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Hoffman Race Takes Twist: Here's What It Means

Conservative gets a boost, but maybe not a very big one

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 31, 2009 2:26 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Republican Dede Scozzafava's surprise decision to suspend her congressional race in New York leaves Conservative Doug Hoffman to battle Democrat Dan Owens. Here's what the political blogosphere is saying:

  • Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight: "Gun to my head? Sure, I'd take Hoffman at this point." But it's not that cut and dried: Most conservative Republicans had already defected to Hoffman, so the gain may not be that big.

  • Marc Ambinder, Atlantic: Conventional wisdom "says that most go to Hoffman, but I'm with Jonathan Martin: I think half go to Democrat Bill Owens or they stay home."
  • Ed Morrissey, Hot Air: "Hoffman now has the default Republican endorsement with Scozzafava’s retreat, as well as all of the late momentum. ... Will the NRCC shift gears and start buying ads supporting Hoffman in the final three days of this race?"
  • Jake McIntyre, Daily Kos: "The impact of the NY-23 saga on the fate of the GOP will have far more long-reaching effects than the simple question of who wins on Tuesday. The Republican establishment that at least pretended to speak to all Americans is deeply, deeply wounded, and a wild-eyed, exclusionist, birther religio-beast is taking its place."

Democrat Bill Owens, Conservative Doug Hoffman, and Republican Dede Scozzafava.
Democrat Bill Owens, Conservative Doug Hoffman, and Republican Dede Scozzafava.   (AP Photo/FILES)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 21 comments
RockyPneumonia
Nov 1, 2009 12:52 PM CST
I do love it when conservatives diss other conservatives for not being crazy enough.
Thinker
Nov 1, 2009 12:34 PM CST
Go hang out on Fark, archibaldarmstrong, dontlikeyou and cedarkey; there are a lot of "your kind" that write cute little pro-conservative comments. You'd like it there.
Galileo
Nov 1, 2009 12:15 PM CST
I don't know if the religious-cons hold much political ground. I just think they get covered too much by the media. All of the news stories make it feel like they are some new majority, but that's just not true. In order for someone to believe there is a religious conservative "awakening" happening in the country, you'd have to believe this dramatic change occurred in just 1 year. Remember, Obama decisively won the election. All that has happened is that this group of religious conservative people are losing their minds and letting us all know it. They grew comfortable and complacent with a "divine" administration the past 8 years, and now that the country has taken a complete 180, they can't handle it. I think it's just a matter of time before the nuts are forgotten. If not, and they form some small third party, it will be good. Republicans can shed the religious fanatics and focus on issues that actually matter.

 
Congress • Conservative Party • Republican Party • Doug Hoffman • Dede Scozzafava • 23rd District • Bill Owens • Election 09 • election day November 2009

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