After ending her campaign for Congress in the special election in New York's 23rd district on Saturday, Republican State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava announced today that she was recommending that her supporters transfer their votes to Democratic Party Candidate Bill Owens.
This came as a surprise to many Republicans who read her withdrawal statement on Saturday in which she expressed continued loyalty to the Republican party as an implied endorsement of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman who has attracted strong nationwide Republican support.
In response to the announcement Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan commented:
“This afternoon Dede Scozzafava betrayed the GOP. She endorsed a Pelosi Democrat who will spend more, tax more, and push the liberal agenda that is dragging down this nation.”Other critics immediately took issue with the focus of Scozzafava's endorsement, which seems to praise Owens primarily for his ability to direct government spending to the district, exactly the kind of political self-interest which many Republicans have come to oppose vehemently.
A poll (PDF) conducted Saturday suggests that about two thirds of Scozzafava's supporters self-identify as Republicans and were only supporting her because she was the official GOP candidate. They are likely to switch their votes to Hoffman despite Scozzafava's endorsement of Owens. That could be reflected as a 3% or higher margin of victory for Hoffman on Tuesday.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Ruvy
Vengeance is a dish best served up cold. If Scozzafava manages to spoil Hoffman's attempt to get into the US Congress, it will be interpreted as a slap at Sarah Palin, and you can bet that all the Obama lapdogs (commonly called the mass media) will be hooting and hollering.
If Hoffman wins, the Obama lapdogs will be analysing of the "threat that Sarah Palin poses to the Republic".
Watch what happens Wednesday morning.
2 - Dave Nalle
Probably true, Ruvy. But I really don't see why Palin is viewed as such a threat.
Dave
3 - Baronius
Palin's not the only prominent figure who's endorsed Hoffman. But no matter who wins, Newt and "establishment Republicans" in general (whoever they are) look foolish for defending someone out of party loyalty who turns around and endorses the Democrat.
4 - Ruvy
But I really don't see why Palin is viewed as such a threat.
Even if Sarah Palin has managed to make herself part of the establishment, or like Jesse Ventura, she is just a small town mayor who runs away from challenges, or she is indeed an independent figure who is really a new thing on the horizon, she does not appear to be a sellout. She is not viewed as part of the soft flabby elite that can be maneuvered around by talking heads and bullshit. She seeks her own path, pursues her own way and creates her own opportunities. The person who is advising her must have read something of Napoleon's life. Some of her tactics appear Napoleonic - albeit not applied to a physical battlefield.
She is campaigning for president now - on Facebook. She is building her constituency outside of and without reference to the established media and methods of contituency building.
So long as nobody shuts down her Facebook page she has got an excellent tool. If someone does shut down her Facebook page, she has a story - she can scream censorship, and at least Fox News will cover that story.
Are you getting the picture?
5 - Baronius
I'm not getting the picture at all, Ruvy. The WH has nothing to gain from elevating Palin to the status of Enemy. This is one Congressional seat in a Republican-dominated district, and the President hasn't expended any capital on it. There's a big lesson for Republicans in this race, but nothing for Democrats.
6 - Baritone
Palin is a cypher.
The odd thing about Hoffman is that he can't even vote for himself, as he doesn't live in the district in which he is running. How does that work, BTW?
He's not even knowledgeable regarding issues pertinent to the district. His rabid support has virtually nothing to do with local politics and everything to do with the arch conservatives flexing their muscles. Do the trains run on time in upstate NY? Probaly not.
B
7 - Earl
Ruvy -
Not a chance in Hell.
Palin isn't a threat, nor does she even want to be. She has no intention of running for president...her actions so far, from her resignation as governor to her charging $100,000 to speak in Iowa, have done so much to undermine any viable candidacy that I have to assume she doesn't really want it. (Or she's just dumb as a bag of hammers, which I certainly wouldn't rule out.)
8 - Earl
Though I do give you credit for quoting Star Trek, Ruvy.
9 - Baritone
Ruvy,
If Palin is your idea of a viable presidential candidate, all of your opinions of other American Politicos are equally ludicrous.
B
10 - Ruvy
If Palin is your idea of a viable presidential candidate, all of your opinions of other American Politicos are equally ludicrous.
Until the September meltdown in 2008, the presidential race was really between Palin and Obama. If that stupid prick Obama is your idea of a president, all the more the pity on you.
I and others in the Israeli national camp have gotten something of value out of the bastard - he has proven, and continues to prove daily, that he is leading America to be anti-Israel, and that the American government is no friend of Israel. But you poor Americans will suffer humiliation under this fool with a sophomoric mind.
You really have my pity, Baritone. For all of our differences in opinion, I like you and only want to see good come your way. You are too old to start again, and when your dollar turns to toilet paper, it is going to be hard, very hard, for you.
11 - Ruvy
This is one Congressional seat in a Republican-dominated district, and the President hasn't expended any capital on it. There's a big lesson for Republicans in this race, but nothing for Democrats.
I agree with you on most of what you say above, but liberal bloggers and commentators - attack dogs who stand as the agents of The One - have already made Palin the Enemy - even though by all conventional measures, she should be a mere cipher. If you had been reading my comment carefully, you would realize that I do not support Palin, but I do recognize what she is trying to do - change the rules of the game and attack on a field where she enjoys the advantage, not the fading media sycophants of the Fascist-in-Chief in the White House.
And yes, this by-election is going to be a hard lesson for the Republicans - this Hoffman fellow does not appear to be the sharpest tool in the shed - but it was a choice between him and a RINO who showed her true colors.
Maybe, in 2010 (if there are actually free elections), the GOP in the NY 23rd can find someone brighter than this Hoffman fellow who can really attract votes and attack the Fascist-in-Chief. And by then, unless Obama has managed to muzzle the press (he is going after the big noise, FOX and having some success, he is going after the internet, and may have success there too), 2010 will be a referendum on Obama and the hyper-inflation that he is bringing you.
But in the end, this is not my problem. I have other issues to deal with. I have other things that are of greater concern to me.
12 - RJ
The national GOP is clearly being run by buffoons. They dropped nearly a million dollars into supporting the leftist RINO Scuzzlebutt, only to be betrayed a few days before the election. Awesome judgment, amiright?
I sincerely hope Hoffman wins, and wins big.
Can conservatives pick up 40+ seats in 2010? Yes, we can!
13 - RJ
#1:
Excellent analysis, Ruvy. I concur with your prediction.
14 - RJ
"He's not even knowledgeable regarding issues pertinent to the district. His rabid [lol] support has virtually nothing to do with local politics and everything to do with the arch conservatives flexing their muscles. Do the trains run on time in upstate NY? Probaly [sic] not."
The election is for a seat in the House of Representatives. Congressmen vote on national issues, not local issues. Local issues are for state and local governments to deal with.
Pretty much the only reason a Congressman would focus on local issues is in order to distribute pork in an effort to buy support and votes with other people's money - which is probably not something a principled conservative like Mr. Hoffman is particularly interested in.
15 - RJ
"to her charging $100,000 to speak in Iowa"
Oh, you mean you actually believed that piece in Politico?
Yeah, they were pretty much just making stuff up
Even leftist rag Newsweek busted Politico over this.
Wake up. The MSM is lying to you daily.
16 - Earl
Politico is the MSM? Please.
But the point stands. Palin is not a viable candidate now or four years from now.
17 - Baronius
Good candidate, no. Viable candidate, yes. She's got name recognition, high fundraising potential, and immunity to any media criticism.
18 - zingzing
rj: "...other people's money - which is probably not something a principled conservative like Mr. Hoffman is particularly interested in."
ha! oh my. i roll around on floor, make big mess so you see my laughter in your eyes.
19 - zingzing
ruvy: "Until the September meltdown in 2008, the presidential race was really between Palin and Obama. If that stupid prick Obama is your idea of a president, all the more the pity on you."
well, what is obama? he's the president, whether you like it (him) (black people) or not. and you think he's stupid? he could probably tear you apart.
and the only reason why palin was even picked is because she's likable in a maple syrup kind of way. you get a little, it's pleasant, too much and it's fucking gross. america got way too much, but some of those conservatives out there have no taste and couldn't tell they were being buttered up. the same kind of people drink bud, eat fast food every night and shoot guns.
20 - zingzing
and ruvy, i'm beginning to think that after so many years of suckling off america's teet, israel is just having daddy issues now that we've pulled back a bit in our support. we've always been more than a friend to you. we are your shield, your armory, your bank. but you abuse the power we afford you. we continue to support you, but we will lessen that support further should you continue to act like teenage bullies. people are getting sick of it. if we were to completely shut off support and declare you on your own, you would not survive. and that is your problem, not ours.
21 - Ruvy
what is obama? he's the president, whether you like it (him) (black people) or not. and you think he's stupid?
zing,
Let's talk about all those "liberal" Jewish "czars" that this dumb prick Obama is appointing. Unfortunately, as dumb as he is, they, "court Jews" of the worst kind, are even dumber. It works this way, zing.
The "court Jew" serves his non-Jewish master and gets put in an important position - like a china doll in a closet, for all to see. The fellow who puts him there, hides behind the closet. The court Jew thinks he is important, well paid, and doesn't care if he betrays fellow Jews. Other things are more important to him. Ambition, status, fame, money, whatever.
Things go bad, and the folks affected by the bad things - the common people - throw rocks at the china closet, damaging the dolls in the china closet (Jews) - but the fellow who puts them there, in this case Obama, gets off scot-free. This is a tactic of the White Protestant ruling class in the States, and everyone forgets how much of a white man Obama really is. He is using these techniques because when things go bad, he will finger the Jews - particularly the ones around him, and have them sent off to detention camps. So all of his liberal Jewish "czars" who think they are in charge of the country will get thrown under the bus - along with thousands of other well-off Jews who will be stolen from and also sent to detention camps. My American co-religionists refuse to see this. But from the mountains of Samaria, it is all pretty clear to me.
It's not important to me if you believe this will happen. It will, as sure as the sun will rise in the east.
22 - Silas Kain
Religion. It's a problem. And the fact that religion is such a major force within our political discourse is the greatest example of how we have much more in common with the Muslim world than we do with secular democratic societies. Add to the mix a genetically modified version of conservatism and what we're doing in Iraq and Afghanistan borders on being included as the definition of terrorism.
People from Europe, Australia and even Indonesia see the United States as being quite foolish when it comes to this whole "one nation under God" bovine feces. But money and its accompanying power seduces even those in the rest of democracies. Europeans (Australians included) hate all these war chants. They live more in fear of terror's aftermath than we because they realize that their "free" societies are such that they are more vulnerable. I think I'm correct in believing that even Israelis cherish their democracy far better than we. Should the rest of democracy change their paradigm to reflect ours? Absolutely not. We remain the new kids on the block with much left to learn. We are heading into our political puberty and the prevailing hormones will dictate our adulthood.
23 - Baronius
Alternate definition of a "court Jew": a Jew who Ruvy doesn't agree with
24 - zingzing
"He is using these techniques because when things go bad, he will finger the Jews - particularly the ones around him, and have them sent off to detention camps. ...from the mountains of Samaria, it is all pretty clear to me."
ha. paranoia is awesome to behold.
"As for comment #20, you're babbling on like a fool."
oh yeah? if you're right, our nigerian overlords will round up all the jews and put them into concentration camps and destroy them. yep. you're no fool. clear as day. if i'm right, you need the west to protect you and give you weapons. and i'm the fool...
you're a tiny little nation that sticks out like a sore thumb in the middle of a bunch of scissors that don't like thumbs. if you want to go it alone, you have a deathwish. (not that i'm discounting that little theory.)
25 - Silas Kain
I have to say that Ruvy's assessment of "court" Jews is spot on. But there are other courts as well. There's the court Catholics like Ted Kennedy and Mario Cuomo. There are the court Evangelists like Swaggert and Bakker. Oh, and my personal favorites, the court Muslims like the House of Saud and the Hashemite royals of Jordan.
Israel, like the United States, and the majority of the Muslim world have more in common than not when it comes to the passion for ideology. A caring democratic secular society should be the goal that we strive to obtain. And those who are on the far right, especially Christians, would see that such a model is more akin to the teachings of Christ.