bobbyw24
11-13-2009, 05:26 AM
The race for New York-23 has come and gone, but don't underestimate the groundswell of conservatives ready to play significant roles in deciding the future of the GOP.
Just as Barry Goldwater's landslide loss in 1964 awakened conservatives and set the stage for gaining ground later, many conservative activists don't see Doug Hoffman's defeat as a loss so much as a catalyst for future victories. Simply put, Conservatives won't have to wait long to get going. In 2010 there will likely be three races -- the first occurring in March -- with the potential to harness the NY-23 zeitgeist.
To be sure, some will contend that the loss of that historically Republican seat in upstate New York to a Democrat shows that efforts to control Republican nominations are futile, that the loss foretells future defeats. But don't bother reading those tea leaves. Make tea out of them. Throw a tea party.
First of all, the Conservative candidate, Doug Hoffman, did not live in the district -- often a fatal flaw -- and since his campaign was a late entry, it didn't take shape until just weeks before Election Day. Moreover, he was a third-party candidate, and in the American system, you cannot overstate the importance of identifying with a major political party. If Hoffman had been the GOP nominee, he would have won. Dede Scozzafava, though she had withdrawn from the race, was still listed on the ballot as a Republican, and the number of votes she garnered was the difference between winning and losing for Hoffman.
In addition, there had been no tough, conservative challenger in the primary for this election -- because there was no primary at all. Instead, it was a back-room deal that gave us a GOP candidate endorsed by, of all people, extremist left-wing blogger The Daily Kos. Anyone who cites Hoffman's loss in New York as a reason for conservatives to stay out of GOP primaries ahead is missing the point.
And significant primary races dot the horizon: In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry (a trailblazer in reducing the size and scope of government) seeks to fend off a challenge from moderate Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. In California, conservative Assemblyman Chuck DeVore . . .
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.politicsdaily.com/media/2009/11/81217098resize.jpg
In Rubio, Florida conservatives have someone they can enthusiastically support. He is young, Hispanic and qualified. Many grassroots conservatives were angry that the National Republican Senatorial Committee endorsed Crist when he entered the race. They saw this as a coronation -- an appalling move for someone who had stood with President Obama to talk up the economic stimulus and has since had to backpedal.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/11/11/ny-23-the-loss-that-could-propel-a-conservative-surge/
Just as Barry Goldwater's landslide loss in 1964 awakened conservatives and set the stage for gaining ground later, many conservative activists don't see Doug Hoffman's defeat as a loss so much as a catalyst for future victories. Simply put, Conservatives won't have to wait long to get going. In 2010 there will likely be three races -- the first occurring in March -- with the potential to harness the NY-23 zeitgeist.
To be sure, some will contend that the loss of that historically Republican seat in upstate New York to a Democrat shows that efforts to control Republican nominations are futile, that the loss foretells future defeats. But don't bother reading those tea leaves. Make tea out of them. Throw a tea party.
First of all, the Conservative candidate, Doug Hoffman, did not live in the district -- often a fatal flaw -- and since his campaign was a late entry, it didn't take shape until just weeks before Election Day. Moreover, he was a third-party candidate, and in the American system, you cannot overstate the importance of identifying with a major political party. If Hoffman had been the GOP nominee, he would have won. Dede Scozzafava, though she had withdrawn from the race, was still listed on the ballot as a Republican, and the number of votes she garnered was the difference between winning and losing for Hoffman.
In addition, there had been no tough, conservative challenger in the primary for this election -- because there was no primary at all. Instead, it was a back-room deal that gave us a GOP candidate endorsed by, of all people, extremist left-wing blogger The Daily Kos. Anyone who cites Hoffman's loss in New York as a reason for conservatives to stay out of GOP primaries ahead is missing the point.
And significant primary races dot the horizon: In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry (a trailblazer in reducing the size and scope of government) seeks to fend off a challenge from moderate Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. In California, conservative Assemblyman Chuck DeVore . . .
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.politicsdaily.com/media/2009/11/81217098resize.jpg
In Rubio, Florida conservatives have someone they can enthusiastically support. He is young, Hispanic and qualified. Many grassroots conservatives were angry that the National Republican Senatorial Committee endorsed Crist when he entered the race. They saw this as a coronation -- an appalling move for someone who had stood with President Obama to talk up the economic stimulus and has since had to backpedal.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/11/11/ny-23-the-loss-that-could-propel-a-conservative-surge/