Defying Expectations, Democrat Bill Owens Wins In New York's 23rd Congressional District
Tuesday November 3, 2009 11:16 p.m.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
When national conservatives--and one out-of-district Conservative party candidate--took on Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava for the right to replace Republican Congressman John McHugh in the House, no one thought Democratic sacrificial lamb Bill Owens had a snowball's chance in hell. But after weeks of increasingly heated, nasty rhetoric from the right wing of her own party, Scozzafava's numbers were tanking and she got tired of the nastiness that isn't typically part of upstate New York politics. And then things got interesting.
Sick of the rhetoric from supposed members of the party she'd served faithfully for years, Scozzafava backed district resident--and Democrat--Bill Owens for the seat. And the man whose polling numbers were in the tank just a week ago apparently surged to victory tonight. With more than 70 percent of precincts reporting, Bill Owens appears to have pulled a Bill Clinton over his personal Ross Perot to win New York's 23rd Congressional seat.
This time, however, the mainstream media and teabaggers--who raced to a state that as recently as a year ago they derided as not "Real America"--won't be rushing to blame Obama (or themselves). They'll probably just go back to telling Americans in New York that they aren't American enough to qualify. Apparently, Real Americans only elect conservatives.
There are 21 comments
Hey, Moderator--
Do something about lorry, please.
I think it's wonderful that the Repubs and conservatives created a circular firing squad over this one. While the Far Right media are crowing over the referendum on Obama presented by New Jersey and Virginia, it would seem to me that the NY 23rd served as a pretty strong referendum on Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck. My guess is that no Republican candidate will seek either of their endorsements in 2010.
A Moderator has removed this comment due to a Terms of Service violation.
@ 3.
RealityBites
+++++++++++++
Odd that you are accusing the Left of promoting the use of TEABAGS when it is your own side who has used tht very image to unite their own incredibly uneducated groups.
Just so that we all are on the same page, let us just take a stroll down the MANY areas where the Far Right has used a TEA BAG or used that expression to further their own corporate love affair.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1.
The Tea Party-ers sent TEABAGS to the White House
http://www.reteaparty.com/2009/02/27/rick-santelli-is-as-m d-as-hell-chicago-tea-party/
2.
A wonderfully tea-baggy photo of a man with teabags literally "dripping" of of his hat (#2):
http://www.cbsnews.com/elements/2009/04/15/in_depth_us/pho oessay4946978_1_2_photo.shtml?tag=page
3.
More pix of a Tea Party enthusiast holding a box of teabags asking for more (#7):
http://www.cbsnews.com/elements/2009/04/15/in_depth_us/pho oessay4946978_1_7_photo.shtml?tag=page
4.
A smiling human with a teabags hanging from their glasses (#10)
http://www.cbsnews.com/elements/2009/04/15/in_depth_us/pho oessay4946978_1_10_photo.shtml?tag=page
5.
The original site for the "TEABAG PARTY". Seems pretty clear to me that this is WHAT the teabaggers want to call themselves...
http://teabagparty.org/
6.
Photo of a man holding a sign saying "TEABAG WASHINGTON":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tea_Party_Protest _Hartford,_Connecticut,_15_April_2009_-_050.jpg
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There are far more examples, but that's about all I want to expend on such a silly accusation...
The sad part is, that both sides claim victory, everyone packs up their gear, and it's business as usual inside of a week. The fallout from this is obvious:
1) Republicans are split -- the moderates and the conservatives are at war with each other. A house divided against itself cannot stand.
2) People don't vote for parties, generally, in local elections -- they vote issues, issues that are important to them. The minute you start making a local campaign about a national agenda, you get tuned out. Corzine found that out in NJ -- national stage issues mean nothing when the voters you are courting are watching their jobs disappear, businesses shut down, and property taxes skyrocket.
3) National party reps can't simply fly in and sway the people locally -- Sarah Palin knew about as much about local politics in the 23rd as she did about the view from her back porch. It's safe to say Glenn Beck has never seen most of upstate New York.
4) This election cycle has as much to do with next year's mid-terms as Angelina Jolie has to do with the price of tea in China -- for both sides. Get over yourselves and get back to governing the country.
#12 voltar
The unfortunate thing for you wingnuts is:
wins for Governor in NJ and VA do nothing to decrease the national Democratic majority...
which just increased by one more last night.
Tootles.
Silly voltar. Keep moving your party further to the right. We will control congress for the next 40 years like we did last time. Uff took care of the other facts.
#8 Dwight
Only a conservative can turn "a Democrat having won a seat not held by Democrats since the Civil War" into "a Democrat winning was a foregone conclusion". Denial ain't just a river...
#3 Reality Bites
The reality is that you're in the minority with the rest of the teabaggers.
And that must bite.
If you're sickened, please feel free to leave. Do us a favor.
@12 voltar
It seems like you aren't going to let a few facts stop you from celebrating, but I'll give them to you anyway.
In VA, the governorship has shifted to the party opposite to that of the president for the past 36 years
In NJ, the same thing has happened for the past 28 years
In other words, the big news would have been if the dem had won, as he did in NY 23, which last had a dem in that seat when Ulysses Grant was president. The dem won, despite the fact that Caribou Barbie and TPaw supported Hoffman, and Gingrich and Steele supported Scozzafozza. Civil war in the repub party among its gaggle of lightweights let a dem take a seat that had been repub for over a century. Not looking very good for 2012 if you're a repub, does it? There is plenty of blood to be spilled within the repub party over the next two years.
Yep, that's right...we lost!
We only took the top three positions in Virginia (which apparently never happens in the DC backyard) and toppled a Democrat governor in a Navy Blue state where the dead usually walk during election day (ACORN Magic)
So, enjoy your "victory".
364 days to go!
Poor voltar, you didnt get your "routs", did you? Shows that you extremists are on the fringe of society. Dems won in all the big cities and won both congressional elections.
Hey, Moderator:
Remember that when the enlightened refer to Bush as a chimp.
@ 3 RealityBites,
==============================================================
Please refrain from using vulgarity, harassment or insulting language when discussing a public figure, one of our hosts or another member of AA. Continued abuse of the Terms of Service can and will cause your comments to be deleted.
Attacking an "idea" is acceptable, whereas attacking a "person" is not. We ask that you familiarize yourself with our Terms of Service, whose link is located at the bottom of every page.
==============================================================
Thank you for all of your cooperation
http://airamerica.com/terms/
==============================================================
To use the the phrase defying expectations is either, a misunderstanding of the meaning of words or placing to much meaning in words making the phrase a lie. The truth is the democrat candidate was always in the lead; and when the Republican Candidate withdrew and cast her support to the democrats it became a forgone conclusion. But like all liberats they interpret things to support their own world view as they cannot see things as they are. Having lived in the 23rd district I know it is a depressed economy and hopelessness abounds. So when government offers a handout, they would rather eat today than take the chance of nothing tomorrow. Democrats feed on need. Not hope, faith or self reliance.
fitzwilliam have you been laid lately?
How vitriolic the rhetoric was or not makes no matter now. Here's what Conservative Radicals need to remember: Scozzafava was chosen by the eleven Republican Party county chairs located in the 23rd Congressional district. However, the new national storm troopers decided Scozzafava was "too liberal," and brought in a carpet-bagger. Now what do you think all those loyal moderate Republicans will be thinking come the next election? Best for the right wing radicals who are destroying an honored political party to consider what happened to the first set of storm troopers in the 1940s.
Another kiss of death, compliments of Sara "the brain" Palin, Rush "the pain killer" Limbaugh and those idiotic TEABAGGERS who are so entertaining to watch. LOL
Actually didn't the tea party folks walk around waving tea bags? I recall seeing several photos. I guess you could say they were palin' around with teabaggers.
How open-minded and balanced of your Meghan. You sound like just another example of media sold out for good old Obama. I am SICKENED by you and your liberal friends insistence on denigrating conservatives by using the term "Tea-baggers" instead of "Tea Party." We all get your juvenile, immoral reference.. wink-wink, nod, nod, chuckle, chuckle. Go back to Jr high you immoral idiot.
By "full of hot air" I mean you are making up the "nasty rhetoric" comment by not being able to back it up with facts.
Can you define "nasty rhetoric" specifically? Or are you full of hot air?
Post a Comment
You are not logged in:
Log In | Register