Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Adjusting the Spin

by BooMan
Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 12:00:24 AM EST

Mark Ambinder tries to tell us what the result of the special election in NY-23 will mean before we even know the result. Well, two can play that game. As far as I am concerned, the Democrats have already won. Either their candidate will win a seat that has been held by Republicans for something like a century or they will lose it to a teabagger. That's a no-lose situation if I've ever seen one. The GOP's candidate will almost definitely come in third. They'll still try to spin it as a win if the third-party conservative wins the race. RNC Chairman Michael Steele is already singing that song. But electing teabaggers isn't a good sign for the health of the Republican Party in the northeast or any place else. Being crazy and out of touch is what got the party in all the trouble they're in. Seeing all the heavyweights of the national party swoop in and gang up on a reasonably moderate candidate for the House is going to scare off a bunch of prospective Yankee Republicans who might have thought of running for office. All the Republicans I knew growing up in New Jersey are just going to shake their heads as they read about that one in the Wall Street Journal on their train ride into the City.

If the Democrat wins, he'll probably compile one of the most conservative voting records of any northerner in Congress. But he won't be crazy. And he'll vote for Speaker Pelosi and make it one seat harder for the GOP to retake the House. So, I don't really care who wins because, as far as my interests are concerned, I can't lose.

How's that for advance spin?

Update [2009-10-31 11:24:57 by BooMan]: Holy shit! They dogged her out of the race.

Adjusting the Spin | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Adjusting the Spin (4.00 / 2)

I see your point, but I also think about my parents' district in NJ. There used to be a moderate Republican, whom the right worked hard to defeat. Now, in her place is Scott Garrett, one of the most right wing congressmen out there. Neither the district, the state, nor the country is better off with such a character in office. Now he wins election after election after election. So far, there hasn't been an effective challenge either from the Democratic side (Shulman lost 56-42 last election, no better than the two previous candidates) or from moderate Republicans. A side note: Steve Doocy, from Fox, lives in that district.

by panhuwu on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 01:52:43 AM EST

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 0)

Any chance Shulman will run again? he is most impressive.

Viva Obama

by Errol on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 09:58:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (4.00 / 2)

Wish I remembered who to credit with this line:
The opposition party is never more than a crisis or a scandal away from power.

by gVOR08 on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 10:02:11 AM EST

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 0)

actually it would be the bestest if the teabagger wins. we need some more of the nuts. their presence simply displays their absurdity for the rest of the citizenry and there is no way in hell that the vast, and i mean vast majority wants to see this country go down that road.
you are sooooo right (ooops- i mean correct!)

by billjpa (billjpa@aol.com) on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 08:27:03 AM EST

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 0)

Spin tempts the fates.

The more idiots we send to Congress, the more we all can lose.

by Alice on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 08:56:24 AM EST

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

They dogged her out of the race!!

by BooMan on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 11:25:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

Her statement here, note that she endorses none of the other candidates:

"Today, I again seek to act for the good of our community," Ms. Scozzafava wrote in a letter to friends and supporters. "It is increasingly clear that pressure is mounting on many of my supporters to shift their support. Consequently, I hereby release those individuals who have endorsed and supported my campaign to transfer their support as they see fit to do so.
[...]

by ask on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 11:37:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

I'm not positive that this helps the Teabagger. Basically, more than half her supporters have to go to him, and I don't think is assured.

by BooMan on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 11:41:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 0)

I tend to agree - the nut cases had already jumped to Hoffman. What support she had left were the moderate republicans, those that must cringe at what is happening to their party.

by ask on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 12:11:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

I just realized she'll still be on the ballot. Maybe her supporters will just vote for her anyway. I would be amazing if she ended up winning because she made herself the ultimate "outsider".

FDR's response to progressive demands: "I agree. Now go out and make me do it."

by DaveW on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 01:16:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 0)

If Teabag does win, though, I suppose it makes a "GOP wins" spin more credible, no?

FDR's response to progressive demands: "I agree. Now go out and make me do it."

by DaveW on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 01:05:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 0)

Independence Party Chairman Endorses Bill Owens

[...]
“Some of our local organizations have endorsed Hoffman now that Scozzafava is out, and I want to be careful and respect their decisions,” said MacKay, who lives in downstate Suffolk County. “I don’t have a vote in the district. But if I did, I would vote for Bill Owens.”
MacKay said that the party — whose support of Rep. Scott Murphy (D-N.Y.) might have helped him win the tight NY-20 special election this year — might have erred in endorsing Scozzafava.
“If I knew how chaotic the Scozzafava campaign was going to be, I would have gone with Owens in the beginning,” said MacKay. “That certainly was a disastrous campaign.”

by ask on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 04:47:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

The GOP is rapidly degenerating into a cult. If the Democrats win on healthcare reform, there won't be enough Republicans left in Washington after the 2010 election to throw a card party - and the Republicans know it. That's why they're thowing as many obstructions at it as they can muster.

Eric L. Wattree wattree.blogspot.com Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.

by Wattree (Wattree@verizon.net) on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 10:25:20 AM EST

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

Three can play this spin game.

What constitutes the right in this country, and what constitutes the "center," has drifted ever-rightward for 40 years.

Two things have enabled that: bat-shit crazy legislators and governors on the right, and accommodationist Democrats who help enable and legitimize them. We're going to get one or the other in Congress from NY-23.

That's a win?

by Geov Parrish on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 10:25:53 AM EST

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

thus, the reason I don't care who wins.

by BooMan on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 11:02:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

they forced her out....wow

by rikyrah on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 12:14:17 PM EST

Re: Adjusting the Spin (none / 1)

True spin for Va. Governor's Race

Since 1977, Va. has always elected a Governor who belongs to the opposition party of the President even when the President has won the state by a large margin. Even St. Reagan.

Talking point for Tues. Per Wikipedia, List of Va. Governors

by cat on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 12:57:05 PM EST

It was a good strategy for the Repubs (none / 0)

as I said in the previous thread on this when everyone else was ridiculing it. Is anyone here still ridiculing the Repub strategy on this? We should be taking notes, and looking for an opportunity to do the same for a Democrat too conservative for their district, a la Jane Harman.

by bento on Sat Oct 31st, 2009 at 04:29:10 PM EST

Adjusting the Spin | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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