The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : UPDATE: Conservative Hoffman Gains in N.Y. Special Election

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The Spectacle Blog

UPDATE: Conservative Hoffman Gains in N.Y. Special Election

By Robert Stacy McCain on 10.15.09 @ 12:18PM

New poll numbers in the Nov. 3 special election:

Bill Owens (D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33%
Dede Scozzafava (R) . . . . . . . . . . 29%
Doug Hoffman (Conservative) . . . 23%

This is a huge gain for Hoffman. The liberal media are headlining the lead for Owens, but the more important point is Hoffman's momentum. He's gained 7 points in two weeks, while Scozzafava's lost 6. It shows how Scozzafava's support in this key three-way upstate New York congressional race has collapsed because of Hoffman's exposure of the RINO candidate's liberal voting record. The Hill reports:

Hoffman has surged in Oneida and Oswego, at the western end of the district. Hoffman takes 34 percent of the vote in one of the district's most populous areas, narrowly edging Owens by three points. Scozzafava, whose television advertising campaign has been far weaker than either Owens or Hoffman, trails with just 21 percent in those counties.

Press release from the Hoffman campaign:

"It's clear Dede Scozzafava is way too liberal for the 23rd CD. That's why she's dropping in the polls. Voters are seeing that the conservative Republican candidate, Doug Hoffman, will work to cut spending, cut taxes, and shrink the deficit and that's why he is surging in the poll. This poll was completed on Tuesday, just as our media buy was being ramped up. As more voters get to know Doug Hoffman, more voters will support Doug Hoffman. This is a race between two liberals and a conservative. Doug Hoffman is the conservative and that's why he will win."

As I reported yesterday, Hoffman says he has Scozzafava "on the run," and Red State is trying to raise more money to help push Hoffman over the top. Hoffman is endorsed by the Club for Growth, the Susan B. Anthony List and other conservative groups. Perhaps more importantly, Hoffman's got the endorsement of the 9/12 Project, which gives him the conservative grassroots Tea Party volunteers to run a strong ground campaign, but he's got to have more cash to keep running his hard-hitting TV campaign.

View all comments (18) | Leave a comment

Rolfe| 10.15.09 @ 12:43PM

Yowzah. This is great news for John McCain.

Tom| 10.15.09 @ 12:48PM

The Democrats will take this seat and Corzine will be reelected because of conservative 3rd party challenges. Of course the conservatives should primary hard . But this seems self defeating .

Tiom| 10.22.09 @ 2:44PM

Respectfully, Obama is the best thing to happen to the conservatives in a generation. I would rather have a liberal democrat in office now, rallying the conservative troops for a decade than a liberal republican demoralizing the conservatives for a generation. This race can promote a similar long term gain. Better to lose the battle.

Rolfe| 10.15.09 @ 1:39PM

Like I said,
Great news for John McCain!

r2streu| 10.15.09 @ 3:44PM

Tom, two things. First, NY-23 is the exception that proves the rule. The fact is, a Conservative third-party candidate CAN win upstate, if people will pull their heads out and vote for him, instead of sticking themselves with another liberal career politician just because she happens to have (R) next to her name.

Second, there WAS no primary. Eleven GOP district bosses got together behind closed doors and selected Scozzafava. Electing Hoffman is as much about showing these nitwits that they don't speak for us, as about getting an actual REPUBLICAN in office.

Rick| 10.15.09 @ 10:09PM

This is a perfect situation for a third party. Conservatives will be no worse off with Owens than Scozzafava. If Owens wins, it is the fault of the GOP. We The People are trying.......The GOP is continuing to screw up!

Tom | 10.15.09 @ 6:41PM

r2
I will pray you are right. The GOP in our state certainly needs an enema.

DennyK| 10.16.09 @ 7:07PM

At the very worst NY gets another Blue Dog Democrat. Much better than a RINO. The Dog will have to tack to his right some of the time if he wants to stay in office. The RINO doesn't give a rats-behind about conservatism or its voters.

anne can| 10.17.09 @ 4:56PM

you need to do an add flipping the heads of dem and lib. republican back and forth on each other --making them the same person because they are.

Barry Conner| 10.19.09 @ 2:08AM

WAKE UP !!!!!!! We have to stop doing things like we have always done... deciding which of the two progressives would be the lesser evil to vote for. We need to back the person who has the right belief structure to take our country back. Someone who believes in limited government. Somebody who believes in what our country's founders believed in. I don't even live in new York. I am in California and I have been out of work for 6 months and I am sending in $25.00 to support Doug Hoffman because we can no longer sit idly by and watch America be taken away by progressives on both sides of the aisle. It is not a party battle it is a battle for our country's future. Wake up and support the the candidates that believe we can take back our country.

Karin| 10.19.09 @ 4:49PM

I live in the 23rd. I'm also a Hoffman supporter, a 9/12er, and a teapartier. I have never worked on a campaign in my life, but that starts now. NO MORE RINOS!

BTW, I cannot find a single Dede yardsign in my area. Oh, I saw one a few weeks ago, but it's missing now. It was an ugly baby-blue.

Jeff| 10.19.09 @ 8:54PM

I live in NY23, and I'm certainly voting for Hoffman. Keep in mind, this election is to replace McHugh, who was pretty strongly conservative in his support for military affairs which has much to do with Fort Drum(10th Mountain Division) being in this district. Also remember, McHugh was one of only 8 House Republicans to sell us out by voting for Cap&Tax;. I have a feeling Dede would follow a similar path to curry favor with Democrats, and we really don't need any more of that.

Yolanda Alvarez| 10.21.09 @ 2:31PM

I too am from California and I have donated to Hoffmam even though I am on disability. Conservative Californians have liberals representing us and we need help. Our country is heading in the wrong direction and we all should do our part to fight this battle. Our President said to get out of the way but we are not because we love our country.

Alice| 10.21.09 @ 8:59PM

For all Reagan style republicans- stop being fooled by the (R) after the candidate's name, it no longer means what it used to. Bloomberg, Snow, Scozzafava.. on and on are all libs. Please vote for what the candidate stands for. Let's show these so called leaders we won't be bamboozled. That's our duty to our country. WE THE PEOPLE not We The Sheeple.

George| 10.23.09 @ 3:30AM

I too am from California, and I am donating also. We need conservatives and no more RINOS! Radio host Mike Gallagher took Newt Gingrich to task this morning for supporting Scozzafava. Win or lose this could be the start to clear out all the deadwood Liberal Republicans in future elections.

gayle | 10.23.09 @ 12:41PM

Just contributed 25.00 to Hoffmans campaign. We should all ask what happened to Newt after the conservatives took back the congress in 94???? All of a sudden Newt stops standing up and speaking out. Could it be that the Dems had something on him and he then became a lame duck! Stand up for your principles and don't let the Washington republicans do our talking for us. WE ARE AMERICA!

mary| 10.23.09 @ 1:56PM

Everybody that is a true conservative needs to donate to Hoffmans campaign ASAP. This is so important...it does not matter what state you are from....JUST DONATE!!!! I am from Calif. We have only been donating to THE REAL CONSERVATIVES that are running for office regardless of location and not the Republican Party.

Terry| 10.29.09 @ 4:15PM

Both Political partys are a failure. We went from dumb (Bush and the Republican Controlled Congress) to Dumber and from bad to worse. I am a life lone republican and I sent my check to Doug Hoffman and I am voting for him. If the Republicans keep it up I am leaving the party