have been worst of all for Scuzzy to win.
Why did he concede then?
Good points, Defiant.
Scozzafava is more liberal than even the Democrat, so it wouldn't have made any difference even if the Republican had won.
>>So, I guess that would involve conservatives working from within the GOP..<<
Correct. If you choose to do it Rush’s way.
My thoughts: The US and the entire world is going down fast. The Republicans and Democrats are so similar as to be virtually indistinguishable. Neither is remotely part of the solution here.
If you are familiar with Atlas shrugged, I have the attitude closer to John Galt, while those that want to change the republican party are more like Dagney Taggart. They still think there is a workable solution within the current system.
Alas, by the end of the book even she realizes that the only solution is to get to Galt’s Gulch, let the system implode, and then come back and try to build a life from the ashes.
To make sure Democrats know how many extra votes they need to "find" to defy the will of the employed (doesn't apply to this election).
I agree...Hoffman can continue the campaign either as a Republican (if the GOP is smart) or a 3rd party option, continually gaining momentum till next November. There’s plenty of time for him to compare the differences between himself and the JACKASS party as well as what illustrate that there is no difference in the DUmocrat and what would have been if voters chose the RINO instead.
For him to pull off what he did with a split vote - 30 days into a campaign without the party backing him says alot. If nothing else, the victory was sending the RINO packing in shame while giving the GOP a shot across the bow as a warning to what will happen nation wide if they choose to back RINOs instead of conservatives in 2010.
I actually was more interested in the NY congressional race than the VA and NJ gubernatorial races because it’s at the federal level. Congressmen can do more to stop Obama’s march toward the annihilation of freedom better than governors can. Now, as a bellwether of eletoral sentiment, it’s a good night, no question. AND, even though the results don’t put any direct obstacles in front of the Pres__ent, that bellwether effect will also get noticed by RINO’s and Dems from conservative districts, and make it harder for him to ram through any more Marxism. So I agree, all in all, a good night.
That’s funny. Your lack of understanding doesn’t surprise me in the least.
That’s funny. Your lack of understanding doesn’t surprise me in the least.
Hildy, you cheer for Republicans.
You wouldn’t understand those of us who are interested in something larger and more meaningful.
Giving DUh-bama the "bi-partisanship" he's been longing for in order to pass the blame to Republicans later.
Sure, we can win the seat back as a party, no worries. But the real game here was Conservatives vs RINOs.
We lost. That’s NOT going to help our cause. There is a much bigger picture here than many of you cheerleaders want to admit.
Hell, I’d love to be celebrating this tonight. But this was the real race to celebrate. The others were for the news media hacks.
While I applaud the ideal, the truth is, the only way to get the GOP to be more conservative is to ensure that the same party hacks who tried to gain this seat at any cost (and basically give it to the liberals) understand that wooing liberals to come to the Republican party won’t mean much if their base is heading out the backside of the tent to go to their own party.
That’s what this is all about. Anyone with a brain understands that the majority of Americans are conservative in one respect or another. There might be disagreements about specifics, but the majority hold fundamental beliefs that the liberals are seeking to destroy.
To overcome the D numbers with more R numbers, they’ve taken a broad tent approach, seeking, by default, to create a coalitionist government under the R banner. They do this by ignoring their base and instead giving the farm away in an attempt to look more liberal to woo in the blue dogs and Reagan democrats to be.
To them, it is all about party registration, because people generally vote their party. But it ignores that they’ve lost many many people not by being too conservative, but by being not conservative enough, and thus people declare themselves independent.
My vote’s no longer free, and I hope that everyone here takes a similar stance. I will vote, no matter what the cost, for the conservative in the race. I’ve learned my lessons, it’s time that the GOP leaders do the same.
I think this seat means nothing. If Doug was a better candidate he would have won, same goes for Dede. They were both terrible.
I just received a “letter” from Newt yesterday, and you better believe I’m going to reply! I am going to give him a polite, but forceful earful! He is an opportunist, and that is all. He touts conservativism on one hand and rushes to support the most leftist candidate the Republicans can offer...as if we don’t notice. A Republican willing to work with Obama we DON’T need! Let the Dems carry the full responsibilty of this fiasco they are trying to ram down our throats! Newt didn’t deliver in 1994 after winning the Congress, then playing politics, as usual. He is a hollow suit, blowing whichever way the wind goes. It’s time we call him at it and tell him to shut up! He no longer represents conservatives (unless he sees some political gain for himself!). We’re done with the RINOs!
We’ve got a big election coming up in 2010. I hope the conservative teaparty’ers don’t try and help my district.
It’s already operated by a Dem.
“The Republicans and Democrats are so similar as to be virtually indistinguishable. “
That's totally ridiculous. None of the Republicans in the House or Senate support the public option in the Democrats Health-care bill. Yet every single Democrat Congressman and Democrat Senator is for the public option. Democrats are and have been Marxists since at least FDR's time.
The threat to Americans' way of life, our living standards, our freedom, and even our ability to put food on the table is the Democrat party, the media, and government which I see as one, the Marxists. Anyone that doesn't actively oppose Democrats , the media and government is part of the problem and is helping the democrats/Marxists to turn the U.S. into a socialist state and therefore aiding in the destruction of our civilization.
Anyone that instead helps democrats by making Conservatives stop supporting the GOP is doubly guilty and a traitor to freedom as I see it. you, those like you, Michael savage and even Glenn beck by saying that Republicans and Democrats are the same do make conservatives drop support for the GOP. The GOP is the only thing now that can stop the public option and other socialist bills and they are doing it so far and have been since Hillary and Bill Clinton tried it in 1993.
I've been saying this for years yet you and your ilk keep bashing republicans as a result you now have what you want a filibuster proof super majority of 60% democrats/Marxists in the Senate. So when will you be happy when Democrats pass the public option and soon thereafter Socialism destroys our American civilization to the point where we are in the stone Age as socialism destroyed Cuba , North Korea and the Soviet union? Then will you still be bashing Republicans and saying they are the same as democrats?
Also NO Republicans in Congress support cap and trade , global warming laws etc. While all Democrats in Congress are for cap and trade and global warming regs. So how can you say the parties are virtually indistinguishable? IN Congress, All Democrats are for raising taxes and letting the Bush tax cuts expire while all Republicans are for lowering taxes.
You didn't know how good you had it when the GOP had a slight majority In Congress ( not a super majority like the Democrats have now) with no cap and trade, no government health-care,no public option, no Amnesty for illegals, etc on the verge of passing into law. Many more examples.
Yes as you should be able to see now the years of the Republican controlled Congress from 1994-2007 were the last era of good times for America. During the years the "evil" Republicans had a slight majority in Congress:
1. taxes actualy went down,
2.U.S. unemployment averaged around 4% the best in the world, and is considered full employment. 3.The GOP stopped government healthcare from being passed by HIllary and Bill clinton and other democrats.
4. The GOP stopped Amnesty for illegals for all those years.
5.The GOP stopped kyoto, and global warming regulations from being passed,
6 U.S. economic growth averaged 3% .
7 U.S productivity skyrocketed.
8. No attacks by Islam after 9/11/01 <9> The American people and economy remained FREE.
Compare this little summary of mine to any period in history for any country mr. cherry picker.
many more examples
By contrast , ever since the Democrats took Congress America has been declining very rapidly, basically in a free fall in practically all areas that i listed above and those that matter like our freedom: the deficit is exploding by trillions,unemployment is over 10% and rising, the U.S. is in a depression,illegals are overrunning the U.S., the dollar is about to collapse like the German Mark did, government health-care is about to pass, then Amnesty for illegals then global warming Regulations to put a final nail in the coffin of an already dead U.S. the economy. But and Savage, you should be proud as you helped all this come about and also you helped to destroy freedom in the world forever. All this just to teach the Republicans a lesson right?
Now since you and your ilk wanted to teach Republicans a lesson you have Marxists like Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Reed with a filibuster proof super majority about to pass cap and trade and government health-care, and Amnesty for illegals just for starters. Marxists/Democrats will do it with you and your ilk and Michael Savage's help. And even you Glenn Beck you is helping Democrats by saying this nonsense. Although Glenn Beck is correct in everything else he says. Michael Savage is a Democrat/Marxist operative posing as a nationalist conservative to make money and help Democrats Turn the U.S. into a socialist state.
Okay everyone...take a deep breath.
First of all, this was a great test and a victorious moment for the voters. New Jersey and Virginia is just the beginning. We have a long hard fight ahead of us and we are going to have to do it as AMERICANS.
It’s the big picture we need to look at and be thankful for what was accomplished. I no longer consider myself a Republican....I am an American and I am going to fight for my country...peacefully...through my vote and activism.
We are getting rid of the crooks, thieves and those who no longer listen to us. Get it? We are going to change the politics of this country. This is REAL change...the real deal.
The traitors, narcissists and criminals are going to leave office...period. The new voices will represent the foundations our country was established on...and will be conservative...and will follow the Constitution.
We can’t reach our goals fighting among ourselves or showing weakness. I thank God for what was accomplished and I pray that we will continue on the right path to saving our country.
Oh rurgan ! Your soooo Silly!
Juan Williams has it right. Hoffman like many 3rd party candidates was a novitiate when it comes to running a campaign. Its amazing he got as far as he did. Particularly in a district as spreadout as the 23rd is. I think from what I understand the 23rd has bits and whole pieces of 18 counties which comprize this district.
Any 3rd party candidate who as a novice on the first try comes up with 46% of the vote suggests maybe if he intends to run again he should move into the district. And before he started and any 3rd party or novice who intends to run for office should read this
http://www.theusmat.com/home.htm
What we don't know is to what extent the loss is attributable to a) funding (or lack thereof, which I doubt since Palin nationalized the race); b) organization on Hoffman's part, or c) Hoffman himself (he seemed pretty dull). We can no longer "blame Bush," that's for sure, but it certainly isn't a maxim that merely by putting in a conservative you win. I think the maxim is, "A conservative will always be competitive." Whether that candidate has enough pull on non-social issues (esp. jobs and taxes) to convince the social libs is up in the air in future races.
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