Republicans had a good night in Virginia – where the Democratic candidate ran a weak campaign – and New Jersey, where they knocked off an incumbent closely tied with Wall Street. But thanks to Sarah Palin the Democrats have one victory to cheer about: New York’s 23rd Congressional district.
This was a House seat that by all accounts should have been kept by the Republicans (the incumbent Republican resigned to become Army Secretary). It was what you call a safe seat.
Local Republicans put up local moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava as their candidate.
Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and other top-tier Republican leaders balked and threw their support behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, a man who didn't even live in the district.
In turn, Scozzafava dropped out and endorsed Democrat Bill Owens, saying that he was closer to the moderate and independent nature of the district.
Tonight Bill Owens stands as the congressman-elect from the NY 23rd.
Scozzafava was a fiscal conservative but a social liberal. That’s the kind of Republican that generally win office in New York (see Giuliani, Rudy). But Palin and her crowd, including nearly all of the 2012 Republican presidential candidates who fell over themselves endorsing Hoffman after the former Alaska governor had given her blessing; seemed a lot less interested in winning than they did in having an ideologically pure candidate.
The message to liberal and moderate Republicans: your party doesn’t want you anymore.
Palin is simply the gift that keeps on giving. Keep up the good work. Tonight Nancy Pelosi has one more vote for health care to count on.
