Two weeks ago marked a turn in the Republican comeback. Running on conservative issues and against the anti-American socialist policies of Barack Obama, Republicans picked up the governorships in New Jersey and Virginia. Try as they might to dismiss the events, the Obama team was clearly sent a message: America is a conservative country, and it rejects your left-wing takeover.
New Jersey and Virginia were not the only focal points on Election Day. The special election in New York's 23rd congressional district pitted an unknown candidate representing the Conservative Party against his Democrat opponent. The so-called "Republican" candidate dropped out. Despite the fiasco brought about by the Republican Party establishment backing a candidate more liberal than the Democrat, Doug Hoffman (the conservative candidate) nearly won. But wait... perhaps Election Day really was a clean sweep for the conservative cause. It turns out that the NY-23 race is getting closer by the day, and Hoffman has unconceded his concession. Here are the details...
First some background: In this special election, a small group of Republican Party chairman, with the support of the National Republican Congressional Committee, rallied around Dede Scozzafava as the Republican nominee. She is more liberal than about half of the Democrats in the NY State Assembly. There was a huge backlash, and Republicans in the district turned away from her and put their support behind the Conservative Party's Doug Hoffman.
When Scozzafava plummeted in the polls, not only did she suspend her campaign, but she then threw her support behind the Democrat! Does that sound like a "real" Republican to you? On election night, Scozzafava still drew about 5 percent of the vote, enough to tilt the race to Democrat Bill Owens.
Despite the closeness of the race -- only a few thousand votes difference -- Hoffman conceded to Owens on election night. However, that has all changed. As reported by The Hill, "Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman has "unconceded" in New York's special House election after reports that the vote margin narrowed between him and Rep. Bill Owens (D)."
The Syracuse Post-Standard reports that Hoffman "was down 5,335 votes with 93 percent of the vote counted on election night."
Now a recanvassing in the 11-county district shows that Owens' lead has narrowed to 3,026 votes over Hoffman, 66,698 to 63,672, according to the latest unofficial results from the state Board of Elections.
In Oswego County, where Hoffman was reported to lead by only 500 votes with 93 percent of the vote counted election night, inspectors found Hoffman actually won by 1,748 votes -- 12,748 to 11,000.
The new vote totals mean the race will be decided by absentee ballots, of which about 10,200 were distributed, said John Conklin, communications director for the state Board of Elections.
Rather than wait for the recanvassing and the counting of absentee ballots, Hoffman conceded on election night. Owens was immediately sworn in and cast a vote to help pass the Democrats' health care bill in the House.
Hoffman is certainly ready to keep fighting. In an e-mail to supporters on Friday, Hoffman wrote, "Our Campaign Is Not Over Yet!"
You have stood by us through this challenging campaign, one that took many unexpected twists and turns. First two liberals were running against one conservative. Then the liberal Republican dropped out of the race and, showing her true colors, endorsed the real Pelosi Democrat. On Election Day the votes were close, and we thought we had lost.
Yet now, a little more than a week after Election Day, our fight takes another turn as reports surface that the election was far closer than we had originally thought. There is only a 3,000-vote difference and final tally will be decided by a count of 10,000 absentee ballots.
Hoffman would need over 65% of those absentee ballots to win, so he is certainly a long shot. But the point is that an unknown conservative battling against an established Democrat, a Republican who is a Democrat, and the confusion over Scozzafava's withdrawal and endorsement has come very close to winning. And the margin keeps getting closer. Imagine what would have happened if the Republican establishment had just picked a real Republican!
There is an old tradition in Yankee Stadium in New York that when the Yankees win they play “New York, New York” with Frank Sinatra singing it; when they loose, the play the version where Liza Minnelli sings it. Let’s hope it’s not the Fat Lady who sings but the Skinny Guy and the home town Conservative Republican makes a walk off home run to Congress!
Comment by Jake November 17, 2009 @ 11:38 am
I personally hope that Hoffman does win and they can unseat Owens and send him packing. We need more people like Doug Hoffman running for office in this country.
Comment by bobjamieson November 17, 2009 @ 11:50 am
I hope the RNC and the Republican elitists in DC get their heads out of the "south end" and get back to basic American principles.
At this point I am supporting only a few candidates directly. The GOP & the RNC, who keep begging for money can stand behind the worthless street beggars (who should be arrested for vagrancy!).
Time for our Country to regain itself again and it is time the American people start asking hard questions of their candidates. If we did this prior to the elections Obama would be just another Marxist muslim wanna be, operating his illegal ACORN project with the rest of the Chicago mobsters. But now we have Chicago style mobster politics in Washington, as if it weren't bad enough already.
Where's a Reagan when you need one?!
Comment by onewildman November 17, 2009 @ 11:50 am
I want to know do they have to re-vote on the health bill if Hoffman wins because the person who voted was not the legal winner of the seat? I would to see the reaction Pelosi Reid and Obama if Hoffman wins.
Comment by donna rose November 17, 2009 @ 11:57 am
I am praying God will answer our prayers and declare Hoffman the winner. (He always answers our prayers)
America was and is founded on the word of God. Christians will not give up.
Comment by Tom Gregory November 17, 2009 @ 12:16 pm
The republican party is notorious in nominating people, commonly called RINO'S, republican in name only, to try and persuade the conservatives to vote republican,let down your guard, we're from the government and here to help you. To use a sentence from the authors comments, Imagine what would have happened if the Republican establishment had just picked a real Republican!
My consensious entirely, John McCain...nuff said.
Comment by kelly November 17, 2009 @ 12:57 pm
SWEET!
God willing we will be seeing an actual win here!!!
Will the GOP finally get a clue?
Let's see how they treat Palin and Paul, that will tell the story, imo.
Comment by ConservativeInCA November 17, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
This is another example how the RINOs that lead the Dem....Republican party are lost sheep under the direction of Michael Steele. When we get true conservative leadership back at the helm of the Republican party I will once again begin to support the National Headquarters. Until then I will only support local candidates that I know are tru conservatives and not just Republicans In Name Only!
Comment by MrT November 17, 2009 @ 1:59 pm
Signing in a candidate when all the votes have not been counted is high handed and shows how far the speaker will go to trample upon the voters. Get that woman out of her position-she is truely unqualified or corrupt, either of which are grounds for removal!
Comment by Carol from So Cal November 17, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
Keeping my fingers crossed that Hoffman pulls it off! Conservatives are just too danged nice and polite. If only that idiot Franken had conceded instead of demanding a recount.
Comment by Publius98 November 17, 2009 @ 2:21 pm
It's obvious the RNC AND the GOP haven't got a clue. They haven't had a clue for years through election cycle after election cycle, loss upon loss, post-election analysis through post-election analysis.
They obviously keep getting their strategic analysis from the liberal spin machine loosely referred to as the American free press, and can't see through the left-wing agenda that is so freaking obvious to conservatives. WAKE UP RNC ... AND GOP!!! The liberal media DON'T WANT YOU TO WIN, so why do you listen to their analysis blaming conservatives for the loss?
The "PEOPLE" of this nation want policy built on CONSERVATI|VE principles, not liberal lite. The party squanders our donations and winning opportunities supporting candidates like Scozzafava, thus helping the Democrats to destroy our freedoms, and then comes crying for MORE donations. It's rather like a rapist appealing to his victim for a character reference at his trial, so he can go free to rape again.
I personally have heard the cry "Wolf!" one too many times. How is it possible that anyone, in his right mind, can look at a candidate like Scozzafava whose liberal record would be the envy of Hillary Clinton and think, "Boy! Here's a candidate that can really help OUR cause!" Maybe the RNC leaders are so smart they are out-thinking themselves and strategizing the party into oblivion.
I'm starting to think that is giving them too much credit. When polls show the American people (especially the Independents who offer the winning margin) tend to be Conservative, and the RNC keeps listening to Liberal media and bloggers say the Moderate/Liberal candidates they offer are too Conservative, that falls under the heading of "STUPID"!!
Comment by incumbentrant November 17, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
If, after the final recount, with the absentee ballots thrown in, Hoffman wins, (breath)will he be able to be seated? Let's not forget the battle the dems put up to get Frankenstein installed in Minnesota...
Comment by Panama1944 November 17, 2009 @ 5:34 pm
Once the local election board certifies the election results and declares a winner, the House is then obligated to seat the winner. Owens was seated based on the concession of Hoffman on election night. Had he not conceded, Owens could not have been seated and, thus, could not have voted on the health care bill of Comrade Pelosi. Hoffman has now "unconceded" and I don't know where that leaves everything. I suspect that Owen's vote will be allowed to stand since he had been seated "properly." Do we have any constitutional attorneys in this group to clear it up?
Comment by onewildman November 17, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
I just want people Owen was not seated properly. The election official's informed that no winner would be declared until the votes were all counted. Therefore Owen could not legally be seated or recognized by the State of New york.
Comment by ActionAmerica November 18, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
This is great news. Even if Hoffman still doesn't win, it will be one more reminder for the GOP (RINO) elite, that GOP voters will no longer just blindly follow the RINO elite off the cliff. Of course, if he does win, then it will really get the attention of the RINO elite.
But, we won't know if we got their attention until the RNC kicks out Michael Steele, as Chairman and replaces him with a real conservative.
After all, Steele has stated in no uncertain terms that he will support—if not prefer, in some instances—the less conservative Republican candidate in the primaries. He also continued to defend his support for Scozzafava after GOP voters had roundly rejected her.
His excuse was that he GOP must be open to candidates who may not share all of the party's principles. The problem with Scozzafava, is that she shared almost none of the GOP's principles and still Steele supported her.
It's time for Michael Steele to go and for the RNC to start acting like conservatives, rather than Democrat Lite.
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