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NY-23: Owens Wins In Race That Captured National Spotlight

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NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

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Democrats have captured the 23rd Congressional District in New York.

CNN and Fox News called the race for Democrat Bill Owens, making him the first Democrat to hold the upstate New York seat since the Civil War. With 87 percent of precincts reporting, Owens led conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman by 49-45.

Owens will replace Republican John McHugh, who President Obama named to be his secretary of the Army.

Owens, who enjoyed campaign visits and fundraising from Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, also was boosted when Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava dropped out of the race over the weekend and endorsed him.

Hoffman attracted national Republicans and emboldened the Tea Party movement as a potential sign that more conservative candidates would prevail in 2010.

"Let's win this one for the next generation of Americans!" Hoffman tweeted earlier today.

Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean earlier today said the Hoffman surge proves the "ascendancy of the right wing of Republican party."

Hoffman appeared earlier on Fox:

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83 comments

Recommend Recommend (1)

November 4, 2009 12:20 AM   

Nice use of the past tense "captured." The MSM sure ain't talking about it now.

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November 4, 2009 12:22 AM    in reply to Stroszek

My first reaction exactly.

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November 4, 2009 1:18 AM    in reply to geofu54

Sarah Palin Big Loser in Tonight's Races

>> Virginia:  GOP gov candidate tells Palin to stay away, she does, he wins big.

>> New Jersey:  See Virginia.

>> NY-23:  Palin et al. diss local GOOPer, back NY Conservative Party non-local candidate, Dem wins district for first time since before the invention of water.

Can you say Triple Witching Hour?

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November 4, 2009 12:22 AM   

Ha ha..

This is sweet, even if this is not really important. Dems lost the game, yet they are the ones who got laid tonight,,ha ha

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November 4, 2009 12:33 AM    in reply to kash79

LOL...

I think it is important. It was framed as a definitive demonstration of the power of conservatism, and it failed -- so miserably, in fact, that a Democrat was able to win the seat for the first time since the Civil War!

This race will matter as much as the Democrats make it matter, and I think they should make it REALLY matter.

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November 4, 2009 12:37 AM    in reply to hewhohasnoname

My unimportant I meant on a larger scheme of things (like governing at the center), not on the planet "spinitron."

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November 4, 2009 12:47 AM    in reply to kash79

Oh, okay... Yeah, I agree, although the media will try to spin it that way.

I've already seen articles about the loss of the governorships to moderate (neither ran as hardline conservatives) Republicans being a "warning." This is in spite of the empirical evidence (i.e., exit polls) that pretty much explicitly said (via the approval ratings consistent with '08 win percentages and sound majority declarations on specific questions) that this was not about Obama.

I think the greatest irony (and frustration) that I realized is that pundits love polls, except for when they don't agree with them, and then they dismiss them. For some reason, it's impossible for many (in Washington) to grasp the concept of local elections turning on local issues and candidates.

Unfortunately, they'll probably spew more of their "rebuke of Obama" nonsense in the coming days.

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November 4, 2009 10:36 AM    in reply to kash79

Hi
I dont think they lost the game, they lost a really unpopular governor, and a candidate for governor in a marginal state where
the republican seemed much more sane and focused on the issues.

This NY 23rd race will change the calculus of the right. I only wish there had been more moderate republicans running.

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November 4, 2009 12:25 AM   

I'm loving it. I knew we could pull this one out. Obama won this district. These people in upstate NY, even if they are somewhat conservative by Northeastern standards, are not nuts. Hoffman, however is nuts. And that's why NY state is now almost completely BLUE!

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November 4, 2009 11:40 AM    in reply to El Puerco

My take, for what it's worth, is that Owens won it at least partly because Hoffman did not criticize Limbaugh's "bestiality" comment. Whatever else she may have been in Republican terms, Dede Scozzafava did not deserve that, and when Hoffman let it stand, I'll bet a lot of VALUES voters stayed home.

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November 4, 2009 12:30 AM   

O is breathing a sigh of relief. He can talk mostly about this win and hopefully other Dems will go on tv and push this to death. Though my hopes on that are pretty low.

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November 4, 2009 12:30 AM   

Oooh - didn't realize the election was because Obama picked the previous guy.

I wonder how much of that choice was prep for this possibility, or was it instead 100% luck?

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November 4, 2009 12:33 AM    in reply to sherifffruitfly

I don't think they saw this coming - well at least not Dede being forced out and endorsing Owens. They probably just thought the seat would go to a Repub like it always has. Nothing to lose.

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November 4, 2009 12:34 AM    in reply to sherifffruitfly

Its very much luck, if you consider Republicans blindly "palinizing" themselves, as lucky.

I don't know if its true, but apparently this district had never been democratic in 50 yrs.

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November 4, 2009 1:07 AM    in reply to kash79

Try 150 years. The last Democrats elected to represent Jefferson or Franklin Counties were in 1850 (Franklin elected a Whig in 1852). St. Lawrence County was last in Democratic hands in 1854... but the Representative was re-elected as a Republican.

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November 4, 2009 8:58 AM    in reply to kash79

50 years try more like 200 years- not since the whig party. This is a huge win for the dems are you kidding me, and a huge loss for the crazies.

I wonder what Palin has to say on her facebook page today and how fat limbaugh will spin this one

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November 4, 2009 12:32 AM   

This is the SHOCKER of the night.

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November 4, 2009 12:32 AM   

Dems won two more seats! So much for the Great Teabagging Takeover...

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November 4, 2009 12:32 AM   

Are there ANY Repubs left in the House or Senate from the Northeast now ?????

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November 4, 2009 12:40 AM    in reply to mk3872

Lieberman.

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November 4, 2009 12:41 PM    in reply to AdAbsurdum

LOL

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November 4, 2009 12:32 AM   

And we take CA-10.

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November 4, 2009 12:37 AM    in reply to geofu54

Dems pick up a new seat in the House, and win a competitive House seat with a more progressive candidate, and the MSM is crowing about how losing two Governor's seats to MODERATE Republicans is a "problem" or "warning" to Obama and Democrats.

It would be really nice if they would get out of the bubble for at least an hour or two.

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November 4, 2009 1:09 AM    in reply to hewhohasnoname

Don't hold your breath.

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November 4, 2009 12:37 AM   

Once again, let us all thank Sarah's now predictable kiss of death.

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November 4, 2009 1:13 AM    in reply to AdAbsurdum

I know it's true, but I find that image disturbing.

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November 4, 2009 12:39 AM   

I was ready to accept the Hoffman victory as a battle triumph setting the Repugs up to lose the war, but--

No rebuke to Sarah and Glenn can ever be less than sweet.

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November 4, 2009 12:40 AM   

This is an important victory. It breaks the MSM meme that today's electioins reflect growing anti-Obama sentiment. It's a hard slap in the face to the Palin-Limbaugh faction. It will help maintain the Big Split in the party of no.

Obama's appointment of the incumbent Republican resutlts in a big payoff against long odds. How sweet it is!

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November 4, 2009 8:17 AM    in reply to JoeTheMechanic

It's not an Anti-Obama sentiment. It's an Anti-Incumbent sentiment - anger at incumbents for doing too much talking and not enough doing, especially on economic matters.

That's the lesson Obama need to take from this year's elections. Enough talking about doing great things and giving dazzling speeches. Time to shut up, show some you-know-whats, lead and get things done that will actually help Americans. Take a position on what you want on health care reform (whatever it is) and do what you have to do to make sure it gets done THIS YEAR. Take a position on what you want to do on Afghanistan and IMPLEMENT IT. Take a stand on what you want to do with Cap and Trade AND DO IT.

The bottom line is Obama needs to stop talking and start actually doing. Or he's going to lose these big majorities he has next year.

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November 4, 2009 10:45 AM    in reply to jdb316

The gubernatorial races were not "anti-incumbent" messages. They were anti-crappy-candidate messages. Corzine was an accidental governor who was never popular. Deeds was a lousy conservadem who failed to turn out the Dem base because he was practically a Republican anyway.

The real story of the night is Obama's appointment of the NY-23 incumbent to an administration job and the subsequent flipping of the seat to D after **150 years.**

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November 4, 2009 12:41 AM   

Hoffman's loss in NY-23, giving the D's a seat they haven't held for 100 years and a D win I expected to see nonetheless, fits perfectly into the overall message the voters sent tonight. If you are part of 'The Establishment', like Hoffman and Corzine (never mind Bloomberg's unexpectedly close call), look out. We have the pitchforks and we're not afraid to use them. The barbarians are at the gate...

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November 4, 2009 12:45 AM    in reply to Libertine

Bloomberg owns the entire establishment here in NYC. He almost can buy everything, not the least loyalty of democratic politicians.

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November 4, 2009 12:49 AM    in reply to kash79

And he still almost lost. The fact that it was even that close speaks volumes. There is a palpable anger in the masses towards the establishment...and al long as the rich get richer and we get to eat cake, that anger will only grow.

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November 4, 2009 12:42 AM   

Let's see, the republicans are calling the losses in NJ and VA 'a blow' to Obama.

Isn't this loss in NY-23 quite a "blow" for:
Limbaugh
Beck
Palin
Fox'news'?
i.e., for the entire cavalcade of right wing blowhards?

In many ways, this was the most 'national' of all of the elections held today, and it was made so by the hard right wing support for Hoffman, and it exposes a huge flaw in the republican party, namely, that it is splitting asunder.

Ah, hear it rip!

Really, it was incredibly arrogant of these people to trash the candidate selected by the republican primary system in New York. They basically told the republicans in this district to get lost, that they knew better and they were moving in and taking over. Arrogance like this seldom succeeds in politics. This is why Palin will never be anything but a marginal figure -- she peaked in the first few days after her selection as VP candidate by McCain, and she has been 'cementing her (ever dwindling but always shrill) base' ever since.

I think this is the story of the night. The republicans who won, Christie and McDonnell, basically ran pretty much as moderates.

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November 4, 2009 1:04 AM    in reply to voreason

If you go over to Red State, Scozzafav dropping out was their victory. The possibility of Hoffman winning was just dessert. Palin and the rest are already planning similar efforts for 2010. Christ in Florida is enemy #1.

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November 4, 2009 11:25 AM    in reply to John T.

You know, having experinced all the tele-Christianity I could swallow in S. Florida, I believe you are right when you say, albeit as a Typo, that Christ is Enemy #1! LOL.

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November 4, 2009 11:45 AM    in reply to John T.

Coming up with bumper stickers for the anti-Christ movement will be a little sticky! LOL!

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November 4, 2009 1:48 AM    in reply to voreason

Isn't this loss in NY-23 quite a "blow" for: Limbaugh Beck Palin Fox'news'? i.e., for the entire cavalcade of right wing blowhards?

No.

ACORN stole the NY-23 election for Owens. Somehow. (I think it was the bottle. And I heard they were also working for Garamendi in CA-10.)

You heard it here first. You'll hear it on Limbaugh and Beck tomorrow.

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November 4, 2009 9:33 AM    in reply to gharlane

That's all you got. You lose and then call fraud?

Nice try.

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November 4, 2009 1:46 PM    in reply to DownriverDem

I think your snark detector was switched off when you read that post.

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November 4, 2009 5:49 PM    in reply to junkmailqueen

Thanks, junkmail.... Downriver, do please recalibrate your snark-o-meter (hint: the thing about the bottle should have been a clue).

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November 4, 2009 12:44 PM    in reply to voreason

Slight correction. She wasn't chosen in a primary, she was selected by the local Gooper establishment. That was one of the teabaggers talking points.

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November 4, 2009 12:46 AM   

Dems need to use this in all future elections to tell the voters that the RINOs that the conservatives want to push out are the voters, not just their elected members of congress like Scozzafava. It's not even up to Palin and Limbaugh to tell the voters whether they are RINO or not. They have every right to be.

This could be a gift that gives on giving if dems can simply paint the opposition as Palin/Limbaugh Republicans.

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November 4, 2009 12:48 AM   

What if they decide to run non moderates but nonpolarizing candidates like they did in Virginia? Or was that state just more receptive of such issues?

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November 4, 2009 1:13 AM    in reply to JD27

What if they decide to run non moderates but nonpolarizing candidates like they did in Virginia?

I think Bush in 2000 (general election) was like that, running under the banner of "compassionate conservatism." That was marketing-wise how they tried to sell Bush candidacy back then, no matter how dirty things they did behind the scene, no matter how extremist the bunch actually were. We should be vigilant, I think -- people aren't paying so much attention to what's going on as we are here, and they are forgetful too.

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November 4, 2009 2:57 AM    in reply to geofu54

Everyone wanted to have a beer with junior in 2000. Sure didn't understand that one! Why would anyone want to drink beer with such an anti-intellectual ninny?

Many did. Really has changed how I look at the American electorate. I used to think that they sometimes got thinks wrong, but were guided by a fundamental wisdom. I'll never think that way again.

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slb

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November 4, 2009 1:56 AM    in reply to JD27

I would like to think that McConnell is truly a "moderate," but that's not the way I expect it to play out. I would be happy to be surprised about that.

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November 4, 2009 12:46 PM    in reply to slb

I think you're right. It is more correct to say they RAN as moderates. Both are actually quite conservative.

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November 4, 2009 8:47 AM    in reply to JD27

No that (s)he's in office the mask of "nonpolarization" will be removed.
E.G. GW Bushite

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Joe

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November 4, 2009 12:49 AM   

Well, I see the Silly Party has lost another seat in the House! And you can see the Corporate Controlled Conservative Press in full spin mode for the VERY SILLY challenger.

What will now happen is that a lot of Sitting Silly Party members will get primaried by Very Silly Challengers! And the Silly Party may lose even more seats!

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November 4, 2009 12:59 AM    in reply to Joe

Hoffman attracted national Republicans and emboldened the Tea Party movement as a potential sign that more conservative candidates would prevail in 2010.

Oh, yes. The Silly Party will look upon this as a great victory indeed. Onward to 2010!!!

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November 4, 2009 12:49 AM   

Two things:
1. If politicians are supposed to inspire you, this guy (Hoffman) lacks whatever gene is responsible for instilling inspiration into others.
2. I don't like what I've thus far read about Owens. I think he is going to end up joining the dog pound.

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November 4, 2009 1:26 AM    in reply to Beagle

Beagle: Yep. Owen will be moderate/conservative Democrat.

I hope over the next few years, that the locus of political debate will shift to the left. It's being going so far right for so long that even stopping the momentum of the right wing should is a great achievement.

It is imperative that the Democrats maintain their majority. This will entail an open door policy for conservative Dems and even moderate Republicans. (Yes, it's hard to stomach, but this is the political reality.)

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November 4, 2009 9:04 AM    in reply to JoeTheMechanic

If he does turn out to be conservative, it is understandable being from such a conservative area. Maybe we can get a better dem in there next time. Lawrence O'Donnell touched on this issue last night on Rachel's show

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November 4, 2009 4:27 AM    in reply to Beagle

Perhaps he reflects the constituency. Baby steps. Biggest story of election day. It is not good for the tea-baggers and may finally sink Palin.

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November 4, 2009 10:05 AM    in reply to Beagle

..On Tuesday night, Mr. Owens pledged to start his job in Washington with working on the economy, providing good-paying jobs, investing in clean energy, protecting dairy farmers, fighting for health care reform and ensuring the strength of Fort Drum..."

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November 4, 2009 11:35 AM    in reply to o224hsday

That is the most important thing about Upstate NY that the Goon Squad did not realize. People in the Northeast THINK! Even the Conservatives THINK! They are an educated lot and they still value intelligence. The voters could see that Hoffman was there to promote an ideology and not the interests of Upstate NY. If he knew the slightest thing about their needs, he had a chance, but his arrogant dismissal of the people's real needs sealed his fate. Upstate goes to church on Sundays and they work the rest of the week in the real world. It ain't all swarmy Jezuz Juice 24/7. They know science is why we are #1, not blind faith and evolution is why we are who we are today, not Creation. The Bible is NOT a literal, infallible book to most of them.

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November 4, 2009 12:51 AM   

Those of us in the district are breathing a big sigh of relief. Now we don't have to live with the shame of electing the next craziest person from Michelle Bachmann.

I can't wait for all the "It doesn't really matter" from the repub talking heads tomorrow.

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November 4, 2009 1:01 AM    in reply to brigid31

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November 4, 2009 1:58 AM    in reply to JD27

Quoting Erickson so you can read it here and not give redstate.com any undeserved traffic:

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.

"A Hoffman win is not in the cards, but we did exactly what we set out to do — crush the establishment backed GOP candidate."

Wow. In a district that hasn't gone to a D since the Civil War, a win for the "conservative" candidate wasn't in the cards? Really, Mr. Erickson? And this shows the power of your movement?

Conservatives are going to have to work from within the GOP. The GOP had better pay attention.

Oh, yes, GOP, please do. I really, really hope you pay close attention.

I just can't decide whether it should be Palin/Hoffman '12, Bachmann/Hoffman '12, or....

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November 4, 2009 2:09 AM    in reply to gharlane

I just can't decide whether it should be Palin/Hoffman '12, Bachmann/Hoffman '12, or....

Yeah, there are so many nuts to choose from...

Thanks for the quote. I usually don't bother to go to RedState to read nonsense, but that quote was some "good" read.

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November 4, 2009 6:36 AM    in reply to gharlane

Were we to combine Scozzafava and Hoffman’s votes, Hoffman would have won.

and if we were to combine nader's and gore's votes, we wouldn't be trying to swim out of the middle of a cesspool right now.

if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, oh what a christmas we'd have.

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November 4, 2009 9:25 AM    in reply to gharlane

Excellent! Let them be utterly convinced that the complete take over of the Republican Party is the road back to national dominance.

In the past I have always rejected the notion that it is best if the "other party" runs the worst possible candidate, believing it will assure a victory for "your party". The reason being that sometimes that "other party" wins anyway leaving you with a disaster of governance.

But the Republicans have swung so far to the crazy radical right that no candidate with even passing contact with reality is forthcoming.

I feel the Grover Norquist rising in me... it seems essential and inevitable for the Republican Party to shrink a size that can be drowned in a bathtub. Only complete marginalization over many years will restore sense and authority (eventually) to genuine conservatives, not necessarily under the rubric of the Republican Party.

It would be a sad ending for the Party of Lincoln, but it is hard to visualize how control over the party could be wrested from the wingnutters. Forming a new national conservative party may be the only way back from the wilderness.

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November 4, 2009 11:41 AM    in reply to CareyInLA

Real Conservatism may come back, and I actually hope it does, a conservative that knows how to listen and compromise to suit most Americans. But I think it will become evident that it cannot revive within the GOP. They let the loonies in and now they own the place. Upstate NY-23 is the evidence that if the Loonies cannot have it their way, they will destroy it. They pretty much just said that and it could not be more clear.

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November 4, 2009 1:05 AM   

The conservative blow-hards (you know who I'm talking about!) being who they are will only see NY-23 as a "near-miss" and good for them! There is no better reaction from the far right, as far as Dems are concerned, than them thinking the only thing wrong with their strategy was that they didn't push hard enough, early enough or loud enough. How many other 53% Republican districts can Democrats win in 2010 because of hard right candidates on the ballot? Let's go for at least 25 more!

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November 4, 2009 1:24 AM    in reply to PeninsulaMatt

They can stry to spin it any way they want but losing a seat they held for 100 years is a near miss? A better description of it would be, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It was a train wreck for the R's...thanks to Beck, Limbaugh, Palin et al. That might even be more significant then the R's taking 2 governorships that have they held repeatedly, and recently, in the past. NY-23 is the text book definition of a safe seat, in its case one from the R column.

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November 4, 2009 2:12 AM    in reply to Libertine

You know that, and I know that, but, thank God, they don't know that.

The further the blowhards sink into the delusion that their brand of political conservatism can actually bring them back to power, the more seats Dems pick up.

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November 4, 2009 1:23 AM   

OMG THANK YOU SARAH PALIN. Man I could kiss this woman. PLEASE PLEASE GOP go further to the right

Palin/Foxx 2012!!!!

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November 4, 2009 2:14 AM   

I wonder if Obama has ever considered the possibility that if he were more decisive he could actually INCREASE Dem seats in Congress in 2010?

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November 4, 2009 6:46 AM    in reply to PeninsulaMatt

I wish the Dems would realize this - that if they were decisive and actually got something done with their majority - a big enough stimulus package to improve the economy, real health care reform - they would do better, not worse. Alas . . . nothing but wishful thinking I fear.

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November 4, 2009 3:08 AM   

So this is amazing.

Obama took the guy out of this safe Republican seat, one they have held for 150 years, and made him Secretary of Army. Republicans on track to *SO* easily retain the safe seat! Dems, not believing they had much chance, did not field by any means their best candidate. But not content with keeping the seat, in come horse's ass Fred Thompson and Palin and the whole crew and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Then pat themselves on the backs and claim a swell victory.

Just astonishing.

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November 4, 2009 3:43 AM   

Michael Steele was getting ready to do a major war dance today to celebrate the monster trifecta.

Now he's got losses from a bad campaigner and an unpopular governor to crow about, on top of "celebrating" how his party was successfully sabotaged by it's most dangerous elements in New York.

Democrats won two, they won two. But Dems won in a Republican district.

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November 4, 2009 4:20 AM   

I fear Bill Owens will go straight to the Blue Dogs, unfortunately.

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November 4, 2009 5:45 AM    in reply to SqueakyRat

Maybe. But, that is infinitely better than Hoffman going to the House Republican caucus.

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November 4, 2009 8:59 AM    in reply to SqueakyRat

Already on the downer. Give it a break. Appreciate the win and let's worry about the blue dogs later.

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November 4, 2009 6:02 AM   

Sarah Palin and the Club for "Growth" strike again.

Hopefully, both will support Rubio and take out Crist in the Republican Primary down in Florida. If that happens, the Dems should have a good shot to pick up that Senate seat next year.

On the flip side, and I'm sure this is the unpopular analysis, Progressives should take a lesson from NY-23 and what's going on in the Republican "Civil War".

We need to be VERY careful when we talk about primary challenges or three way races against incumbent Blue Dogs. If we go all in and fund a Progressive against a Blue Dog, we need to make damn sure the Progressive has a legitimate shot at winning.

Otherwise, we'll suffer the same fate as the Republicans did in NY-23. Or the disaster for them that shaping up down in Florida.

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November 4, 2009 9:06 AM   

I could not agree more willa45. It pains me to listen to some progressives threatening anarchy in 2010. They will shoot themselves and the rest of us in the foot if they do.

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November 4, 2009 10:26 AM    in reply to lousgirl84

I share the same concern. Not that I cannot see some of their frustrations (say, for example, I wanted to see a bigger stimulus package), but it's painful to see their persistent "all or nothing" attitude -- I mean, things are much more complicated in reality. And quite frankly, I just cannot understand their unproductive, or even harmful, threat -- what did they learn from the election 2000?

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November 4, 2009 10:37 AM    in reply to geofu54

I'm with you...


However, rather than let the feelings fester, I'd rather the progressives vent here, with like minded folks who can agree with their frustrations and yet talk them down a little.

I also think a bit of gripeing is healthy and somewhat neccesary to avoiid complacency. It's fine to keep pushing congress and the president on the pertinent issues regardless of their party.

That, said when 2010/12 rolls around we shouldn't splinter into small unelectable groups as the repubs did in NY-23

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November 4, 2009 9:38 AM   

"Otherwise, we'll suffer the same fate as the Republicans did in NY-23. Or the disaster for them that shaping up down in Florida."

Heh, well good to see that somebody has a head on their shoulders. Indeed that is the case. Representatives are elected to represent their districts not out of state idealouges. If you can't get them to come along its your message that needs work.

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November 4, 2009 12:33 PM   

Steele can try to spin the gubernatorial pickups as a national trend to Republicans all he wants, but NY-23 proves that all politics are local.

Of any races that I think show a national trend is the New York Mayor's race where Bloomberg almost lost. The exit polls show that Democrats did not cross over to Bloomberg like they did in past elections and he has done a terrific job as mayor, so the logical conclusion is that his Republican affiliation and policies that favor the wealthy are enough to nearly unseat a VERY popular mayor.

I personally was going to vote for Bloomberg, but I could not pull the lever because he has not created jobs in New York for black men - the statistics are criminal. I did not vote for Thompson because I think he's an incompetent Democratic machine politician who is bought and sold and has been mediocre to poor in every public position he has held. I voted for the Rev. Billy because his platform, even though he's a humorous candidate, was actually the best for New Yorkers.

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November 4, 2009 1:01 PM   

I wonder why we haven't heard from Sarah yet on her efforts in NY-23 ? Nothing on her facebook page?

Amazing to watch the MSM who couldn't stop talking about NY-23 before the election, to now treat it like it is a side story compared to NJ and VA. Fucking amazing. Hardly a mention.

The sad thing is that a lot of people get their information from these same bozos and then they ask questions like why are the voters so disenchanted. Maybe if the MSM reported the truth instead of b/s and trying to boost ratings, the public would be better informed. I can't watch them for 10 minutes without wanting to purge.

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November 4, 2009 2:25 PM   

This is great. We need to thank the Democratic strategist who started the "tea party" movement! The President's support in the House just increased by one vote. Thanks Sarah! Thanks Glenn! Thanks Rush! These people have ZERO common sense!

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