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Palin -- 'Going Rogue', and Helping the Democrats
October 23, 2009 2:58 PM
ABC's Stu Schutzman reports from New York:
The Republican Party may be at somewhat of a crossroads in, of all places, rural upstate New York. A special election in new York’s 23rd congressional district has become a lot more special since Sarah Palin joined the fray.
The seat was vacated in September, after President Obama tapped Republican Congressman John McHugh to serve as Secretary of the Army. Local party bosses chose Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava to replace him. The Democrats put up attorney Bill Owens. And as a potential fly in the ointment -- there’s Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. The GOP establishment, as expected, overwhelmingly supports Scozzafava including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich who is personally campaigning for her. Democrats, including the President, support Owens but with little expectation of victory -- a Democrat hasn’t won the 23rd since 1871. But the odds may have just improved.
Sarah Palin, says The Daily Beast, is “going rogue” again. Voters in the 23rd “are ready to shake things up and Doug Hoffman is coming on strong,” posts Palin on her Facebook page. Palin and some other influential conservatives are bucking the party regulars and throwing their support and money to third party candidate Hoffman. “I can help him win,” writes John Mccain’s former running mate, “including having my political action committee, SarahPac, donate to his campaign the maximum contribution allowed by law.”
Palin is a sure shot in the arm to tea party activists and other conservative groups across the country working on Hoffman’s behalf -- groups that are using this race, says Politico.com, to test their “political muscle” against the GOP. (A republican party which has “lost it’s way,” says former House minority leader Dick Armey). New York’s special election, says Armey, is a “game changer.”
These groups have singled out Dede Scozzafava, who they believe is too liberal, and they have started a national “Dump Dede” campaign. “They’re all making a concerted effort for Doug Hoffman,” says Erick Erickson of Redstate.com, “and they’re making New York a last stand.” Erickson told Politico, “New York should be a hill to die on for conservative activists.”
Bill Owens, the Democrat is now leading in the polls. By siphoning votes from Scozzafava, Sarah Palin and company may actually accomplish something Democrats haven’t done in 138 years…elect a Democrat.
October 23, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (57)
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Just a small off year election at the end of the day. The question is what happens in 2010, when seats that mean something come up. Will Teapartiers have the same impact as the left equivalent, Moveon.org?
Posted by: jhw539 | Oct 23, 2009 3:24:21 PM
I decided to vote for the conservative prior to her announcement.
No way was I going to vote for a MODERATE republican who for all practical purposes could of ran as a democrat.
An upstate voter...
Posted by: Joe Potosky | Oct 23, 2009 3:26:25 PM
ABC only wishes that Palin was/is helping the dems. She is helping conservatives. She stands for all that the 'feminists' want, but she is a conservative, and, consequently, they heap derision. No different than when a person of color stands for and practices conservatism - derision and other personal attacks are initiated.
Posted by: ECMOBeaner | Oct 23, 2009 3:44:17 PM
Sarah Palin 2012
Posted by: Kitty | Oct 23, 2009 4:10:48 PM
Alaska's head-less turkey is back in town!
Posted by: JonnM | Oct 23, 2009 4:20:33 PM
Palin will be the next Prez....
Palin drew crowds that almost matched obama's when she had only campaigned for 2 months and he was on the campaign trail for 3 years, yes I do. This is also despite the fact that the media villified her while worshipping BO.
Palin also out-debated a sitting senator of 35 years that was viewed by 70 million people when she had only been a gov for 2 years. Pretty impressive.
Also, according to Rasmussen polling today, BO's #'s have dropped faster then any other presidents in 50 years. That's not so impressive.
Posted by: Dave | Oct 23, 2009 4:37:15 PM
How is Sarah going to help Hoffman win? she couldnt even help herself win.
Posted by: Anna | Oct 23, 2009 4:43:16 PM
@ JonnM what debate were you watching? she made a complete and utter fool of herself, winking like she did, winking like that is cute if youre running for student body class president,she has never even come CLOSE to the number of people who come to see President Obama speak, 70 million watched, it was a national debate, all of the people who tuned in to watch were not watching Sarah, she cant out debate anyone, she couldnt even mention one magazine she read when she spoke to Katie Couric, she didnt even know what the Bush Doctrine was and you have to nerve to think she could ever be POTUS? stop drinking the kool-aid
Posted by: Anna | Oct 23, 2009 4:51:30 PM
Let me go a little further not only could she NEVER be POTUS, she wouldnt even win the Republican nomination. Why do you think she resigned? she knew she wouldnt get win again. She quit something again, like the 5 colleges she attended. lol at least she adds a little humor
Posted by: Anna | Oct 23, 2009 4:56:24 PM
Palin is God's gift to Democrats. And what a wonderful gift she is!
May Sarah never be smart enough to shut up.
Posted by: Sammy | Oct 23, 2009 5:43:10 PM
who are all these people that think "annie oakley" is REALLY gonna be president? she needs to go back to school and take crash course in political science, history and geography!! politics for dummys, sponsored by FOX NEWS
Posted by: i love bush.......beer | Oct 23, 2009 5:45:47 PM
I understand Sarah's being upset with the Republican Party. Except for empowering the Dem Party overall if the Dem candidate is a much better person, patriotic, and constitutional then why not send a signal to the knothead Socialists trying to take over the Republican party, you know-knothead
Socialists no different than those in charge of the Democratic Party.
For everyone who likes the 'free ride' government gives them - REMEMBER - you may be the taxpayer complaining about the giveouts at your expense when you wake up to reality. Reality? Yeah! Government runs off your money and mine. All the redistribution of wealth is a con job to get votes and favor. Just REMEMBER, "It is fun to spend others money but HELL when you have to pay the bill for that giveaway!!!
Money does not grow on trees and the only thing that the Constitution guarantees you is the 'right to PURSUE happiness' not an entitlement.
Man, if you could con people into giving you your money, get a dribbling back, and keep a lot of it to build your business then you might be very successful - of course at other people's expenses. Con? Convict? Congress? How similar!
Posted by: dale | Oct 23, 2009 5:55:15 PM
Palin 2012 to 2014 1/2...
Even if the Democrats win, the GOP will get the seat back in 2010 and they don't need anymore votes in the house so this is a non-issue. IOW, who cares...
Posted by: Chuck | Oct 23, 2009 6:14:33 PM
What percentage of Americans are actually card carrying members of either party? Just because "registered" American voters had voted one of the candidates in does not mean that the majority of Americans are affiliated with the winning party. If a candidate runs for office, has their head on straight, remembers their oath to protect the constitution, and enforces the laws fairly then I'll vote for them. I'm not one of those euphoric groupies that follows a pied piper.
Posted by: TX_MBell | Oct 23, 2009 6:17:02 PM
David, I must say that your Borg-like mentality is fascinating at times. Remember their mantra:
We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile.
Your ranting is eerily reminiscent of that. I ask you to also remember that...
THEY WERE DESTROYED!
Posted by: FS | Oct 23, 2009 6:25:56 PM
Palin's strategy to move the Republician party farther to the right won't work. Just as Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson can't move the vast majority of Democrates to the far left. She is limited intellectually but, we all watch and listen because she is beautiful and the media loves pretty people and train wrecks...Which in this case is one in the same! For all you Bubba's out there, she won't win any election outside of relocating herself and her family down to South Carolina...AND if the GOP party starts to head the way of her and Rush, the whole mess will appeal more and more to a very targeted deep South core... Whenever anyone talks about us verses them...instead of how all can work together...You know, bringing the vast middle core of common sense Americans together...You lose...
Posted by: Hockey Dad | Oct 23, 2009 7:38:42 PM
Palin writes:"Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share: smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty". Leave it to our media to think smaller Govt, lower taxes, and a stronger defense, is somehow out of the main stream. Once again our media is out of touch with Americans.
Posted by: Bassman | Oct 23, 2009 7:45:39 PM
Palin, the journalism major who never read a major newspaper and who took six years to graduate from 5 different schools. Palin, the governor from Alaska who didn't know about the Supreme Court Case of Exxon vs. Valdez. Wink, wink, by gosh, darn it. Palin, whose radical husband belonged to a secessionist group who wanted to secede from the Union, the same Union that purchased Alaska in the first place from Russia and the same Union under a great Republican President named Abraham Lincoln that fought our bloodiest war to prevent southern states from seceding from the United States. What has happen to the common sense moderates in the Republican Party? We actually need honest to goodness fiscal conservatives in our government, but the neocons in charge of the R Party now are hopeless reactionaries and not fiscal conservatives when it comes to handing out billions to their richest friends. Bring back Teddy Roosevelt, the first president to ask for real health reform and Dwight Eisenhower, who would tax the greedy b_______ from Goldmann Sachs at 91%.
Posted by: Igor | Oct 23, 2009 7:50:05 PM
I am looking forward to some great entertainment. Sarah I love you. Really.
Posted by: Jim Bob | Oct 23, 2009 8:41:46 PM
Too funny!!!
Posted by: Jaylah | Oct 23, 2009 8:57:39 PM
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