UPDATE: #2. Scozzafava endorses the Democratic candidate, Bill Owens, over her conservative challenger, Doug Hoffman. This move only serves to underscore the reason for Hoffman’s candidacy. Dede was so much like Owens that her bid for the seat was redundant.
Go Doug!
-We now return you to our original post:
Finally! Some reality begins to set in as the LIBERAL candidate endorsed by the Republican Party (&Newt) in New York’s 23rd District special election steps out of the running. Her reasons? Not enough support, not enough money. Does that tell you anything? In her statement she says:
Dede Scozzafava
“In recent days, polls have indicated that my chances of winning this election are not as strong as we would like them to be. The reality that I’ve come to accept is that in today’s political arena, you must be able to back up your message with money—and as I’ve been outspent on both sides, I’ve been unable to effectively address many of the charges that have been made about my record. But as I’ve said from the start of this campaign, this election is not about me, it’s about the people of this District. And, as always, today I will do what I believe serves their interests best.
It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so.”
She couldn’t bring herself to endorse the conservative, of course. I’m sure there is quite a bit of sting in Hoffman’s complete usurpation of her run for national office. Her name is still on the ballot, as there is not enough time (or money) to print new ballots before Tuesday, but no votes for her will count. Of course, if the residents of NY 23 wanted to sent a sharp rebuke to the national Tea Party movement, they would overwhelmingly write-in Scozzafava as their candidate. But don’t hold your breath for that to happen.
Newt Gingrich said in his endorsement of her that she was the choice of the local GOP voters, but it seems that is not the case. The whole problem with the political process in America is that too few voters pay attention during the primaries. If there is a political machine in place in a district or state, they can easily push their anointed candidate in the party primary, and when the rest of the voters wake up, they are stuck with the establishment candidate.
What Hoffman was able to pull of will resonate across the country in 2010. He was able to highlight the contrast between his conservative stance with the identical liberal stances of the Republican and Democrat candidates. When voters began to fully see what their choices were, the momentum began to mount behind Hoffman.
ARE YOU LISTENING YET, GOP???
Newt’s complaint was that money wasn’t being raised in the district, but was coming from outside the district, from activists and activist organizations. Hello? Is that not an indication of the national mood? And WHEN the
voters of NY23 overwhelmingly vote for Hoffman on Nov. 3rd, will Newt then change his stance about local politics? Is Newt against giving voters a full airing of what their choices really are? Because when people in NY23 began to see who they really had in a Republican candidate, they moved instead to the Independent Conservative candidate.
This is a victory for the Tea Party movement and Conservatism. Go Doug!
No response from Scozzafava-endorsing, ‘local-politics’ supporting Newt Gingrich as yet. But the day is young.
we’ll see.
UPDATE: Gingrich put out a non-statement-statement on National Review Online late in the day on Halloween. Note that it doesn’t address Dede dropping out or his endorsement of a RINO:
Hoffman Emerges [Newt Gingrich]
“The emergence of Doug Hoffman as the only alternative to a pro-tax increase, pro-Pelosi liberal is a victory for Mike Long and the Conservative party, in alliance with the national conservative movement and talk radio.
The challenge for the next three days is to convince every Republican who opposes Pelosi
and opposes tax increases that Doug Hoffman is the only vote that can stop the Left on tuesday.
In a district that has double-digit unemployment, tax increases are a threat to further crush the economy.
If taxes are the key issue, the Democrats will suffer a significant defeat.
In all three elections Tuesday the Democrat is going to run ten to twenty points behind Obama’s share a year ago.”
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