Republican candidate endorses Democratic opponent for Congress

vicariousparent · 11-01-2009, 09:26 PM

Scozzafava is learning what I realized last year, that the Republican party does not have room for moderates.

The Blue Dogs have shown that moderates can do much better for themselves and their constituents in the Democratic party than in the Republican party.

Scozzafava endorses Owens - The Scorecard - POLITICO.com

LogicWarrior · 11-01-2009, 09:31 PM

Northeast Republicans and Southern Democrats tend to be similar.

catahoula · 11-01-2009, 09:35 PM

If one want's to govern as a democrat, why don't they just run on the appropriate ticket?

It will be interesting to see if her endorsement does him any good.

lockn · 11-01-2009, 09:41 PM

I hope Hoffman wins. It'll screw up Republicans next year, and Owens is the worst kind of Democrat (fiscally liberal, socially conservative) so nothing is lost.

vicariousparent · 11-02-2009, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Northeast Republicans and Southern Democrats tend to be similar.

Southern Democrats get a lot more respect within their own party than Northeast Republicans do.

LogicWarrior · 11-02-2009, 01:02 AM

You mean Democrats cave in to the Blue Dogs while Republicans ostracize anyone remotely moderate as a RINO.

Saugus · 11-02-2009, 03:00 AM

Heh, thank you Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty for damaging the Republican party.

vicariousparent · 11-02-2009, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Democrats cave in to the Blue Dogs

There is a lot of give and take within the Democratic party. I do not see anyone caving in to anyone else.

bulletandpima · 11-02-2009, 08:48 AM

Looks like Hoffman is now pulling way ahead since Scozzafava dropped out. This of course will be worrisome to the WH, because if the latest poll is even correct by 1/2 of the difference it would still be considered a major win. Add in McDonnell blowing out Deeds (current poll has him 10 pts up +/-) and even if Corzine pulls it out by the skin of his teeth, it will be seen as a loss, because Jersey is a blue as blue can be and Obama stumped multiple times, while Corzine outspent Christi 3 to 1.

It will be interesting to watch the news on Wed to see how each side spins it. If the Republicans win all 3, they ( right wing pundits) will see it as a referendum on this administration. Left will say that Corzine has angry citizens regarding taxes and traditionally NJ flips every 8 yrs, Deeds hurt his own campaign by flip flopping (an they will add they would have won with McAuliffe) and Owens doesn't matter because it is one seat. If they win NJ, Repubs will say it is a traditionally bluest of blue.

It is all going to be spin and interesting to watch.

catahoula · 11-02-2009, 09:55 AM

Politico has a piece detailing the support Dede received while coming to the decision to give her support to Owens.
Winning Dede Scozzafava: How Dems got her nod - Jonathan Martin and Charles Mahtesian - POLITICO.com

Quote:

Two senior Democrats with ties to the White House praised Cuomo’s role in the operation, saying they were confident Scozzafava was on board after learning that she told Cuomo: "You're going to be the next governor of New York."

Also critical was Silver’s assurance, in a phone conversation with Scozzafava, that the state Assembly Democratic caucus would embrace her if she chose to switch parties, now viewed as a real possibility after her endorsement Sunday of Owens.

"No room for moderates" in the Republican party is true, I suppose, if one defines moderates as being centerward of, say... Pelosi, for instance. Speaking of whom, she does loves moderates, yes indeed. So much that she'll probably shed a tear or two for each of the ones she throws under the "bipartisan bus" that's congress these days, pushing through that gargantuan entitlement entitled health care reform.

(From the "Worst Bill Ever" thread's link.)

Quote:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has reportedly told fellow Democrats that she's prepared to lose seats in 2010 if that's what it takes to pass ObamaCare...

fundingfather · 11-02-2009, 10:05 AM

I get a kick out of the short/selective memory of those who think that this reflects badly on conservative Republicans as being "intolerant" of dissent within their party. Yesterday James Carville said that this means that anytime a Republican deviates from the conservative agenda that they will be "primaried". Does he not remember what happened in 2006 when Joe Lieberman, a solid Dem on all things but Iraq was "primaried" for having the audacity of taking one position that deviated from the liberal agenda.

lockn · 11-02-2009, 10:58 AM

Lol... the Democratic caucas is full of people with all sorts of views. Remember what happened when Lincoln Chafee and Wayne Gilchrest got primaried?

PrincipalV · 11-02-2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Heh, thank you Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty for damaging the Republican party.

If you are one who agrees that the Republican Party is going to fail (as is the Democratic Party), you would know that the recent Palin fiasco has nothing to do with it. The waning of Barry Goldwater conservatism within the party was/is the most responsible factor in the lack of success. There is a growing disparity between relative and absolute--let me explain. The true conservative values conservative values and for what they stand. However, many of the GOP today are only relatively conservative. Compared with the liberal agenda, they are conservative. However, with relativity to the zenith of modern conservatism (Barry Goldwater), the stance and power with which conservatism asserts itself has declined.

The GOP is made up of two people--those who are relative (willing to compromise) and those who are absolute (those who stand for what they believe in--conservatism). The divisive gap between these two sects of the party is the reason for the imminent collapse of the party. You have diehard conservatives like Huckabee, you have the Giuliani and the Romney, then you have the Bloombergs.

xiggi · 11-02-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

"There's a hard core of partisan, passionate, hardcore Republicans," Lieberman said. "There's a hard core of partisan Democrats on the other side. And in between is the larger group, which is people who really want to see the right thing done, or want something good done for this country and them -- and that means, sometimes, the better choice is somebody who's not a Democrat."

Asked if he will seek the Democratic nomination when he runs for re-election in 2012, Lieberman said, "That's an open question."

The biggest mistake the Democrats are making and will continue to make is clinging to the notion that the moderates and independents are in FULL support of a leftist party.

It's only a matter of time before most, short of true partisans, start realizing that the current administration and current Congress are hardly offering positive solutions to our most pressing problems, and are actually every bit as inept as the worst administrations we ever had.

No matter how much the Democrats "glow" today, it is a given that the elections of 2010 and 2012 will be full of surprises, as independents show their displeasure AGAIN by trying to give the boot to most of the current crop of politicians.

bulletandpima · 11-02-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

The biggest mistake the Democrats are making and will continue to make is clinging to the notion that the moderates and independents are in FULL support of a leftist party.

EXACTLY.

Moderates and independents could also be classified like golfers do..."FAIR WEATHER", not anybody you can be guaranteed to show up when the weather is not what agrees with them.