Palin vs Gingrich
The lines have been drawn. And didn’t we all know it would come to this? NY-23 is the election to watch.
In one corner we have Sarah Palin who has chosen to endorse Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.
Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of “blurring the lines” between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections. Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate that more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party’s ticket.
Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual.
And, in the other corner, Newt Gingrich goes with the Republican Dede Scozzafava.
My number one interest is to build a Republican majority. If your interest is taking power back from the Left, and your interest is winning the necessary elections, then there are times when you have to put together a coalition that has disagreement within it.
We have to decide which business we are in. If we are in the business about feeling good about ourselves while our country gets crushed then I probably made the wrong decision.
Them’s fighting words. Keep in mind that this seat should be easily won by a Republican, so if the Dem wins it’s through no fault of his own. Sadly, he hardly matters.
Know what else doesn’t matter to Conservatives? The Conservative losing. Unless someone sees them changing their ways and learning from their loss? Nah. They’ll simply take a harder line, point out how their candidate made a decent showing, and continue to hold the GOP hostage. Perhaps there’s something to that not negotiating with terrorists thing. The even bigger problem for “moderate” Republicans is that they need Conservatives (formally known as “their base”) to win elections. Talk about dysfunctional relationships… and the perils of appeasement.
And as much as I’m enjoying this political battle, the disintergration of the Republican party concerns me. Anything can happen in the run-up to an election (I still have nightmares in which John Edwards was our nominee). So the idea that someone is too crazy to win isn’t realistic.
Meanwhile, my attention is focused on NY-23. The lines have been drawn, and the real contest is between R vs C, not R vs D.
Tags: Republican Party
It’s deja vu all over again, except it’s Palin instead of Ralph Nader. But I guess this is what you get with a two-party system. Some group is always going to feel disenfranchised and scream bloody murder about it.
How different is this from the feeling of so many of us that Tom Carper represents no substantive difference from any Mike Castle-style Republican?
I tip my hat to Doug Hoffman for running. I wish that the Liberals from the far left could organize to put up viable candidates to challenge the entrenched Democratic Party.
I think it’s a big deal that the VP candidate from the Republican party is endorsing a third party candidate over a Republican.
You’re correct, Geezer, the situation with Tom Carper isn’t so different. That said, this split in the Republican party runs deeper. There will be no compromise. And while compromise isn’t always great (and shouldn’t always get a pass) how does the GOP deal with Conservatives who refuse to compromise on anything? The litmus test is deadly.
And Dems usually come around – Obama vs Clinton, anyone? Conservatives aren’t budging. It’s against there religion,
Pandora, you hit on the really big thing to watch for. Given the political climate of the past year+, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that these fractures are growing in the party. I think fights like this will be common in primaries next year. The key for the GOP is what happens after the primaries. Does everybody get back on board with whoever gets the official party nomination, or does the loser “Go Rogue”? And what about the loser’s supporters?
As for the candidates, I think if the C wins, the R backs away. If the R wins, I think you’ll see a fair number of 3-way general elections. That, of course, would be heaven for Dems. I think the more common scenerio is for the R to win the primary, then they have to hope they can draw back in the whacko teabaggers.
a few detals for those who have not been following the story:
This is a special election to fill a vacated seat, there was no primary.
New York does that “Fusion” thing that got so much blog attention hear in Delaware in th elast two cycles. That means that in addition to the R and D lines on the ballot, there are lines for Conservative, Liberal and the rest of the usual 3rd partys.
candidates often apear on multiple lines.
When a Democrat Candidate does not get the Liberal endorsement, that signals to voters that he is a moderate-conservative Dem.
When a Republican Candidate does not get the Conservative endorsement, that indicates that she is a moderate-liberal Republican.
Correct Lizard. If there were a primary, this commie lib would have never gotten the nomination. She would do more harm than good. The good news is that if they can keep the current track, Hoffman may win. Pandora is right the VP nominee endorsing a third party candidate is big news. She is not alone when it comes to big name endorsements, but I do not feel like copying my regional politics NY excerpt over here.
If there were a primary, this commie lib would have never gotten the nomination
Enlighten me, David, just who is “this commie lib” you speak of?
I am poking through her sponsored legislation here:
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=122&sh=spo
and she seems like a crazy, commie fascist that has an affinity for parks and preventing violence against women.
Delusional David cracks me up.
I’m quite pissed again at his adjective usage. The great unifier referring to a Gingrich-endorsed candidate as a “commie lib.” 👿
It’s so incredibly obvious that the hardened-right has ZERO intention to ever unify with the moderate part of the base…ZERO, NONE, NADA. The only unification that would suit them would involve ball-gags, handcuffs, and rope (for tying arms and legs behind the back) for use on the moderate base. Huh, how about that, sounds like torture. What a coincidence.
Once again, AGAIN, we have proof in the use of adjectives that the Republican party has already slit its own wrists and the only solution is a broader-based moderate party and a fascist-right party. Given the rigidity of litmus-paper testing for acceptance, ‘fascist’ is appropriate. Two parties out of one, that is the only path forward.
It’s so incredibly obvious that the hardened-right has ZERO intention to ever unify with the moderate part of the base…ZERO, NONE, NADA.
Which is my point. On the bright side, Smitty, your choice to leave the GOP was obviously the right one.
tip my hat to Doug Hoffman for running. I wish that the Liberals from the far left could organize to put up viable candidates to challenge the entrenched Democratic Party. ~ anonone
We did. His name was Nader, and because of his “heroic stand for liberalism”, we ended up with George W Bush. Far as I’m concerned Sarah Palin and the Insane Mouth-Froth Hate party can keep fuckin that chicken
It’s interesting Smitty because if the independents ever got together they would be the biggest party of all of them. However I think a lot of independents are people that don’t know much about politics and don’t really care.
Smitty,
I don’t think a lot of the Republican base would disagree with splitting their party. They want to get rid of even conservatives that don’t pass their litmus tests.
I agree pandora, that a win by the Conservative Party candidate would be the most interesting outcome. Would that lead to more party splitting or would it just ensure that Republicans cozy up to their base even more. We’ve seen the more moderate Republicans on the run to the right in this cycle – people like Crist, Simmons in CT, Mitt Romney (he’s opposed to health care reform even though he signed a bill in MA), Tim Pawlenty and Mark Kirk in IL. The only so-called Republican moderate we haven’t really seen doing that is Mike Castle probably because there is no viable primary challenger.
Latest poll numbers:
I don’t think a lot of the Republican base would disagree with splitting their party.
“73% of GOP Voters Say Congressional Republicans Have Lost Touch With Their Base” – Rasmussen.
Dede has been endorsed by Kos (over the Dem in the race)and in the past has been endorsed by Acorn (Workng Family Prty).
It has been reported (in NY political blogs) that her Union Boss Husband was shopping her to the Dems as a potential party switcher if they offered the right seat.
Not exactly the moderate vs conservative purity test that smitty likes to rant about.
Kos’s point in his “endorsement” was that the Democratic candidate, Owens, is one of the Blue Dog Dem types and we don’t need more of those.
Anyone for card check, socialized medicine, and gay marriage is a commie lib who is not worthy of high office. She is backed by the unions and is to the left of Gilibrand. She is a liberal in in the tradition of Mathias or Weicker. She has no place representing the party. She would be more of a liability than an assest. The Democrat is more moderate than she is.
Commie lib? Grow the eff up, David.
silly David, only moonbats are allowed to name-call.
Pandora, shush. 😉 It’s exactly talk like that that’s causing the Republican Party to come apart at the seams and become less and less relevant to the political picture. Go get her, David!! Oh, and you didn’t hear it from me, but I heard she has a picture of Eugene Debs that she carries around in her purse.
Not exactly the moderate vs conservative purity test that smitty likes to rant about.
A small part to my point, lizard.
David the Unifier has an interesting use of adjectives when it comes to party members he doesn’t like. It’s one thing to not agree with a member, it’s another to paint that person with politically foul language in an obvious hope to inflict lasting damage and teach lessons (no, I don’t think David can do that to DeDe Scozzafava but the spirit of it is there). Face it, the GOP is over. It’s splintered, no, it’s fractured on the spine and it can’t heal. From it’s fractured ends, each piece needs to grow a new head and form two platforms. The days of meshing ideas is gone. You either have a hardened-right world view or you’re an endangered species in terms of being welcome.
I wouldn’t want to heal with her. I would rather have the Democrat running against her. He is a moderate. She is a liberal. Fortunately there is a conservative in the race so that choice does not have to be made. The truth is that the liberal would only hinder the work of Republicans and the need to put forward a united front against the tide of socialism. A moderate Democrat is almost as good as a conservative because they will muddle the Democrats like they are doing on cap and tax and health care reform. There is no value to sending a Republican so far to the left that she could join Jeffords and Sanders in a socialist independent caucus.
Ah, lizard, we only call names at the other side. BIG difference. The GOP is done.
Oh my. David. The race is in NY, not Mississippi. But I’m happy with your stance. Go Christine!
Really Pandy???
“Comment by Jason330 on 22 October 2009 at 11:48 pm:
Carper is such a shameless WHORE. It is disgusting. Here is his take.”
pandora is right. According to 538.com’s analysis, Scozzafava is slightly to the right for New York republicans.
Yes, really, Lizzy-poo. But you just keep on keepin’ on. I’ll have the last laugh.
UI,
I followed your link, yes they (538.com)make the claim, but they do not back it up. They simple state that their superior formula proves it.
It’s telling that none of her supports make the claim that she is conservative.
This thread is making me realize that there is no real hope that there is an effort to make things better, just an effort to win at all costs.
YEE-HAW! Go git ’em conservatives! Eff anyone who doesn’t think like you! YEEEEEE-freaking-HAW!!!!
Hey RICO — 538 makes no such claims. They are reporting on analysis done by someone else — who tells you how he got to that conclusion and is even being quite interactive in the comments re: questions.
Following the links is fundamental, fool. But I understand if the fry station is in a rush for the dinner crowd now.