Dede Scozzavava was the New York Republican 23rd Congressional District nominee who was endorsed by the N.R.A., the NY GOP establishment and even Newt Gingrich in a special election held November 4th for that district. To provide some context, this is a district that has remained in Republicans hands since the Civil War. So this election should have been a walk in the park for the average Republican. But then there was Sarah Palin.
Now I know a few of you reading this just said under your breath, “Oh No, what did she do?” Well I’m not coming against Sarah Palin, so put your verbal nooses down. She did this one all by herself, no Democrat needed.
If Sarah Palin would have practiced her campaign propaganda the Republican in this special election may have won, but it was Sarah Palin who said that the Republican candidate in this special election wasn’t conservative enough and when on to endorse the ‘Conservative’ candidate Doug Hoffman in addition to Tim Pawlenty, Michael Steele, Rush Limbaugh, Mike Huckabee, Dick Army and the nut jobs who follows him (no pun intended).
So Mrs. Scozzafava eventually dropped out of the election days before it was to be held and endorsed the Democrat, Bill Owens. So you can imagine the outrage from the far right that brought on, but that’s not the end of the story. On Veterans Day Mrs. Scozzafava was a guess on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” when she was giving the GOP a hint with this warning to her fellow Republicans and its ‘leadership’.
“Republicans have an ideology that is really not based on any sort of substance that can move an agenda forward, that can really help people in this country. I don’t think it’s good for the health of our party. Any party that just tries to purge members that might have any sort of independent thinking, eventually will run itself to very much of a minority status. I think any sort of party has to be willing to solve the problems have to look at things sometimes differently. And you do have to drive towards some sort of consensus building.” – State Rep. Dede Scozzafava (R-NY)
No disrespect to Dede Scozzafava, because in my opinion she was being honest in her criticism of her own party. Warning the GOP that ‘the political house is on fire’ and to stop blowing oxygen and just put the fire out is a plea made by many. The Republican Party is in trouble in all directions. To persist on purging its moderate membership as a political strategy is like providing oxygen to a house fire, eventually the house will burn to the ground.
The Republican could have and may have rightfully won this congressional seat that’s been held by Republicans for the past 150 years if national Republicans, especially ones like Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Dick Army would have kept their mouths shut and let her do what she does. So in a partisan moment I would like to do the rare act of thanking Sarah Palin, Dick Army, Michael Steele, Rush Limbaugh and all of the others who helped elect a Democrat in New York’s 23rd Congressional District. Keep up the good work.
References & Inspirations Politico – 11/12/09 “Dede Scozzafava: GOP not based on substance”
4 comments
November 13, 2009 at 10:38 am
Larry
Heard a theory on why McCain chose Palin. Advisers told him the economy would be real bad for years and it would be a disaster for him and the Republicans if he became POTUS, So when he had to think of a way to get out they came up with Palin, knowing there was no way he could win with her.
November 13, 2009 at 7:45 pm
captainkona
Good post… And immediately reminded me of a recent (Oct.
Quinnipac Poll that outlines the political realities facing the Repugs:
“But Republicans get their lowest grades since Obama was elected on several measures:
* Voters disapprove 64 – 25 percent of the way Republicans in Congress are doing their job, with 42 percent of Republican voters disapproving;
* Only 29 percent think Republicans on Capitol Hill are acting in good faith;
* Voters trust Obama more than Republicans 47 – 31 percent to handle health care;
* VOTERS %53 – %25 HAVE AN UNFAVORABLE OPINION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.”
Palin, Limpballs, Beck, etc.
Thank you for destroying the Republican party for us.
November 15, 2009 at 7:47 pm
afrankangle
Looks like I’ll take the contrarian side on this one.
The GOP candidate was (at best) a moderate – and select by the party elites in the area – thus enter Hoffman as a conservative candidate, plus an opportunity for Palin. At the time, I believe Hoffman was a close 2nd. Then Scozzafava leaves the race and endorses the Dem (who won).
Actually the Republicans are strengthening themselves by being more homogeneous. The problems is that the only outsider votes they can attract are the anti-Democratic vote (which eventually becomes the anti-Republican vote).
So I ask these questions.
(1) If voting Americans are right-center, what does the conservative GOP offer them?
(2) If voting Americans are right-center, what does the Democratic party offer them?
The answer to both questions is the same ….. nothing.
November 15, 2009 at 7:56 pm
timvalentine
True.
I think the GOP would have won this seat easily, but it became nationalized when Sarah Palin & Dick Army got into it. But in VA governor’s race, the Democratic candidate didn’t nationalize it and lost. NJ gov race was nationalized kind of late and he almost won. I still would love to have the opportunity to have a joint session of congress not televised where I can just try to explain to both sides what they’re doing and how silly they are and to do something or get out. But someone would probably yell out at me.
I almost give up on them both. Many of them on both sides makes it more complicated than it has to be.