Joe Biden is apparently up in New York today campaigning for fellow Democrat Bill Owens in his down-to-the-wire fight against emboldened Conservative Doug Hoffman.
The AP of course does its best to make it simple for us (emphasis mine):
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden is campaigning for the Democratic candidate in a special congressional election that has suddenly become a referendum on the Republican Party.Biden is attending a rally Monday to support Bill Owens, who is facing Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman for the seat in Tuesday's election.
Republican state Assemblywoman Dierdre Scozzafava (skoh-zuh-FAH'-vuh) dropped out of the race Saturday and threw her support to Owens. That's raising eyebrows and questions about GOP unity because fellow Republicans had favored Hoffman.
Owens has already drawn unusual attention for a relatively small election in which no political majority is at stake. President Barack Obama attended a fundraiser in New York City for him last month.
Funny, Bill Owens is the Democrat nominee. A few weeks ago, Doug Hoffman was a fringe 3rd party Conservative candidate polling in the low teens. Today, that same fringe candidate has not only forced the Republican candidate Scozzofava out of the race, but is leading Owens in 2 polls released just days before the election.
Referendum on the Republican party? Hardly. What's happening in NY-23 is a referendum on the Democrat party and the liberal antics of its spender-in-chief, Barack Obama. If Hoffman proves victorious tomorrow, it will be a huge message to the Democrat party that they've exceeded their mandate and will be punished in 2010.
To be sure, Hoffman's rise is a signal to the Republican party to re-calibrate its message around conservative principles, but that signal is itself nothing more than a referendum on how desperate Americans are becoming to unseat their Democrat overlords. Had Obama's first year been anything other than the disaster it's turned out to be, then people like Owens, Deeds (VA) and Corzine (NJ) would have had cakewalks tomorrow riding on the President's coattails.
If there's anything "unusual" about the attention being paid to Bill Owens these days, it's that it isn't being paid by the constituents of NY-23 themselves, who appear to be flocking to the Conservative challenger in droves. Instead, it's coming solely from the likes of smiling Joe Biden and the rest of the Democrat establishment who can't believe they've got to prop up Democrats like Owens so soon after the watershed of 2008.
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Filed under:
Elections
Tags: Barack Obama, Bill Owens, DeDe Scozzofava, Doug Hoffman, Joe Biden, NY-23
Comments (11)
I think it's fair to call i... (Below threshold)1. Posted by James H | November 2, 2009 3:44 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I think it's fair to call it a referendum on the Republican Party. Not on the GOP's suitability to govern, but rather on the GOP's future. If Hoffman can win in the relatively liberal NY23, that sends the Republicans a message on the direction the party can take. If Owens wins, it highlights the perils of swinging to the right.
1. Posted by James H | November 2, 2009 3:44 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 2, 2009 15:44
2. Posted by Old Patriot | November 2, 2009 5:04 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Dede Scozzafava is doing her best to punish Doug Hoffman and the Republican party for dissing her, especially Sarah Palin. That's the only reasonable explanation for her behavior I can come up with. Her support for Bill Owens highlights the fact that she's more a liberal than a Republican, regardless of party affiliation. Let this be the beginning of her quick demise in federal politics.
2. Posted by Old Patriot | November 2, 2009 5:04 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on November 2, 2009 17:04
3. Posted by davidt | November 2, 2009 5:38 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
NY23 has become a referendum on professional politicians vs the people.
Thus Obama and Biden getting involved for Owens, Gingrich and the RNC's endorsment of Scozzafava, and populist leaders endorsing Hoffman.
3. Posted by davidt | November 2, 2009 5:38 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 2, 2009 17:38
4. Posted by GarandFan | November 2, 2009 6:22 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
If the Democrats don't win, it's an indictment of Obama and Company.
If the Dems win, you can damned well bet that it will be hailed as "a continuing endorsement of Team Obama".
4. Posted by GarandFan | November 2, 2009 6:22 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 2, 2009 18:22
5. Posted by Staylor | November 2, 2009 8:00 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Only the AP would try and cast the outcome of an election between a Democrat and right wing Independant as a a referendum on the Republicans.
5. Posted by Staylor | November 2, 2009 8:00 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 2, 2009 20:00
6. Posted by Adrian Browne | November 2, 2009 8:43 PM | Score: -5 (7 votes cast)
This whole thing is Newt Gingrich's fault for having endorsed Scozzafava.
Will Gingrich be PURGED from The Party along with Ms. Scozzafava? Will he apologize to Rush Limbaugh for having endorsed Scozzafava?
6. Posted by Adrian Browne | November 2, 2009 8:43 PM |
Score: -5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on November 2, 2009 20:43
7. Posted by JustRuss IT1(SW) USN [retired] | November 2, 2009 10:09 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Adrian:
He will either realize the error of his ways, or he damn well will be purged. Either that or the new party will not be called Republican any longer if he intends to ride it into the ground.
However this whole thing is the fault of a party which has lost its morals and values in an attempt to gain seats and open up "a big tent".
The problem is that if we get a bunch of moderates or leftleaning centerists with R's by their names, they will never be able to agree on anything enough to fix the problems that are being caused by the current administration. And partially by the one before it.
All that is needed is to convince conservatives that the label does not matter, its the contents that they should vote for. This is probably the only chance we have of actually reforming the Republican party or successfully forming/running/winning third party candidacy.
7. Posted by JustRuss IT1(SW) USN [retired] | November 2, 2009 10:09 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on November 2, 2009 22:09
8. Posted by James Cloninger | November 2, 2009 11:07 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Joe Biden is apparently up in New York today campaigning for fellow Democrat Bill Owens
I feel a little sorry for Bill. If all he's got going for him is Sherriff Joe to the rescue...
8. Posted by James Cloninger | November 2, 2009 11:07 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 2, 2009 23:07
9. Posted by 914 | November 3, 2009 1:25 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
So a Repub gets chili whacked, drops out and "Shazam", supports the leftizoid?
Yeah, sounds legit. What a skank.
9. Posted by 914 | November 3, 2009 1:25 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 3, 2009 01:25
10. Posted by poptoy | November 3, 2009 5:29 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Joe is an Uncle Tom
10. Posted by poptoy | November 3, 2009 5:29 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 3, 2009 05:29
11. Posted by Oyster | November 3, 2009 7:55 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
JustRuss, you're far more accomodating to Adrian than he deserves. His commentary here is nothing more than burlesque sarcasm. He doesn't want a reasoned response. He doesn't care. He just wants to come in, crap on the carpet and leave.
11. Posted by Oyster | November 3, 2009 7:55 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 3, 2009 07:55