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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Politics and principle in upstate New York

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  October 7th, 2009 at 11:24 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

This is your must read of the day.

When we did not endorse the Republican candidate, we caused some hand-wringing among Washington and New York’s Republican political establishments.

I’m proud to defend our endorsed candidate, Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman, and I can do so without having to make any excuses for his positions on key economic growth issues. I would ask the Republican congressional leadership if they can say the same about their preferred candidate, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava.

This race comes against a backdrop of an impressive record by House Republicans this year. They unanimously opposed President Obama’s reckless trillion dollar so-called “stimulus” spending plan. They have been loud and clear in their opposition to Obama’s budget that contained massive tax hikes.

Almost to a member, they oppose Big Labor’s outrageous Card Check power grab. Increasingly, they even oppose extension of the bailouts that many of them voted for last year. That’s a record taxpayers appreciate, and one Republicans in Congress will succeed with in 2010’s elections.

That’s why their embrace of Scozzafava is so hard to swallow, and ultimately hard to square with their professed renewed embrace of limited-government principles.

You can read Doug Hoffman’s own post at RedState here. You can check out his website here.

This is a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. It is the House version of the Marco Rubio race. We should put them both over the top.

Make it happen.

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COMMENTS

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  • redtillimdead

    If Dede Scozzafava is sooo bad to Doug Hoffman, why did he offer to support her after not being chosen the nominee?

  • randy streu

    Not to say it’s not true, what you’re saying, but stuff like that really should come with a link saying so. Once you’ve done that, maybe your question will get answered.

    the short version, I’d imagine, is that if it were simply a choice between her and the Democrat, he’d probably choose her.

    fortunately for us, it isn’t.

  • redtillimdead

    http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090928/BLOGS09/909289984/BLOGS09
    Also, I support Scozzafava. I would prefer not to, but I want to win in 2010. In a 3 way race, it will be very easy for Bill Owens to win. If Dems win NY-23, CA-10, and NJ Gov, it will be painted as though Obama’s agenda is still popular, and will significantly hurt our fundraising and recruitment efforts with only one win. Scozzafava has tanked to the right, and would remain so, because she knows that if she does not, she will be taken down in the 2010 primary. NY-20 wasn’t a loss for us, NY-23 is different. It will be a loss. Thats why I support Scozzafava. Remember: 2010 has a real primary if she does not behave herself, which I think she will. We have a very effective whipping team.

  • Aaron Gardner

    All your link really does is show more evidence that Scozzafava is a Dem Lite candidate.

  • IJB

    Wins in NY-23, CA-10 and NJ Gov would *not* help Obama – all of those are expected D wins, in heavily D areas.

    It’s more that the converse is true – the more of those the Dems lose, the worse it is for them.

    But if they pull those three out (while still getting blown out in VA, hopefully even losing control of the VA Senate chamber), it would not fool anybody besides the Obamabots into thinking Obama’s still “The One”…

  • randy streu

    “Hi Dede, Congratulations and the best of luck in your candidacy. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Doug.”

    That’s not a pledge to support — that’s just a courtesy note. Give me a break. It’s not like he hates her guts — just doesn’t think she’s the right person. The CPNYS picked him up, he agreed to be their candidate. He never, in those two sentences, said, “Hey, I think you’ll do a superior job!”

    So, that deals with that load of crap.

    Also, if all Conservatives back Hoffman, who says he can’t win? Sorry, that argument simply doesn’t wash.

    Also, I’m NOT a fan of selling out my principles just for a ‘W’ in the (R) column. DeDe may call herself a Republican, but she’s not even a Dem Lite (as Aaron kindly labels her above). She’s a Kennedy Democrat in Elephant skin because it plays better up north here.

  • newred

    Was it folks at the NRCC or was it local party officials from the district?

  • randy streu

    in a closed-door session.

  • Spartan4Life

    I find this whole race troubling. It just tells me that the GOP is still in the wilderness. There is a huge conservative political movement roiling out there and they don’t seem to have the slightest idea how to lead it.

    I don’t want just any Republicans to win. I want Conservatives to win. This is the problem the Dems are having right now. They elected a bunch of non-doctrinaire liberals and they want no part of the things they are trying to pass. I don’t think we need to follow that model.

  • The_Gadfly

    I know the NRCC is taking heat for this one, but I’ll give them a pass. Their job is to support whoever the Republican party puts forth as the nominee. We in the grassroots don’t have that restriction.

  • redtillimdead

    It would be a Dem pickup in a district that has not been represented by a D since the 1800s. In NJ, Christie was running way ahead of an unpopular incumbent, and he is now trailing. The MSM would paint it as though Republican’s can’t beat and unpopular incumbent with their best candidate. If they win NY-23 and NJ, the MSM will not talk about the fact that we won VA. And maybe it would not help Obama, but it would certainly help us. Plus, like I said, with Doug Hoffman and any number of Conservatives ready to launch a primary campaign the minute she votes the wrong way…I think she’ll watch it. Plus, if she had been in congress instead of John McHugh, there would have only been 7 cap-and-traitors

  • redtillimdead

    They had no part in the selection process, but I think they would have supported that rich guy (don’t remember his name) who donated half a million before even being picked to his campaign, especially after the RNC said they would not support Scozzafava.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Ras, Quin, USA Today, RCP average all have him ahead. Even kooky KOS puts him out front.

  • randy streu

    so exaclty WHY the hell do we need a democrat posing Republican when we have an ACTUAL Republican to vote for?

  • redtillimdead

    the GOP county chairs are asses who think only a current elected official can win and were afraid of Aubertine, well, as Tedisco v Murphy shows, someone with no experience can beat a well known elected official, but they don’t learn. Also, to the questions above, a suspicious FDU poll (suspicious because Gary Steele recieved 12%) had him leading. While it may be kinda suspicious, all other polls are showing the race tightening, and Daggett is really surging

  • randy streu

    WE have an actual Republican. We CAN vote in this actual Republican (Yes, if we pull together, Hoffman CAN win), and not only get a Conservative to win McHugh’s seat, but also send an important message to the eleven who selected Scozzafava.

    So, again, why are YOU supporting Dede?

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    That would speak volumes to The Eleven.

  • randy streu

    nt

  • redtillimdead

    I’m not too sold on the chances of a third-party winning. Now, if I lived in the district, I would probably fall into the “undecided” column, but after the NRA endorsing her (NRA endorsements carry alot of weight for me) I would lean towards her.

  • redtillimdead

    And that would be one of the stupidest things Pete Sessions ever did. The job of the NRCC is electing Republicans of all shape and size to the House, if they win the primary, the NRCC supports them,

  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    I agree.

    I just got a call from the RNC. The nice lady making the call was a volunteer from Missouri.

    She wanted me to listen to an “urgent message from Michael Steele.” I told her to stop right there. I told her I was a conservative PC in Maricopa County, AZ, McCain’s county, and I didn’t need Michael “sorry-I-haven’t-delivered-the-new-interactive-web-site-I-promised-that-would-enable-PCs-to-communicate-with-one-another-online” Steele to give me any messages until he DELIVERED on what he promised.

    She also had no idea about the RNSC endorsement of Charlie “I-like-ACORN-and-Obama-and-Cap-and-Tax” Christ against Marco Rubio in the FL Senate primary race. I explained to her that my money goes not to the RNC or the RNSC but instead directly to conservative Republican candidates. Like Rubio.

    I asked her if she was a PC. She didn’t even know what a PC was. She also didn’t know that she could become one. But, she said she liked the idea of becoming one (I explained the power) and said she would tell her husband and she thought she and he might become PCs.

    She had no idea that the Party was at half strength in 2008 in terms of elected PCs or that the Party was split down the middle between conservatives and moderates.

    Here’s the link to the effort in New York to get more conservatives to come into the Party: www.primarychallenge.org

    Thank you.

    ColdWarrior

    www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com

  • randy streu

    which she does.

    and besides, didn’t I see you posting in another diary saying you lived in Louisiana or some such?

    Are you one of those folks who goes around defending and endorsing liberal (R) candidates, no matter which state they’re from? Reminiscent of another RS poster who hasn’t been gracing our pages for a few days……. Just sayin’.

    But to get back to it: Hoffman isn’t running that far behind, and NY-23 is a Conservative district. Who cares if you’re not ‘convinced’ he can win? Frankly, I’m convinced he could, if this plays correctly.

    Hint: playing this correctly does specifically NOT including selling out principle to earn a ‘w’ in the (R) column by handwringingly pulling the lever for the Liberal choice. Not when it’s unnecessary and we have a Conservative candidate.

  • redtillimdead

    I support Conservatives in primarys where they can win (i.e. Michael Williams, Marco Rubio, Pat Toomey) and Republican’s in the general. And I do live in LA. Now, if a new, independent poll were to come out, and show Hoffman very close for second place, I could change in a heart beat

  • randy streu

    Hint: playing this correctly does specifically NOT including selling out principle to earn a ?w? in the (R) column by handwringingly pulling the lever for the Liberal choice. Not when it?s unnecessary and we have a Conservative candidate

    why is it that some people will only do the right thing once they’re convinced enough other people will do it too?

    THIS is how Conservatives lose. Nobody wants to be the guy who supports the Conservative against the odds, so the odds get greater and greater.

  • randy streu

    Without their interference, maybe we could have an even better shot at electing the actual Republican.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    His job is to elect the largest majority he can. He needs to pick his battles and not anger his allies.

  • redtillimdead

    Since the RNC isn’t supporting Scozzafava, I wonder if they would support Hoffman? If he could get a major party organization, that would be huge

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Dede Scozzafava is supported by an organization that will help tax cheating pimps who enslave 13-year-old foreign girls for prostitution do you not understand?

  • redtillimdead

    Bill Owens is in this one. Instead of attacking one of our own, why dont we attackk one of “them”

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    We’re backing a Republican who will caucus with Republicans.

    This is how New York electoral politics works in this case.

    There was no primary. Ballot access is weird.

    If you don’t like it, get them to have a primary next time.

  • Martin Knight
  • Achance

    to the RNC, isn’t a Republican at all, and voted for Obama. I’m totally sick of the Party thinking I’m going to just whip out my credit card when some idiot calls me with a tired spiel about how we “Have to stop – insert name of today’s bete noir – and only if I give them $100 will the Sun rise tomorrow.” The obviously think we’re all stupid and I won’t give them a dime or take their calls if I can help it.