Hoffman’s fiasco at the editorial board meeting wasn’t simply cluelessness about local issues, by the way. After stumbling in his answers, he suggested the paper should have submitted their questions to him in advance; this was mid-afternoon, though, and the morning’s lead editorial was entitled “Questions for Hoffman” or some such. In it, the editorial board laid out all the questions Hoffman needed to answer, and all the questions they asked.

So he was admitting he didn’t read their paper.

Also, afterwards Hoffman minder Dick Armey called the questions “parochial” after insisting that he also be allowed to attend the meeting.

OT Reid is now third in the Senate Seats expected to change parties according to FiveThirtyEight the only two seats that are more likely to switch parties are open seats.
I guess passing a weaker than the public expected Healthcare bill in the Senate is starting to haunt the Dems. Obama losing his Senate Majority leader on this issue well there are no other issues really getting air play now and you can’t ignore losing a Senate Majority Leader this should hurt.
The GOP will spin this as the country hates Healthcare despite the polls saying Healthcare is way more popular than Harry. The WH will…blame us? I don’t see what other cards they can play.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

This is now a race between a moderately conservative Democrat and a loathsome wingnut carbetbagger who has the support of the most extreme fringe rabid ultra-right wing of the political spectrum.

Who do you think is going to win?

oops, sorry, some comments got eaten -
Sharkbabe 12:52pm

Well, good on La Scoz. May this whole thing turn out to be a self-planted wingnut IED.

eCAHNomics 12:52pm

Fort Drum wiki.

ThingsComeUndone 12:51pm

What percentage of the vote was already wrote in for Dede Scozzafava I assume those votes can’t change?

he suggested the paper should have submitted their questions to him in advance; this was mid-afternoon, though, and the morning’s lead editorial was entitled “Questions for Hoffman” or some such. In it, the editorial board laid out all the questions Hoffman needed to answer, and all the questions they asked.

So the questions were submitted its just his Staff doesn’t read the local paper before their candidate gets interviewed? This sounds like such a First Class Campaign Operation no wonder Sarah and the Governor of Minnesota endorsed him.
Its the McCain Campaign all over again. Maybe Katie can interview this guy too:)

eCAHNomics 12:46pm

What’s the most recent poll show for this race?

We need local perspective on this race.

ThingsComeUndone 12:46pm

The endorsement touches on local issues like the Fort Drum military base (Hoffman had an infamous run-in with the Watertown Daily News’ editorial board where he seemed lost on local issues) as well as touting Owens as an “independent voice” for the district.

Something like this should have an impact Carpetbaggers are not normally to popular.

Hot damn! A few days ago I mused in a post what Scozzafava’s reaction would be to the wingnut carpet baggers of her own party casting her aside. Will the moderate Republicans of the district vote for Owens or even stay home in protest of the likes of Palin, Beck, et al., meddling in their local politics? Could the 23rd finally go to a Democratic candidate after about 140 years?

Thanks for the restoration. I thought I had hallucinated my comment.

Since it’s always voted R, we’re unlikely to find someone on this site.

Chuck Todd says the Republicans caught a break with today’s news, but I’m not entirely certain that I agree. For one, Scozzafava will still be on the ballot, and presumably at least some less informed voters (as well as her own remaining diehard supporters) will pull the lever on her behalf rather than for Hoffman, the effective Republican nominee. Second, the Siena poll shows 11 percent of Democrats backing Scozzafava, a group not terribly likely to break for Hoffman (even if Scozzafava’s GOP supporters do by and large swing for him). So put me in the camp of Marc Ambinder, Jonathan Martin and others believing half of Scozzafava’s supporters could either vote Democratic or not vote on Tuesday — a situation that would squarely keep this race in the tossup category.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/10/31/1350/0799

Not exactly a poll but the news seems good.

Sorry that was for eCHAN

Thanks. It’ll be interesting, including the aftermath.

and to answer eCAHN, last poll I saw had Owens at 36%, Hoffman @ 35% and Scozzafava @ 20% (which is why she suspended the campaign).

Haven’t seen any polls since she suspended tho.

Sarah and the Governor of Minnesota have put their Cred on a local race they both no nothing about why? Who set them up to fail? Just what payoff do they get thats worth the risk?
If they win they are King Makers and Moderates will think twice about running as GOP candidates so they scare off Moderate voters if they get the Presidential Nomination and they get 20%er love…uh they already have that what they need is Moderate Voter love.
If they lose they look like wannabes backing a Carpet Bagger who knows nothing about local issues they look like they tried to install a Puppet loyal to them.
I’m failing to see the win/loss benefit here.

Thanks. Wonder how her vote will split. I guess the Fort Drum residents vote in the district if they want. I guess the 12,000 of them aren’t a large % of the voters in a district, even if they all voted there. I just figured the avg pop of congressional district is about 650,000.

I think the Corporate Wing of the GOP just set up the Fundy Wing of the GOP and for once they were almost Skillful and not Obvious.
Not being Obvious means that after the deed is done you are at the very least not the main suspect.

It’s a one-way bet for Palin & Pawlenty. If the carpetbagger loses, everyone will forget about the whole race.

I wonder what’s in Scozzafava’s future now that she’s endorsed Owens…

I doubt it. This is the test case.

People’s memories are short, the Rs will never mention it again, and the Ds are too tame to rub it in.

Maybe if the Corporate Wing of the GOP is behind this the story will miraculously find legs in the GOP media and Blogs. The Corporate Wing of the GOP must be pissed that even though they own the Media Sarah is to popular with the base to attack.
Jeb and Mitt do not want to be Sarah’s boy toy VPs.

The ability to walk around in the daylight and not have to skulk around in the dark?

This might go away true but will it go away before Sarah goes on Oprah?

Mebbe.

When is that interview and what kind of interviewer is Oprah? Does she do soft interviews guaranteed not to embarrass her guests,or does she ask real Qs? I’ve never watched her.

I was thinking something in DC? 1600?

Nov. 16 (her book is scheduled for official publication on Nov 17).

And no, Oprah does not ask a lot of insightful questions.

Its in November for the book her interviews are soft however Sarah messed up a Katie Couric interview and she is certainly as soft as Oprah is.

Palin will be better prepped now.

Your thinking Mitt and Jeb might like taking orders from a take charge crazy women? It is possible.

Bwhahaha she went to Newt’s GOPpac school for future GOP candidates to learn among other things how to talk to the Media and that was before McCain’s guys prepped her for the Katie interview that was before Sarah resigned as Governor that speech was so bad I’m still not sure what she said.
Sarah prepared is Sarah thinking for once before she talks and not doing as bad as expected that would be a win for Sarah her expectations are that low.
Of course Bush had the same expectations but the press all wanted to have a beer with him. (I think Bush allowing more media consolidation gave him better news coverage)

More BREAKING. Big News:

CIT files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

” . . . likely meaning the U.S. government will lose the $2.3 billion it sunk into CIT last year to prop up the ailing company.”

LINK.

Book Salon up at the Mothership with Matthew Kerbel’s Netroots: Online Progressives and the Transformation of American Politics hosted by Dave Karpf

One local Republican operative I saw quoted said “Who the fuck does Sarah Palin think she IS?”

As of April 2009 there are 392,000 registered voters in the district.

Link

167k are GOP
120k are Dem
19k are Independent
5,561 conservative
1,482 Working Families

So Todd says the GOP caught a break? That’s a laugh. This whole race is a disaster for them either way. Todd should stop being such an enabler and apologist for his GOP/Corporate masters and tell the truth. But I ain’t counting on it.

There’s some good local perspective in the comments in this diary at DKos.

I thought I had hallucinated my comment

I hate when that happens.

About 20 years ago Bill Owens was my lawyer for a building project and several other interesting issues way up in the 23rd. Bill is a fine person, a great lawyer and would make a fantastic representative. I hope with all I have that the good people of the 23rd come out on Tuesday and vote against Hoffman, the guy the GOP leadership declared “has no integrity and is unfit for any office.”

How would it have been different for her politically just to stay in the race, in which case Owens would have had a better chance of beating Hoffman?

If Owens wins now, though, wouldn’t it be a big win for all thinking Americans and a big loss for “the Palin effect” people, the Beckerheads, the Dittoheads and other assorted crazies?

Hoffman, the guy the GOP leadership declared “has no integrity and is unfit for any office.”

This has been another edition of “The GOP has NO Sense of Irony…”

Thanks for sharing your personal experience, though.

FunnyWheelieDiva