Saturday, October 31, 2009

NY23: SCOZZAFAVA QUITS! UPDATE: New poll shows Hoffman in dead heat with Democrat Owens

Just confirmed that Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava has quit the race. Speaking to supporters, Scozzafava broke down in tears.

UPDATE: Scozzafava, the hand-picked choice of the New York state GOP in the key 23rd District special election, reportedly will throw her support to Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Scozzafava's withdrawal came shortly after a new Siena College poll was released this morning, showing her in third place, with Hoffman neck-and-neck with Democrat Bill Owens.

UPDATE II: Steven Foley of 73Wire Campaign Trail is also on the story. Foley's crew is over at Starbucks, while I'm poaching the lobby computer at a hotel here in Lake Placid. I am the Poacher King.

My source called this morning to confirm the story while Foley was on the phone with his source. Ali Akbar has text of Dede Scozzafava's farewell.

UPDATE III: Linked at Hot Air where Ed Morrissey comments:
Scozzafava has seen her negatives explode, while her two opponents have only become more accepted as they became more well known. She has no chance of winning this race, and her withdrawal leaves Hoffman with the Republican vote whether she endorses him or not.
My buddy Jude Seymour at the Watertown (N.Y.) Daily Times also has the story:
Ms. Scozzafava told the Watertown Daily Times that Siena Research Institute poll numbers show her too far behind to catch up - and she lacks enough money to spend on advertising in the last three days to make a difference.
UPDATE IV: Also linked at Right Klik, which is aggregating the news of Scozzafava from all sources. No word yet from Tucker Carlson.

UPDATE V: Also now linked at Paco Enterprises, Underground Conservative, Jammie Wearing Fool, and million-hitter William Jacobson at Legal Insurrection. We're grateful for the link by Michelle Malkin and by Richard McEnroe at Three Beers Later who says:
NEVER believe you don't have power. NEVER let them tell you that. . . .
Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, the rest of the thieving, corrupt, smug, lying Democrat Party . . . NEVER believe we aren't coming for you
Note the New York Daily News summary of the Sienna Poll:
Hoffman's voters are the most committed, with 93 percent of them saying that are either absolutely or fairly certain they won't be changing their minds on Election Day, while 84 percent of Owens' voters say the same thing about him and 73 percent of Scozzafava supporters are loyal to her.
There is something about the kind of grassroots underdog campaign that Hoffman is running that creates a resolute determination on the part of the candidate's supporters.

Speaking of resolute determination, now would be a good time to thank Nathan Cossey and all the dozens of other readers whose contributions to the Shoe Leather Fund have made possible this road trip. Please continue to hit the tip jar. Ali Akbar needs a ride to the Buffalo airport on Wednesday.

UPDATE VI: Thanks to Kim Priestap of Wizbang for noting that Eric Odom of 73Wire first reported the news of Dede's withdrawal via Twitter. The generosity of Odom, Foley and Akbar during this trip has been greatly appreciated, and certainly I don't want to glory-hog, given how often they've scooped me -- and will no doubt scoop me again. We're a news-busting posse, and it's a friendly competition.

We're a headline at Big Government and, via Memeorandum, we learn of our linkage from Doug Brady at Conservatives for Palin. Hey, does Sarah deserve credit for answering the call, or what? She's a big-game hunter, and the same skills that bag a moose can obviously be applied to RINOs. While we're handing out kudos, how about The Man Upstairs? Two weeks ago, I wrote at The American Spectator:
Hoffman's pro-life supporters have reportedly launched an e-mail campaign -- including prayer requests -- to secure the endorsement of Palin . . .
Well, those prayers were answered, weren't they? When you pray for angels, keep an eye out for those "angels unawares."

UPDATE VII: Big shout-out to Erick Erickson of Red State, who came out strong and early for Hoffman and pushed hard. The role of CPAC director Lisa De Pasquale -- who got about a dozen conservative bloggers on an Oct. 14 conference call -- must also be acknowledged. (Note to self: Make list of names for Wednesday a.m. discussion panel about NY23.)

Well, time to hit Starbucks, meet up with the crew and go get ready for the trip to Plattsburgh.

Our complete coverage of the NY23 special election

38 comments:

  1. Huge victory for the New Media. Memo to the RINOs: "Can you hear us now?"

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  2. Great scoop, Stacy. Congratulations!

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  3. This is a great rebuke to the misguided pragmatists who turned the Party of Reagan into the Party of Bush. Way to go, New York conservatives!

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  4. Holy moly. This is going to be a case study, isn't it?

    By the way, The Daily Caller is showing some signs of life--two job postings at JournalismJobs.com, one for an executive editor, the other for freelance writers.

    Having trouble pasting tiny url links, so just go to the above address and select "online media"

    -Chris Fotos, former PostWatch guy

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  5. Am I the only one who feels bad for her? Whether you liked her politics or not, prominent Republicans lied about some of her positions and sabotoged her run. She could have stayed in the race and played spoiler, but decided to withdraw, which will give Hoffman the best chance to win. I'm glad people have stood up for what they believed, but it would be nice if they didn't celebrate by mocking her now. Just a tad classless.

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  6. WOW!!! RINO's YOU BETTER FEEL THE HEAT OF THE CUDA!!!!!

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  7. Pardon me if I brownnose for a moment: Stace, you deserve a good chunk of the credit for this. WOLVERINES! indeed.

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  8. This looks like an immense victory for Gov Palin.

    Go get em Cuda. It looks like the Artic Fox is now the head of the Republican party.

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  9. Great news Stacy, I'll be checking in frequently, linked at LCR.

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  10. This is wonderful news! How often does one get to send a message to the currupt Democrats and the indifferent Republicans in one fell swoop?

    Next, I'd love to see a complete list of the national GOPers who supported Dede. I'd like to send them my love.

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  11. May be this will give the RNC and DNC a message, that the people not the parties are tired of all the bull s--t. It is time to get down to what the people need not what you think they need.
    Accountability will be high on the list and self interest deal making will not be tolerated.

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  12. I saw an ad for employment for a journalist for a local newspaper. It read, Those with experience need not apply.

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  13. The WOLVERINES Score A Direct Hit!

    Quoted from and Linked to at:
    23 SKIDOO IX: SCOZZAFAVA WITHDRAWS! Edition

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  14. Thank you, thank you, "The Tea Party Express". How can I join the Express and will the Teap Party Express be expanding and do you need more buses and money?????

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  15. This is GREAT, but... isn't this the exactly wrong thing to do right now? From NRO's the Corner just now:

    http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php

    "I just talked to Gov. Pataki who is going up there to campaign with Hoffman this weekend. We can't buy any more TV. We've been fortunate to be able to go full-bent on radio and TV. Hoffman is going to have to spend a lot of time reaching out to Republican leaders in the district and getting them to rally behind him. He's going to need to have a press conference seeing who will stand with him. I believe most will fold and go with him. He'll spend a good part of today doing that as well as campaigning. He needs to get those 11 county chairmen with him and reach out to state chairman Ed Cox and make this a clear victory."

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  16. Sarah Palin is now officially the de facto head of the Conservative, Republican and Tea Parties.

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  17. Now its time to crush the Nasty Pelosi scumbag Bill the commie Owens. And by the way Newt Gingrich, are you going to pul your head out of your rear end and get with the program?

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  18. Way to be Johnny on the Spot! Keep up the good work.

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  19. You can't stop a man in the right when he keeps on comin'.

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  20. Stacy, while this is great news, can we PLEASE act like gentleman and gentle ladies in the next few hours, and thank Assemblywoman Scazzofava for her endorsement of Doug Hoffman?

    While we may not want the Moderate wing of the GOP to lead the Party, WE DO STILL NEED MODERATES IN THE PARTY!

    And it would be an absolute disaster if Ms. Scazzofava were to quite the GOP and join the Democrats.

    Eric Dondero, Publisher
    Libertarian Republican

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  21. I agree with Anonymous at 12:19. Wonder if Sarah has a hankering to attend a John Rich concert?

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  22. It is great that she is gone, but where will her supporters go? By all accounts she wasn't really even a RINO- just a lib running as a republican. So did she quit the race hoping more of her supporters would go to the true liberal rather than the conservative?
    Was she thinking that she was splitting the liberal vote?
    I doubt she quit to get out of the way for a true conservative victory.....

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  23. This is GREAT, but... isn't this the exactly wrong thing to do right now?

    Maybe, if you think he needs the Republicans more than they need him.

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  24. The brittle bonds of hypocrisy, corruption and cronyism snap, and the RNC collapses.

    Now, we know the RNC has a glass jaw. Let's keep hitting with that sharp right hook. Knock the bastards to the mat and dare them to get back up.

    Let's give the RNC the same message that Marine General James Mattis gave to Iraqi tribal leaders, "I come in peace, I didn't bring artillery. But I am pleading with you with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I'll kill you all."

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  25. I'm glad Dede dropped. It was the right thing to do at this point and makes her look a little better to Hoffman's supporters.

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  26. If you are a supporter of Hoffman you need to thank Scozzafava. She did the honorable thing by resigning and helping keep this seat in conservative hands. She deserves our respect. Go out and vote!!

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  27. Dede stated the reason she pulled out was MONEY she was being outspent. She would have been happy to split the vote if she could have leveraged it.

    At least she has that Margaret Sanger Consolation Prize/Sarc.

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  28. I will not dis Scozzafava anymore, she did the right thing here. Hell, it is not her fault those dimwits in the GOP picked her.

    Now win Hoffman win! Newt, nows your chance to support the correct candidate. Yes we are watching what you do. Are you some spoiled fat boy-man or are you a man who can admit a mistake and do the right thing?

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  29. This was the noble thing for her to do. The key is not for individuals to win, the key is for Republicans to win, and get the Democrats out of office.

    Now, I just hope Chris Daggett does the same in New Jersey to ensure that Corzine loses.

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  30. http://www.teapartyexpress.org/

    Kudos for Sarah Palin, but lets not forget some of the others that helped out such as Fred D. Thompson, A TRUE STRICT CONSTITUTIONALIST...

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  31. Well, this is an interesting twist to this epic saga of Americana. We can only wait and see now. This definitely has been the most exciting game of the season; let's hope it does not go into overtime.

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  32. You will note that Hoffman did not run as a Culture War Conservative. He ran as a limited government Conservative.

    No more Culture War. I want those Reagan Democrats back. I want to CRUSH the Communists.

    I have a few words to say about all that:

    Palin Calls For Hoffman - GOP Folds

    And about Dede dropping out:

    Dede Has Taken Tim Leary's Advice

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  33. Y'all realize that Sunday she endorsed Owens.

    Apparently after meeting Sat. with a neighboring Dem representative and local Democrat muckety mucks.

    And a phone call from Rahm Emmanuel himself.

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  34. What Happened !!! No more comments after your big loss ? Read these lips, most intelligent republicans in that New York district chose to get as far away as possible from PALINETICS......they want an experienced
    and intelligent lawmaker.....this ain't ALASKA

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