NY-23 What Does it Mean?
November 5, 2009 by Caitlin
Filed under News and Analysis
Analysis…
Tuesday’s election of Bill Owens in the 23rd Congressional District of New York was a surprise. The seat has received much attention after Republican Sarah Palin endorsed the independent candidate, Doug Hoffman, claiming the Republican candidate, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava was too liberal. Embarrassed by her own party, Scozzafava dropped out of the race and threw her support behind Democrat Bill Owens. The result was an election media blitz as Vice President Joe Biden campaigned for Owens and Palin, Fred Thompson and others supported Hoffman. Owens pulled out the victory, but what does it mean?
Huffington Post | As a result of Tuesday’s election, a sad escalation of instability, unrealistic expectations and hard edged politics is likely. While this actually bodes well for Democrats in 2010 and 2012 as Republicans continue their headlong rush to embrace the most extreme and divisive elements, the Democrats’ gain is actually the country’s loss. The only way we will successfully deal with our challenges of health care, education, the economy and fiscal situation, and our crumbling infrastructure is when we can have a rational conversation between the American people and their government. The fallout from the campaign in New York’s 23rd District likely made that conversation harder than ever.
The Monkey Cage | I think the NY-23 story is a great illustration of two basic and related phenomena. First, party coalition members constantly negotiate and renegotiation their party’s collective position, and they often do so with nominations. Second, ideologues strongly influence the preferences of party activists, so the party ultimately has to respond to them.
The League of Ordinary Gentlemen| First, what works for conservatives in Texas or Georgia might not work for conservatives in California or New York. One of the lovely things about conservative philosophy is its emphasis on local politics. Dede Scozzafada may not have been red enough meat for the likes of Sean Hannity or Michelle Malkin, but she might have been just the right shade for northern New Yorkers. Doug Hoffman, on the other hand, might have fit in better somewhere else. Really, it was a northern New York affair. The national Republican meddling distorted the issues on the ground. Left alone, Scozzafada may very well have beat Owens, giving the GOP a much-needed seat in the House – even if she wasn’t of purest stock. Remember, in Virginia, the Republican candidate campaigned on fiscal and economic issues – as a pragmatic leader, not as a red meat social conservative. And he won.
The Next Right | The story of NY-23 is not “conservatives beat moderates” or “conservative loses to Democrat”. The story of NY-23 is “the Right starts dismantling the Republican establishment.” This is about how the Republican Party is defined and who defines it.
Right now, the movement wants the Republican Party to be defined by opposition to big government. Gradually, as new leaders arise, we will demand that the Republican Party be defined by its own solutions, as well, but rebuilding is an incremental process. We can hammer out the policy agenda and the boundaries of the coalition later.
News…
AARP On Board? | Talking Points Memo
The AARP is planning a major announcement on health care tomorrow, an official told TPMDC tonight. But the group won’t confirm today’s AP story that AARP is ready to endorse the health care reform bill presented by House Democrats this week.
Feminists Hate Sarah Palin Because She Lost Her Baby Weight | The Sexist
Theory #5: We hate her because we’re jealous that she’s pro-life:
INGRAHAM: Admit it right now. Palin is hot. She is pro-life. She shoots. She hunts. She has a big family. And all these feminists are like just seething with jealousy about it.
Do Vertical Farms Make Sense | Treehugger
From Mike’s first post in 2005 (showing SoA Architectes iconic tower) to Romses Architects Harvest Green, we have been collecting them. They are wonderful images, visions of a green future of hyperlocal food. But Philip and Hank throw cold water all over them, saying Let’s Make This Clear: Vertical Farms Don’t Make Sense.
Caitlin is a University of Oklahoma graduate who is recently completed an Americorps year of service in Los Angeles, CA. She lives in LA and writes freelance.
