Tag Archives: NY-23

NY-23: Fighting The Forces Of Evil

Everyone thought the drama of the NY-23 special election was over after Doug Hoffman conceded the race and Bill Owens was sworn in. Bill Owens even got to vote for health care reform. However, an election recanvass found that Hoffman’s votes were dramatically undercounted in one counting, cutting Owen’s lead from 5000 votes to 3000 votes with 10,000 absentees possibly uncounted (the actual number of absentees is closer to 7000). The math is extremely difficult for Hoffman but that didn’t stop him from “unconceding” the race at the urging of Glenn Beck.

Well, Hoffman is now getting his victim on. He knows what happened in his race:

As evidence surfaces, we find out that reported results from election night were far from accurate. ACORN and the unions did their best to try and sway the results to Obamacare supporter Bill Owens.

Yes, it was ACORN! It doesn’t matter that ACORN didn’t have anything to do with the NY-23 election. Apparently ACORN is the most powerful barely-funded organization of lower income people in the United States! They can’t keep Congress from cutting their funding but they can steal an election for Congress.

When Your Name Becomes A Verb

The Washington Post has a profile on unsuccessful Republican House candidate Dede Scozzafava and the fallout from the unusual race for NY-23.

Even as she now hopes to return to her normal life of local politics, laundry and choir practice for next month’s big performance of Bach’s Christmas Cantatas, the political forces that swept her up have not entirely let her go. Last week, while watching a news show about the next sharply contested Senate Republican primary in Florida, her parents reported that one of the commentators asked whether the moderate was in peril of getting “Scozzafaved.”

Yes, I’ve started seeing her name used as a verb. So perhaps we should ask if Castle will get Scozzafaved.

The conservative movement’s third-party candidate, Doug Hoffman, expected her support but, she said, the newcomer accountant “had no integrity.” Plus, the Democrats were so nice! They called. They sympathized. They made her feel good about tossing her support to Bill Owens, who — with her help — became the area’s first Democratic representative in more than a century.

You know that old saying – you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar – that definitely applies here. I was surprised when Scozzafava dropped out and endorsed Owens perhaps I shouldn’t have been. She was really treated quite poorly in my opinion. Usually the urging and pressure to drop out is done behind the scenes so as not to embarrass the candidate. In this case a bunch of high profile Republican figures came to the district, which I doubt any of them had ever visited before and endorsed an out-of-district candidate.

If there was any doubt, the Democrats were nice to her and the Republicans attacked her in public. Please go read the whole article to get the whole scoop, including the role of Bill Clinton. Her decision is not without consequences:

Scozzafava, who was stripped of her Republican leadership position in the New York State Assembly on Monday, says she has no regrets and even leaves open the possibility of running for the seat again as a Republican. She sees herself as a champion of local expertise over ideological purity.

“How can Sarah Palin come out and endorse someone who can’t answer some basic questions,” Scozzafava asked. “Do these people even know who they are endorsing?”

I feel quite sorry for Ms. Scozzafava. She was used as a political football in a way she was no doubt unprepared for. It must be quite disconcerting to be a long-time party member and elected official to suddenly find yourself persona non grata in your own party. I wish her the best but I think her future in politics is probably over even if she did become a Democrat.

2009 Election Results: Mixed Night For Teabaggers

Here’s yesterday’s election results, as they stand right now:

VA-Gov
Bob McDonnell (R) 59%
Creigh Deeds (D) 41%
99% counted

A big win for Republicans in VA-Gov. This result was no surprise, Deeds was a crappy candidate. His problem was that he tried to run against President Obama, at one point even saying he would consider opting out of the public option. Not a good way to inspire the base. According to reports, the Republican turnout was normal but the Democratic turnout was low. This follows the them of Republicans energized, Democrats less so but it doesn’t look like a win for tea bagger.

NJ-Gov
Chris Christie (R) 49%
Jon Corzine (D) inc. 45%
Chris Daggett (I) 6%
99% counted

There were a lot of changes in this race near the end. Daggett’s support collapsed (he was up to 20% at one point last week). A lot of Daggett’s votes went to Christie and the independents went to Christie at a 2:1 rate according to exit polls. Corzine never cracked 45% in any poll, so his final number is not a surprise. Corzine had very low popularity (in the 30s) and had been involved in scandals (affair with one of his aides, car accident) and was governor during the really crappy economy. Christie was not a good candidate but Corzine was just too unpopular. Also, congratulations NJ for getting a governor with 49% unpopularity before he even steps into office.

Maine Prop 1
Yes (repeal same sex marriage) 53%
No (keep same sex marriage) 47%
87% counted

This is the biggest disappointment of the night for me. It shows that lying works (they’re going to indoctrinate your children, the horror!). I don’t think people’s civil rights should be put to a vote.

Other interesting results in Maine as well – Maine approved medical marijuana and rejected an anti-tax initiative. This was definitely not a teabagger election.

Washington State Referendum Measure 71 (domestic partnership)
Yes (approve domestic partnership) 51%
No (reject domestic partnership) 49%
100% counted

A small glimmer of hope in the fight for same sex marriage. This should give the “call it anything but marriage” crowd a boost. There was also an anti-tax initiative on the ballot that lost.

CA-10
John Garamendi (D) 53%
David Harmer (R) 43%
Others 4%
100% counted

This result is not a surprise. The seat was formerly held by Ellen Tauscher.

The most intriguing races of the night were in New York.
NY-23
Bill Owens (D) 49%
Doug Hoffman (I) 45%
DeDe Scozzafava (R) 6%
93% counted

Well, the teabaggers got their scalp with Scozzafava, but didn’t take the district. In some polls, Hoffman had led by as much as 15% over Owens. Were these polls wildly inaccurate? Probably but I think there was a lot of flux in the race at the end. How much did Scozzafava’s endorsement help Owens? Did Palin, Pawlenty, Thompson and Limbaugh (all out-of-district politicians) hurt Hoffman? How much did Hoffman’s unfamiliarity with the district hurt him? Did the reports of overzealous Hoffman supporters harassing voters make a difference?

I think the surprise election of the night was NYC-Mayor. Bloomberg was expected to cruise over former comptroller Bill Thompson and spent more than $100,000,000 of his own fortune on the race. The final results were the following:
Michael Bloomberg (I), (R) inc. 51%
Bill Thompson (D) 46%

That looks like a huge protest vote. I wonder how the democrats would have done if they had run a higher profile candidate?

Election Results Thread

We’ll be watching the results and updating you here. VA polls close at 7 pm, Maine and NJ close at 8 pm and NY polls close at 9 pm. We could actually be in for a long election if the votes are close, because then we’ll have to wait for absentee and provisional ballots to be counted.

Places I watch for results:
Talking Points Memo
Daily Kos
Fivethirtyeight

Weird election story of the night – Hoffman in NY-23 accused Democrats of slashing tires of one of his campaign workers but it turns out the campaign worker ran over a broken bottle.

A short while ago, Conservative Doug Hoffman, the special election candidate in NY-23, breathlessly announced that frustrated Dems had slashed the tires of one of his campaign workers. Right-wing yakkers rose to heights of auto-blogotic self-asphyxiation.

Alas, closer inspection suggests, and local police confirm, said poll worker ran over a bottle.

New headline: GOP campaign worker’s tires slashed by Dem bottle.

Voter Intimidation In NY-23

Haven’t we seen the rhetoric from the right wing fringe getting more and more violent. I hope violence isn’t inevitable but I’ll bet you’re not surprised to hear that Hoffman supporters have been intimidating voters in NY-23:

I just got off the phone with former state Democratic Chairwoman June O’Neill, who informed me the police had been called to at least two polling sites in St. Lawrence County due to overzealous electioneering (O’Neill called it “voter intimidation”) by Doug Hoffman supporters.

“We’ve gotten reports that people are standing there, covered with Hoffman stickers and yelling anti-choice stuff at voters,” said O’Neill, a St. Lawrence native who has been running the party’s GOTV effort for Bill Owens in NY-23.

“Apparently, there’s some woman claiming to be a commissioner,” O’Neill continued. “Commissioner of what, I don’t know. She’s from Texas, I think, and she won’t leave.”

“This is not the way we roll in the North Country.”

O’Neill also said she had received anecdotal reports of problems at polling sites in Gouverneur, which is Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava’s hometown. But she couldn’t immediately confirm this.

I’ll be anxiously awaiting Fox News’s report on this.

NY-23: Scozzafava Endorses Owens

The GOP war is now fully engaged:

Scozzafava released the following statement at 2 :06 p.m.:

I want to thank you for your support and friendship. Over the past 24 hours, I have had encouraging words sent to my family and me. Many of you have asked me whom you should support on Tuesday.

Since announcing the suspension of my campaign, I have thought long and hard about what is best for the people of this District, and how to answer your questions. This is not a decision that I have made lightly.

You know me, and throughout my career, I have been always been an independent voice for the people I represent. I have stood for our honest principles, and a truthful discussion of the issues, even when it cost me personally and politically. Since beginning my campaign, I have told you that this election is not about me; it’s about the people of this District.

It is in this spirit that I am writing to let you know I am supporting Bill Owens for Congress and urge you to do the same.

It’s not in the cards for me to be your representative, but I strongly believe Bill is the only candidate who can build upon John McHugh’s lasting legacy in the U.S. Congress. John and I worked together on the expansion of Fort Drum and I know how important that base is to the economy of this region. I am confident that Bill will be able to provide the leadership and continuity of support to Drum Country just as John did during his tenure in Congress.

In Bill Owens, I see a sense of duty and integrity that will guide him beyond political partisanship. He will be an independent voice devoted to doing what is right for New York. Bill understands this district and its people, and when he represents us in Congress he will put our interests first.

Please join me in voting for Bill Owens on Tuesday. To address the tough challenges ahead, we must rise above partisanship and politics and work together. There’s too much at stake in this election to do otherwise.

Is it already cliched to say pass the popcorn?