Posted on 10/31/2009 11:09:41 AM PDT by BAW
Lots of people want credit for Dede Scozzafava dropping out today.
I feel like I have had a view from the inside. Lots of people are trying to give me credit for rallying the base since last July for Hoffman, but from my vantage point, there are four that are being overshadowed by Pataki, Pawlenty, and Palin, but who genuinely and truly deserve a hell of a lot more credit than most.
Please though, remember these four:
1. Susan B. Anthony List. First in and last out, they have been under the radar for months. Before the tea party activists. Before the cavalcade of politicians from Palin to Pawlenty to Perry, there was Susan B. Anthony.
2. Fred Thompson. He made this race his personal crusade. He has helped bring in talent and endorsements, putting his own reputation on the line.
3. Club For Growth. A group that many see as a front for the GOP has given the GOP a solid black eye and elevates fiscal conservatism to the forefront of the fight to save America.
4. Jon Henke. Jon came in to little fanfare or notice and helped rally conservative activists online for Hoffman. Many people did not realize until recently that Jon was even helping Hoffman. But he did. He’s done great work. We don’t always see eye to eye on issues, but make no mistake — a lot of people will be quicker to recognize the above three than Jon, but Jon has played a critical and vital role.
One honorable mention: Dave Keene at ACU. Dave raced into this race almost immediately. . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at redstate.com ...
Putting a Republican in office in New York would be like dropping the bubble boy naked in the HIV ward.
Has Scozzafava endorsed Hoffman’s opponent yet?
A bit of history revision here, Erick. Hoffmann was going nowhere until Palin endorsed him. That created the snowball effect that deep-sixed Dede’s chances. Fact.
I would agree on the good work done by Susan B. Anthony List, Fred Thompson, and Club For Growth.
I don’t really know Jon Henke, but maybe so.
I think credit also is due to Sarah Palin. When she stepped in, it gave it crushing momentum that the RINOs eventually had to bow to. So, yes, the other guys deserve credit, but let’s not use that to diss Sarah, eh?
I’d add Mark Levin. He was great interviewing him.
I thought Fred Thompson and Club for Growth were the first ones to note what was happening. Thanks for posting.
Would credit Pataki for being the run who sunk her completely! His endorsement being so strong put the final nail in her campaign IMHO!
Bingo! They need to get on board or get out of the way!
I think Beck was the first big time talk show endorsement, Rush followed and then Hannity a few days later. Hannity did have Newt on and his show, and for the most part let Newt off the hook.
Kudos to Beck.
So OVERALL, who's gone to bat for conservatives more?
Can you cite any other examples of Fred lending his support early on to a conservative challenger going up against a RINO establishment candidate? I can cite many examples of Huckabee putting his neck on the line to help a conservative beat an anointed RINO candidate.
Did they show ScarFace face planting into the big pile of blow yet?
Count the votes first.
#5. FREE REPUBLIC, (Jim Robinson and his ‘Fightin’ FReepers’!)
Losers:
1. Romney: he made a fork-in-the-road non-decision decision. Conservatives should be clear as to whether he stands with the 72% of Republicans who are conservative.
2. Huckabee - Sure, he came to Upstate New York for a big Conservative Party fundraiser this past week, but he shut out Doug Hoffman from key recognition at the event. Take a look at the fundraiser program - not a single mention of Doug Hoffman, the biggest news to hit the NY Conservative Party ever. Why? Ask Huckabee.
3. Pawlenty. Sure, he jumped on the bandwagon, but he is either clueless or calculating and manipulative, because on the day that Palin announced her principled support, Pawlenty could only utter: “You know I haven’t been following that, I haven’t studied the race at all,” he said. “It’s not that I would or wouldn’t, I just don’t know anything about it. I haven’t taken the time to study their positions, their records, so I haven’t taken a position on it.” He sems to be as plugged into the conservative movement as Arnold. Palwenty then dithered for another 4 days, ala Obama and Afghanistan, on a simple matter. Why did it take him that long to get up to speed? Finger-in-the-air leadership is not Presidential leadership.
On the other hand, like Reagan, Palin makes decisions that are derived from core, conservative principles.
Here’s what happened on the day after her endorsement of Doug Hoffman:
1. There was a surge of fundraising for Hoffman, with some reports indicating as much as $116,000 in a single day.
2. The Washington Post declared her endorsement a “blunder”: “What is she thinking? If Hoffman — somehow — wins with her help, she will have alienated a GOP establishment desperate to reconstruct past majority coalitions that included moderates, both because she will have hurt their cause and because they will fear her influence among true believers.”
RedState/Erick and the others mentioned in this blog post were critical to this incredible outcome. But, Palin’s involvement took an under-the-radar movement and cast a huge light on it.
Palin will have a massive army should she choose to run for President in 2012. Her presence on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter will be an indication of the enormous launching pad she will possess. She will raise campaign funds in amounts no other Republican will be able to match. She will draw crowds that no other Republican candidate will be able to match.
It’s understandable that Obama and his mass media cohorts fear her. But, those Republicans who also trash her will suffer the same fate as those who trashed the Gipper - irrelevancy.
Sorry guys but I have to credit Hoffman for running a solid campaign and earning this support. One also has to credit the Obama administration and the natural resistence of voters to extremism.
Specifically, what aspect of the campaign plan are you referring to that led to this result?
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