I’m not waiting to hear from the pundits on this one. I’ll just give my raw reaction to what happened this past evening.
1. Massive win in Virginia: This was expected. Good news, and it sends a message.
2. Win in New Jersey: So far, so GREAT! We’ll have to see if the Democrats use their plan “B.” (Absentee ballots)
3. New York 23: At the time of this writing, Hoffman was projected to lose. This will have some far-reaching consequences, primarily for the relationship between the GOP and it’s long neglected base.
By winning a victory in a powerful and traditional blue state, and over a candidate for which the POTUS personally campaigned, a message has been sent. I agree that this victory will make the blue dogs in Congress think twice about the controversial votes that are to come. Hopefully they will take this development seriously.
NY 23, for me, is a different story. As we know, Dede Scozzfava was the the Republican candidate. She was wrong on nearly every issue. I most other areas, she could have ran as a Democrat, and a left leaning one at that. As a result of a RINO option, the Conservatives revolted, and threw their support behind Doug Hoffman, and Conservative candidate. Sara Palin, Fred Thompson, and other prominent Conservatives the their support behind Hoffman. Hoffman built a strong lead in the polls.
After spending $900,000 on Scozzfava, the RNC apparently sent a message, and she withdrew from the race after some terrible poll numbers late last week. Initially, this was seen as a great victory, and the base rejoiced. That turned into anger on Sunday, when Scozzfava decided to endorse the Democratic candidate over Hoffman.
That betrayal seems to have take the toll, as Hoffman has lost. I initially thought that this was unprecedented. However, it’s nothing new at all, as Erick Erickson discussed over at Redstate.
In Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, conservative Tim Walberg challenged the very liberal Joe Schwartz in the 2006 Republican Primary and won. Walberg went on to win the general election.
In 2008, Schwartz endorsed Democrat Mark Schauer and Shauer used that endorsement to squeak out a win in this +2 Republican District.
In Maryland 1, conservative physician and state senator Andy Harris ran in the Republican Primary against Wayne Gilchrist. Harris defeated Gilchrist only to see Gilchrist throw his support to Democrat Frank Kratovil, who won with 49.12% of the vote.
In Arizona 5, conservative David Schweikert won the Republican nomination, but then lost to liberal Democrat Harry Mitchell. Why? Schweikert’s primary opponent refused to help him and sat on his hands rather than help Schweikert pick up his opponent’s primary support.
In Alabama 2, Jay Love beat Harri Anne Smith in the Republican Primary and ran against Bobby Bright in an R +16 district. Smith endorsed the Democrat and Bright went on to win 50.23% of the vote.
In New York 23, the liberal Dede Scozzafava drops out and instead of supporting the guy the GOP crawls on bended knee to, she endorses the Democrat.
So RINOs do not only get elected and vote with the Democrats, they help Democrats defeat Conservatives back home!
This, frankly, is intolerable. If we are fighting for the core of America…fighting to maintain the nation of the founders, and we have traitors that directly support socialism, what are we doing?
So where is this going? The MSM will claim that the GOP is imploding, and it really might be. However, their typical message will be repeated; “The evil Conservatives are attacking those nice moderates and destroying the GOP!” Of course, no one is going to take this propaganda seriously, but it will be said.
The real issue is whether or not the GOP will take this loss for what it is. They supported a liberal, spent money on her campaign, alienated the base, and then had their candidate betray them support the other side. Not only that, it’s happened before. Will they get it through their heads that they can no longer put RINOs before us and have us vote for them just to avoid the Democrat winning? Do they realize that there are millions of us that will vote on ideology ONLY? They need to learn that they can no longer pat us on the heads and patronize us by saying, “We’re really going to be Conservative this time…HONEST.”
So, if anyone from the GOP leadership actually reads my rant, get this message. Politics as usual is over. We are the base. You may lose with us, but you’ll never win without us.
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Matt
I believe that future generations should have the same opportunities that myself, and those that came before me, had. My parents taught me that I could do anything I wanted to do. I don’t want to have to tell my daughter, “You can do whatever the government tells you to do.” We are at a crossroads in this country; are we going to be free, or are we going to be slaves to the nanny state. I choose freedom.
I am disappointed to see Hoffman lose. You are right about not winning without the base. I’m still not sure if the Republican party gets it. If they do not wake up soon this will become a 3 party system.
They really have to realize that many Conservatives are going to vote on ideology. I can be for a Republican, or not. The choice is theirs.
On my way home from work I heard the news and CBS was already spinning it. Scheifer was saying that the wins by the GOP had nothing to do with national politics. Harry Smith was saying basically the same. The polls weren’t even closed and CBS was spinning it. How disgusting.
Not only that, Harry Smith said that these GOP wins were because the “hard right” was driving the party. Since when did Conservatives become the far right or hard right?? I always thought that hard or far right elements were those paramilitary, end of civilization guys that went into the woods and prepared for Armageddon.
So the far left statists who obviously have control of the Democratic party are “leftists,” according to MSM; but Conservatives are the far right.
Nope, no media bias there.
After reviewing a small portion of what has been said today, it’s clear. One fact is that they want to minimize that this was a judgment on Obama. Second, they want us to think that we’re going to kill the Republican Party. Both are fail, as we don’t listen to them anyway, and most of the public think they’re in the tank for Obama.
There is little doubt but what all sides will see this as they will. This allows the conservatives hope and the liberals a way to deny us relevance. No doubt but what the Brits denied our sincerity until they felt the first musket balls.
For a political organizer and his tribe the tactic is always the same: Neutralize your by eliminating them or deny their existence. They have been compleletly consistent in denying we exist or are legitimate. Let’s see what they say on November 3rd, 2010.
On November 4, 2010, it’ll be Bush’s fault!
I’ll give you the same comment I gave The Anchoress. (BTW: Go read her awesome post: http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/theanchoress/2009/11/04/yes-obama-will-shut-down-the-net/#comments)….
I saw this Churchill quote somewhere today, on Twitter or Facebook or maybe even as graffiti on a wall. I can’t remember, the ADHD is ravaging my brain so badly today.
“This is not the end; it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
That’s right about where were stand at this moment in time. So let’s all get moving toward the beginning of the end.
I think the GOP has learned it’s lesson in that the VA & NJ race was won on traditional conservative values platform and was a referendum against the Obama/Pelosi/Reid socialist leadership.
Agreed. I think that the time spent by the White House and media to deny that fact only shows its credence.
Well said Dave, you’re more of a philosopher than you let on. A heavily armed philosopher, but one none the less.
Matt, I think this goes to show a couple of things:
First, there IS a backlash against the socialist crap being pushed upon us. That’s a good thing, even with the Hoffman defeat in NY.
Second, party affiliation is increasingly irrelevant. It’s not Republicans vs. Democrats, really– it’s liberty versus tyranny.
I agree Karen. My direction was mainly to point out how RINOs turn against their own party, and especially us, when they are challenged.
This is really the end of the beginning for the progressives and blood is in the water as it was after the great air battles over Britian during WWII that prompted Churchhill to utter those immortal words.
A turning point it is.
You know, I am sick of hearing how conservatives are ruining the GOP, fracturing, the GOP, etc. etc. Why is it okay for the far left liberals to pull the Democratic Party in their direction, yet it is not okay for conservatives to pull the Republican Party to the right? Everywhere I turn, I hear how the conservatives are driving moderates away from the Republican Party, but I beg to differ. The Republican candidates pulled a large majority of independents to their side in yesterday’s elections and I would suspect a large portion of those independents probably consider themselves to be moderate. I think we are doing more right than they want to give us credit for.
I think the media and administration are marching in lockstep to make us think ther their claim is true. Problem is (for them), no one is listening to them anyway. Also, they want the blue dogs and other moderates to think that these events are an aberration, and to continue to be intimidated by Pelosi and the POTUS, not their own constituents.
This is just the beginning, and the GOP might want to exercise some semblance of sound judgment and listen to the people for a change. Get on board or get pushed aside, the principles of our Founding Fathers supersede party ideology.
Well said sir, well said.
This might just best categorize the GOP wins this past Tuesday…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crushing_by_elephant
NY-23′s results can ambiguously be spun either way in favor of the Dems or the GOP. I wish Hoffman had just won – it would have been much simpler.
Yeah, there would have been no ambiguity then, and we’d have another seat.
I think the GOP has learned it’s lesson in that the VA & NJ race was won on traditional conservative values platform and was a referendum against the Obama/Pelosi/Reid socialist leadership…sure hope thats true!!!
I do too Angel. If they pass this crap, we’re going to have a hell of a time removing it.