This race is not all about what’s best for you and the rest of the US (though my thoughts on that would still result in a vote for Dede), but as OUR representative from this 23rd District, OUR local issues are a big deal to me.

Hoffman is an idiot who knows nothing about our issues, as was proven in the single debate he bothered to attend, because he doesn’t even live in our district. Should I vote for him just because he’s a conservative republican regardless of the fact that I think he has absolutely no substance and would do nothing to help this district?

I now find myself wondering if I’ll even vote, as the thought of pulling the lever for either Hoffman or Owens makes my stomach turn, but at this point I’m thinking I’d rather see Owens win this election.

In my city we have a flourishing Tea Party movement not committed in any way to the GOP. Zero! We refuse to take your advice and fully endorse someone simply because they happen to be a GOP member as we understand that is what got us in this mess to begin with. Principles first, party second.

You need to rethink attacking members of the movement who do not agree with your desire to further enrich the corrupt GOP. We now have the evidence that conservatives can compete without the GOP. THAT is the new reality.

This may be a concept the Republican elite has a real problem with, but hopefully, as the momentum becomes more dynamic and the voices a bit louder and more consistent, some candidates will feel that they will have support if they voice more hard-line conservative positions.

I hope!

Nice piece.

Not in NY-23, but elsewhere. The problem is that instead of a spectrum; instead, you need two(+) more or less distinct *kinds* of Republican. That’s what the 3-leg chair was; that’s what the Democrats have now (there aren’t many Democrats who position themselves between Blue Dogs and the lefties; instead, they whole party is about 1:3 between them).

Even in all of *upstate New York*, let alone the west and northeast, Hoffman wouldn’t win. Someone between Hoffman and Scozzafava would and should run and win as a Republican elsewhere. This was the right result here; let’s see some flexibility on the other side in districts that legitimately *aren’t* winnable by anyone at or to the right of the center of the *Republican party itself.*

You’re more than welcome to disagree with me on anything but don’t question my conservative principles, commitment or credibility because I’ll shove a boat load of evidence to the contrary down your throat.

I deal with political realities and look for ways to make the reality more conservative. You seem to be content with pitching a hissy fit in an echo chamber.

But we’ll let even you come along when we’re done shaking things up.

How can the national party articulate reasons to be GOP in terms appealing to both Vermonter and Alabaman? Well, if Government leaves other institutions to solve some societal problems, it won’t spend money and it won’t contradict anyone’s moral convictions by what it’s not doing.

The Tea Partiers, like Perotistas, Reaganites before them, primarily advocate smaller government. It might make sense for the GOP to cultivate leaders that can articulate why this is better than the road to serfdom.

The only “moderates” in the GOP that I’ve ever seen are elected officials. No ordinary people living their lives could come to the kind of positions the “moderates” do, without their heads exploding.

Who is voting for Dede Scozzafava due to her positions?

US Citizens have been led down the primrose path that there is no such thing as good and evil for too long. Look at what Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Pol Pot, etc. have done and then look at the type of government they did it with. That is where the ‘political compromise’ is leading us.

It’s time we grow up and realize that we can’t all play nice. We must call evil what it is and fight it. The murder of innocents is evil. The failure to punish criminals is evil. Taking a person’s property by force of government is evil and they all must be stopped.

If we don’t have enough adults to stop it – the United States of American is already gone.