At this point, we all know that the Dede Scozzafava v. Doug Hoffman race in New York’s 23rd congressional district is a battle that might clear the way for Democrat candidate Bill Owens to take that seat. The Obama White House picked Republican Congressman John McHugh to be Secretary of the Army and open the opportunity to have a Democrat win the seat—another smooth move from WH Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel no doubt.
This move actually could have far reaching ramification because it sparked a civil war on the Right between the GOP establishment that wants to win elections and possibly take the House back, and the conservative movement that wants all candidates with them on most issues. Here’s the thing about hanging with revolutionaries: they want action and they want it now. Tea Partiers are no joke on the right and the progressives that voted for change are no joke on the left.
I saw Newt Gingrich on T.V. warning that far-right litmus test for candidates will lead the Right to becoming a very passionate 20% of the electorate and you can win nationally with those numbers. Then I saw the video on Speaker Gingrich “breaking it down” that Scozzafava is “adequately conservative” in an upstate New York district and that she would vote for Minority Leader John Boeher to be speaker. Period. The End. Jeb Bush tried to tell them; Colin Powell did the same.
A political party that gets beatdown decides to seek candidates relative to the situation in their particular districts. That the method Democrats employed when they came to understand that south Georgia is not south central L.A.; give the Blue Dogs some slack because Dems in the south are moderate if not somewhat conservative. Scozzafava would be the GOP version of this formula and folks on right are flipping out.
Centrists have called for less bitter GOP candidates in Blue Dog districts if the Red Team has any hope of taking the congress back soon (a Black GOP candidate would be the real answer but that would be to much like right.) Speaker Tom Foley once said any jackass can kick down a barn but it takes a carpenter to build one. Building consensus is key to governing a diverse nation. Without flexibility on who is “adequately conservative,” Obama will be president when the next Black Republican serves in congress from the South….President Sasha Obama.
Project Logic Ga 
Icarus on Peach Pundit blog pointed out this article. Good Stuff.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2009/10/27/the-obama-era-is-high-cotton-for-conservatives/
http://www.peachpundit.com/2009/10/27/im-about-to-do-something-ive-never-done/
Don’t believe Newt’s hype. Ms. SCozzafava isn’t conservative (adequately conservative) by any definition of the term. In addition to be socially liberal (pro-abortion/pro-same sex marriage), she is fiscally very liberal (supporter of the stimulus plan, card check, supported massive tax increases and government spending while in the New York assembly). The bulk of her recent contributions (before the NRCC/RNC infusion) came from Planned Parenthood, the teacher’s unions, and Big Labor, not what you would expect for a Republican (hell she was endorsed by the Daily Kos). Charles Krauthammer describes her as a DIABLO (Democrat in all but label only), an apt description considering she would not commit to supporting Boehner until last week. Considering she is far to the left of her predecessor and even her democratic opponent, why should a republican, let alone a conservative support her candidacy? At some point, you have to have some organizing principle beyond simply acquiring power.
Great article again. I’ve mentioned earlier this year, party labels do not have the same meaning they did in years past. No longer will the American electorate vote for someone because of an R or D behind their name. Voters are becoming educated and are looking at what the candidates do, not just what they say. One of my favorite quotes by Ben Franklin “Well done is better than well said.”
Or as my Daddy would say “Say what you mean, mean what you say.”
Have you seen the latest poll that shows 40% of Americans consider themselves conservative?
I read your blog everyday!
As a centrist, I am just saying that people on the far left and far right fail to realize that governing requires working with more than just themselves. Polls also indicate that people in general don’t like sub-groups unwilling to work with others.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28970.html
Dede Scozzafava quits the NY 23 Congressional race—so much for the Right being what Michael Steele promised. Good news for the Blue Dogs.
Donna, thanks for reading our blog every day. I liked what you had to say as well. When I ran as an Independent in 2006, that was part of my message that people are tired of the labels. They want a candidate who will provide solutions to our problems. And who are willing to work with people from all persuasions. Some people looked at me as if I had horns on my head, but I see the momentum growing in that direction of thinking. And I’m happy about that.
Any thoughts on her subsequent endorsement of Bill Owens?
Papadoc: I have been calling into a radio show on Saturday nights 8pm—you would be great on there—and we talked about this situation. Dede was a candidate who could have expanded the range or “tent” for the GOP; the right type candidate for that particular districts but the people in her party have a national test that is driven by talk radio people. That is their business but they shot themselves in the foot as the homie Newt said because they are becoming a vocal and passionate minority (like 25% of the nation) but you need 50% plus one to win and govern.
For her to then endorse the Dem in the race is to say that she knows that the national conseravative movement toss her under the bus. I was like saying “here is a list of 12 major issues and if you are not with us on most of them….bounce.”
Of course, the Blue Dog segment of the Dem Team would be more than happy to take the moderate castoffs into the fold.
check out Raynard Jackson show if you like .
http://my.ustalknetwork.com/group/raynardjackson
You argue that to include Dede Scozzafava is to expand the range or the big tent of the GOP. My point is that some point a party has to adhere to some coherent ideology or set of principles else it becomes nothing more than a mechanism for the acquisition of power. Scozzafava, on a range of issues both social and economical, was far outside of the mainstream of Republican politics and was, in fact, running to the left of her Democratic opponent who she subsequently endorsed. While her views on social issues did not endear her to conservatives, it was her support of Obama’s massive boondoggle of a stimulus, card check, and her history of supporting massive tax increases as an assemblyman (along with her pandering to the discredited ACORN) that doomed her with the base.
And this is the reason I like projectlogicga.com. Shocking posts.