Doug Hoffman conservative for congress NY District 23
October 26, 2009In nine days Doug Hoffman will be in the only congressional race to happen this year. He is a conservative in a three way election against a liberal Democrat and a Liberal Republican. Recently Sarah Palin among others have endorsed him. It is a large district and he needs cash to run ads in the final days before the vote. To my mind this is a golden opportunity to show the king makers a conservative can be a winner as opposed to liberal lite. Anyone who feels this way I encourage to go to doughoffmanforcongress.com and kick in a few bucks. We need good candidates and he looks like he fits the bill.
Thom Simmons
Oct 26, 2009
It’s true: Dede Scozafava, the Republican candidate, doesn’t toe the Right-Wing line on a number of issues. Staunchly pro-2nd amendment, she is also pro-abortion rights (consistent with the Supreme Court) and pro-Marriage Equality. My God, she almost sounds Golderwateresque!
But wait, there’s more: her husband is a union organizer, and she has very tight ties with union leaders. Her district contains a significantly higher proportion of union workers than most districts in the US, and so yes, she tends to side with labor on a number of issues. Hmmm…sounds rather Jack Kempesque, too….whcih isn’t surprising, considering that her district is the remotest, most economically hardest-hit district in New York.
Sarah Palin has opened her mouth in endorsing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, and Minnesota’s Gov. Pawlenty is leaning in that direction. One has to wonder what they know about the 23rd District, if anything at all, and why they are sticking their noses into a New York race. Even Newt Ginrich has weighed in for Scozzafava, saying
““I just think it is a mistake for the conservative movement to think splitting in the special election is a smart idea. If we give that seat to the Democrats, shame on us.”
He made a compelling case on the issues: “She has signed a no tax increase pledge. She is endorsed by the National Rifle Association. She has come out against cap and trade… She is opposed to the Obama health care plan. She will vote for John Boehner instead of Nancy Pelosi. All of those things together make her – it seems to me – a legitimate, authentic, Republican nominee.”
As Republicans, I would hope that we would support the Republican nominee…not a Conservative Party candidate who will lose but will make unyielding ideologues feel warm and fuzzy at the purity of their vote.
[Disclaimer: I was a Conservative Party State Committeeman from the 5th CD of NY 1984-1986]
Matt Suermann
Oct 26, 2009
Thom,
Thoughts on how she is seen as the 2nd most liberal State Assemblywoman in the entire NY Assembly (both Republican and Democrat)?
Thom Simmons
Oct 26, 2009
1) Red Hampshire is a forum for Republicans, is it not? Dede is THE Republican candidate. Republicans come in a variety of stripes and flavors. She is consistent with the needs and desires of the voters of her district….and, once again, one of a few remaining Republicans in a sea of Blue.
2) Once upon a time, Republicans were seen as the pro-liberty party of individual rights and freedom. Her liberal stances are, often, merely socially tolerant stances that Barry Goldwater would have approved of. It is only this modern, media-created bi-polar fixation that one is “liberal’ or “conservative’ that brands candidates this way.
Thom Simmons
Oct 26, 2009
P.S. for Matt:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/note.php?note_id=169151761820&ref=nf
Grant Bosse
Oct 26, 2009
NY-23 is why we should have primaries, especially for special elections. Leaving the choice of candidates to the party machine is always and everywhere a bad idea.
Matt Suermann
Oct 26, 2009
Thom- Yes I see you point. Which is why I’m torn on it, definitely isn’t as black and white as both sides are making it out to be, which is
Grant-Agree 100% that primaries are the best way to go. Let the voters of the district select who the nominee is, not a party machine.
Thom Simmons
Oct 27, 2009
I also agree in allowing primary voters to decide. Normally, in New York, only those registered in a political party may run in that primary, and there is no cross-over voting or voting by independents permitted (unlike NH). I am not sure what party Hoffman is enrolled in, but i suspect there was no primary season because this is a special election to fill a vacancy.
It should be noted, of course, that *both* Hoffman and Scozzafava were chosen by their respective party ‘machines.’