Republicans Trying Hard to Out Democrat the Democrats
Pretty much the only thing self-imploding Democratic Party has going for it these days is that the Republican Party has been working overtime to be self-implodinger.
Take, for example, the case of Dede Scozzafava, Republican candidate for New York's 23rd Congressional seat, who was insufficiently homophobic and anti-womens' rights for her party. Did she and her party put their differences about how much gay people should be prejudiced against aside and just fight for that seat together?
Well, let's see…
Scozzafava stepped aside Oct. 31 after her lead in polls evaporated and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a Republican, endorsed [Conservative candidate Doug] Hoffman. Scozzafava said she was "outspent on both sides." Republicans have just two other seats in New York's 29- member House delegation.
Oh, so, maybe I was wrong. She stepped aside so that conservatives didn't split the vote and end up putting a Democrat in office.
Wait, what?
Scozzafava, a state assemblywoman, yesterday announced she is supporting Democrat Bill Owens in his race against Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, in a Nov. 3 special election in New York's traditionally Republican 23rd congressional district.
Lieberman/Scozzafava 2012! We are the people to fuck ourselves over we've been waiting for!
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The reason that the incumbant Republican John McHugh isn't running is that Obama appointed him to be Secretary of the Army. I find it strange that not one of the press articles I've seen mentions this – even in passing. As a journalist, how do you say "special election" without mentioning why the election is being held? Obama's not playing party politic culture wars, Scozzafava's not playing party politic culture wars, just Palin. She doesn't know us here and she doesn't give a damn about us and she won't rest until she's spread her ideological rabies to our quiet little corner of the county, where even the Democrats are pro-gun and even the Republicans love Jon Stewart. She just can't understand that we're not her and we don't want to be her, or have anything to do with her. Sorry to post so many times, but this is where I was born, this is where I went trick-or-treating every Hallowe'en as a kid, this is where I go walking in the woods on weekends, and I can't stand that my neighbors are letting this bacterium sway the way they think.
Why would you assume she's handing her voting bloc to Hoffman? The real world isn't split left/right like the rabbids (e.g Palin) want you to think. Upstate NY tends to vote center-right. Look at Sherwood Boehlert. Can you imagine a conservative unseating him (before he moved on)? His "voting bloc" was half Democrats.
I'm a resident of district 23, will be voting tomorrow, and I'm completely dumbfounded by Scozzafova. If she doesn't want Hoffman to win the election, why would she drop out? Splitting the vote guaranteed Owens the seat, instead she conceded and presumably handed her voting bloc over to Hoffman. That strategy only works if she supports him, but she didn't endorse the guy? I can't make sense out of this.
The Battle of the Parties has proved (since around 1980) to have nothing to do with things like policies and ideology. Elections are pretty much like the fake wrestling matches that were so popular in the '80s. In US politics, regardless of who wins, the game essentially continues as before. On issues that actually matter to the majority, like jobs, health care, poverty and the absence of both any measure of job security or a social safety net, the Democratic and Republican parties will protect and preserve the conservative agenda that has brought us to this terrible point in history.
If this country believed in "truth in advertising," we'd replace the motto on the Statue of Liberty to "Abandon all hope…"
I actually know quite a few people from NYD23, some close friends of the family live up there. Did anyone see Ross Asshat… I mean Douthat, pardon me, speech problem, anyways did you see his op ed in the NYT? He basically said it was awesome that someone from a different district who had no grasp of local politics was entering the race. You know, because a candidate that knows what her constituents want and can represent their interests but splits from the party line on some of the most contentious (and hate-mongering) issues clearly is not fit to be in Congress. Seriously, they should all just toe the party line and not really care about who they represent, we're trying to oppress people's rights and wage a culture war here!
I'd be dumbfounded to learn that
1) Palin can name a single local, regional, or state issue, much less pick the "Republican" stance on that issue out of a line-up, or
2) Palin can name a single town or county in District 23
Don't tell us how to be Republicans, don't tell us how to be Americans, and don't call them snow machines. This from a person who thinks hunting happens out of a helicopter. Go back where you came from, lady. There's no wolf season here.