Reaction to the New York 23rd bombshell–gingrich tweets for hoffman
Oct 31st, 2009 by David Anderson
Michael Steele and Newt Gingrich heeded calls to quickly edorse Doug Hoffman.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, has issued a statement regarding Ms. Scozzafava’s announcement.
“Dede Scozzafava’s has worked extremely hard to achieve the goal of becoming the next Congressman from New York’s 23rd District. It takes courage and strength to step back and make the best choice for her party, and for the voters of the 23rd District. Time for the GOP to step up.”
“This must have been an incredibly difficult decision for Assemblywoman Scozzafava. She did not get into the race to lose. Dede Scozzafava’s courage and strength allowed her to make the choice to let the strongest candidate in her party move forward, and to serve the voters of the 23rd District.
“On behalf of conservative voters, activists, and volunteers across the district, I call on the national GOP to finally throw its full support and resources behind Doug Hoffman for Congress. A Hoffman victory is within sight.
Conservative Columnist Michelle Malkin took a different, less gracious approach. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out”, she wrote. Republican elite can you hear Conservatives now, she continued and concluded with “Thank you Sarah Palin.”
“Scozzafava dropping out leaves hoffman as only anti-tax anti-pelosi vote in ny 23 Every voter opposed to tax increases support doug hoffman,” Gingrich wrote on Twitter.
RNC Chairman Michael Steele said, the RNC will immediately begin get out the vote efforts for Doug Hoffman.
“This selfless act of releasing her supporters provides voters with the opportunity to unite around a candidate who shares Republican principles and will serve the interests of his constituents in Congress by standing in opposition to the liberal policies of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi,” Steele said in a statement released by the Republican National Committee.
“Effective immediately, the RNC will endorse and support the conservative candidate in the race, Doug Hoffman. Doug’s campaign will receive the financial backing of the RNC, and get-out-the-vote efforts to defeat Bill Owens on Tuesday,” he said.
Interesting background to this sudden announcement is that GOP leaders announced yesterday that Hoffman would be welcomed in their ranks in a story which would get play today.
The blog that called for this outcome on October 20th has this interesting analysis. Conservatism plays better than Republicanism in the polls. Could this be a new weapon in some areas?
From past writings, you can guess my position. It is good. I wish it happened earlier.
Updates will be beyond the fold
Richard Viguerie has weighed in calling it a victory for tea partiers.
The UAW has changed from Dede Scozzafava to Owens the Democrat. The teachers union is expected to follow.
Hoffman told the AP, “I think her statement clearly implies that the important thing from this point on is that all of us Republicans combine forces to make sure that we get a congressman that will represent the values and the ideals of the 23rd District, and I believe I am that person.”
Governor Mike Huckabee weighed in, We commend Dede Scozzafava for stepping aside and in light of her very unselfish announcement, we join the RNC and other Republicans in urging support for Doug Hoffman.
Conservative Party Chairman said, Now the race for the 23rd congressional district truly becomes a two way race between a Nancy Pelosi democrat and a principled Conservative Republican. We cannot take victory for granted under any circumstance. Pelosi and comrades are poised to spend a fortune to win this seat. They are even airlifting in Joe Biden on Monday. We must continue to fight as if life as we know it depends on it, because it does!
“He is the only active candidate in the race who supports lower taxes, fiscal responsibility and opposes Nancy Pelosi’s agenda of government-run health care, more government and less jobs. We look forward to welcoming Doug Hoffman into the House Republican Conference as we work together for the good of our nation,” House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Minority Whip Eric Cantor and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions said in a joint statement
BTW our post on this ranks 3rd in Bing ahead of Houghington Post. Thanks guys. Keep reading.
This is good for NY, and for the conservative movement. Finally a contrast between liberal and conservative. Not liberal, and liberal-lite.
I wonder if this will have national implications.
I sort of wish that she stayed in but the GOP stopped funding her. It would have been an easy Hoffman victory. This race will be all over the map now. I predict Hoffman by 2.
I disagree with Michelle Malkin on this one. And I agree with Michael Steele. This was a gracious move by Scozzafava. In this instance the moderate bowed out to keep a Congressional seat.
This does indeed send a message about Republicans supporting undemocratic, socialist measures such as the Union thug intimidation bill so called “card check” and the consumer energy tax increases such as cap and tax.
In this move the liberal Democrat Owens is done and it is time to focus on the other races.
On this one, we disagree. The Dede vote will not automatically go for a conservative. It has to be fought for harder now than before. I have looked at some private polling internals on this race. 54% of the Dede voters do not like Doug Hoffman. Fortunately most do not like Owens either. It is a new campaign.
I am with you on Malkin and Steele.
The fascinating and dangerous precedent her is this: the outcome of this race was decided by people outside the state of New York. The national conservative movement pushed Scozzafava from the race with the influx of CFG money and prominent endorsements. It was a mistake to nominate someone who was to the left of McHugh for this campaign, especially on so many issues, but the the intense pressure from outside the district on the outcome of the race is unprecedented.
Hoffman became a blank slate on which any self-styled conservative could paint what they wished, even though his bona fides were questionable, he lives outside the district and has admitted his lack of command of local issues. But he was a means to an end for potential presidential candidates, members of Congress being challenged on their right, the Club, righty bloggers and more.
So more fascinating than the fact that the Republican candidate was a waste of a ballot line, and more fascinating than the fact that the conservative alternative leaves a lot to be desired, is the fact that the race was decided far from the northern region of New York. How that happened will have far-reaching consequences for 2010.
It also leaves open the possibility that the most conservative option will win each of next week’s major elections. That outcome, hinging on Christie winning in New Jersey, will mean that an off-year election will strike fear in both Democrats (because of VA & NJ) and Republicans (because of NY23). Don’t know if that’s ever happened.
It figures that Steele would be the last to recognize the obvious. He needs to disappear, along with the McCain, Graham, and Hatch acolytes. The ‘moderate, aisle-crossing’ wing of usurpers are nothing but losers. They need to get out of the way.
Creation out of destruction…
The NRCC has yet to endorse. Steele was ready to go. It is not the place of the National Republican Committee to go around endorsing third party candidates and repudiate the local committees. He really should have said nothing except that is a local decision especially after he said that he liked Hoffman better, but needed to support Dede the commie (my words). That doesn’t change the fact that the RNC is not a dictatorship. It is suppose to support local parties not dictate to them.
Steele has a different role than people like McCain or Bachman, they are hired to forge their own path. His role is to transform the GOP. He is doing that.
The other odd thing about the NY23 situation is that nearly all of the reaction from the extreme right is “Hallelujah! Don’t let the door hit you!” Practically nowhere do you find anyone saying, “We have to finish this off and make sure Hoffman wins.”
If Hoffman fails to win the election, the narrative changes drastically.
I have not really been following this, but just on technical terms, can an Independent really win the conservative vote considering there is still Republican on the ballot?
Whatever vote Hoffman was going to get in the 3-way race, I think he will get even less in the 2 way race. Why would moderates or independents vote for a far-right idealogue, unless they were going to vote Republican anyway?
Wow, that is convoluted. The answer is that he is change. He is pulling as many independents as Republicans. You don’t understand that Conservative thought is mainstream.
As for the Republican still on the ballot, that will pull votes especially the ones already cast. The conservative party of new york is the third ballot line and has a history of electing people. It has the bourouh President of Stanton Island and a host of local officials. In the past it has elected a U. S. Senator and elected some Congressmen. Hoffman may be the latest.
It may help the conservative that she is still on the ballot because the hardcore Dede voter will have a place to go. Independents want to shake up the system. 45% may well put him in.
Scozzafava has endorsed Owens.
I have never underestimated the power of upstate New York to send wingnuts to Washington ever since their support sent Al D’Amato from Long Island to the US Senate.