There are several people who the results in NY-23 can be directly traced to. When the history of this election is written it is they who will be responsible.
1. Barack Obama and his political team:
They saw that he won NY-23 by 52% and saw a no lose situation. He appointed the Republican John McHugh to be Army Secretary. It was a no lose situation. If a democrat won, great another pickup for the party, but even better a liberal Acorn supporting, Card Check supporting republican. They don’t even have to PAY for this person the foolish NRCC will finance that campaign and once she wins presto all of those house votes are suddenly “bi-partisan”. The payoff for the Obama team was MUCH higher with a Scozzafava win than with an Owens one. Kos didn’t endorse that lady for nothing.
2. Doug Hoffman
It’s one thing to object to a RINO, it’s another thing to be willing to put yourself out there. He put himself out there and is poised to reap the rewards UPDATE: or even in defeat prevent the disaster of the “bi-partisan” house votes
3. The Tea Party Movement:
It is the Tea Party movement that provided the energy that made the difference , it kept the story of NY-23 alive and pushed it on the web and on blogs. Hoffman is their candidate and their willingness to highlight it drew the attention of bloggers and politicians to this race.
4. Sarah Palin
Her selection was considered a high risk/high reward move by McCain. She did the same. If Scozzafava had won the media would have trumpeted this as the defeat of Sarah Palin, if Owens wins they will still do that. But Palin got out in front of every other major republican and conservative and put it on the line forcing others (Hi Tim Pawlenty) to follow. The created a domino effect of money and attention eventually forcing the withdrawal of Dede the angry and the deployment of the Vice president turning a Doug Hoffman victory into a not only a win for the Tea Party/conservative movement but becomes a loss for the Administration. Update: And even a Owens win becomes small as it is simply one more democratic vote in a large majority, a vote that will have to be defended in one year. She will take the media hits but she did the party a huge favor.
When we look back at what begins after this election don’t forget that these were the people who made it happen.
Honorable Mention:
The bloggers:
Erik Erickson
Erik Erickson on Red State was the 1st to suggest 3rd party:
Conservatives and Republicans should rally around Dough Hoffman as a viable alternative to Dede Scozzafava. Hoffman has more in common with the people in NY-23 and is closer to the Republican Party on issues across the board.
We don’t need a third party in this country. And it is too hard to set one up anyway. But there is a viable third party in New York that conservatives can use to remind the GOP what happens when the local Republican Party rejects the Republican platform. Above all else, we must make sure Scozzafava is defeated.
Robert Stacy McCain:
From his first post on the subject on Oct 14th he has OWNED this story and not only has he owned it, he managed to get himself up to NY-23 twice and was on site for both the Palin Endorsement and the Scozzafava withdrawal. He has done this both on his blog and for the American Spectator. For example:
Ah, Election Day at last! In 24 hours, you’ll be reading my Wednesday article about what happened in the crucial upstate New York special congressional election. And tomorrow morning, God willing, I’ll be taking a shower, packing my bags, checking out of a hotel in Saranac Lake, N.Y., and heading back home to try to recover from the insanity of it all. Meanwhile, people way above my pay-grade will be on TV telling you What It Really Means.
Nice work, if you can get it.
McCain went all in and was one of the first prominent bloggers to call for a Palin endorsement.
Other than the wear and tear on his car McCain is one of the biggest winners in this whole event.
Dana Loesch:
The Dump Dede web site went online Oct 17th:
One of the biggest lies ever told is that the biggest threat to conservatism lies outside the invisible boundaries of the GOP. I disagree; the biggest threat to conservatism is an unchecked Republican party – just as I think the biggest threat to Christianity is a false prophet. There are some false prophets leading the GOP right now: the RNC has an incompetent leader; Newt Gingrich demonstrates that his “American Solution” is to push the GOP center left by backing an ACORN candidate in New York’s 23rd. There are false prophets leading and cowards following: aside from a few Republicans like Michelle Bachmann, few others have denounced the nomination of Dede Scozzafava or Gingrich’s ridiculous proclamation of a “new revolution.” Please. He apparently doesn’t recognize a new revolution when it marches by the millions on Washington.
I’m tired of consequential fear motivating my vote. Too many in the Republican party have used this as a tool with which to manipulate voters. The Democrats have the race card; the Republicans have the fear card. They know that voters will choose the lesser of two evils – sometimes that’s a decent strategy when the alternative is decent. I wouldn’t define the situation in New York’s 23rd as such and because this seems to be indicative of a trend in the GOP – and with Gingrich’s call to shift the party further away from its base – I say it’s time to reclaim the party, give some true conservatives within it time to redeem or prove themselves, or bury it altogether.
The site hit this meme over that last 3 weeks, she was right in front and pressed this race. When Scozzafava dropped out Dump Dede became a blog that served it’s purpose.
If you want a little more history All American Blogger has an updated timeline and Accuracy in media give credit for what has happened.
There is no greater high for a history guy like me to watch it happen.
Update: Welcome Big Government Readers and thanks Dana for the link. Take a peek around. Discover if Sarah Palin is damaged goods and what the religion of Peace has been up to while we were voting. Learn the dangers of public wi-fi, the first rule of Republican Victory and how my father knew Al Capone’s cousin. And watch me explain why Dr. Who is a lot more conservative than Wired Mag thinks.
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