Friday, October 23, 2009

NY23: Credit where credit is due

As Dr. K of pointed out earlier in the comments, he was the first conservative blogger to ask -- on Sept. 30 -- whether Sarah Palin would endorse Doug Hoffman.

Considering that "Palin endorses Hoffman" is now so huge at Memeorandum, Dr. K can take a bow.

BTW, don't be puzzled if the Hoffman campaign doesn't make a big deal out of Palin's endorsement. Because she's been so unfairly demonized by the MSM, Palin's status with independent voters is kind of problematic right now (let's hope Oprah can fix that). So don't expect to see Hoffman TV ads in NY23 shoving the Palin endorsement in voter's faces. The strategic importance of the Palin endorsement is two-fold:
  • For Hoffman, it means small-dollar contributions from Palin's legion of grassroots conservative supporters, as well as signaling -- like the endorsements from Dick Armey, Club for Growth, Mark Levin, etc. -- Hoffman's status as the conservative in NY23.
  • For Palin, it establishes her political independence, making it clear that she is willing to defy the national GOP leadership to side with grassroots conservatives.
Palin's endorsement would have had more impact -- both for her and for Hoffman -- if she'd have made it last week, when there were fewer than a dozen bloggers on that Oct. 14 ACU conference call that began my involvement in this effort. But let us not make small criticisms of a great woman.

By the time you read this post -- I'm writing this about three hours in advance -- I'll be on the road to Hoffman HQ in Saranac Lake. It was a week ago that I wrote a post with the title, "GOP sells out! NRCC gives '6-figure' donation to RINO Scozzafava? SEND ME TO NEW YORK!

Since we are giving credit where credit is due, I once again wish to thank those readers whose contributions to the Shoe Leather Fund have enabled me to provide exclusive on-the-scene coverage of this campaign. I am also grateful to Smitty and to Jimmie Bise for keeping the blog running during the many hours I've spent on the road the past three days. And I'm grateful to all the bloggers and Tweeps who've helped promote our coverage online. One of these days, I'll find a reliable blog intern to help me make sure that everyone gets a personal thank-you.

Wait a minute. Y'know, now that you mention it, why not make an early start in that direction? If it's been a shortage of blog-o-bucks that's prevented me from actually paying an intern -- Myers the Blog Intern was unpaid, unless you count "getting to hang out with Ann Coulter" as payment -- why not raise money for that?

Some people have called me an "evil genius." But evil is hard work and, as I like to say, I'm too lazy to be evil. So please, won't you give generously to the Blog Intern Fund?

OK, it's 186 miles to Saranac Lake, so it's time to shut down the national desk here in Syracuse and get rolling. By the time you read this, I'll be dodging the New York State Police and their legendary radar speed traps on State Highway 3, somewhere in the vicinity of Harrisville.

But don't worry about me. If those backwoods meth cookers in Kentucky didn't kill me, I think I'll be OK in upstate New York.

HOFFMANIA!

12 comments:

  1. Nope this isn't going to work. hoffman better embrace Palin quick or he will lose the support of her supporters. I am sick of politicans.

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  2. Mr. McCain,

    I donated to your shoe leather fund. I enjoy your work and your wit. I would like to know if you would ask Hoffman if he embraces Palin or not. As a Palin supporter, I gave to the hoffman campaign also.

    I am thinking of making another donation but I will withold that donation until I see a positive quid pro quo from Hoffman IRT to Palin. Now is not the time to play coy for the sake " of the independents"

    Hope you get a chance to ask the question

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  3. Saranac Lake, my parents home town. Make sure you stop by the DewDrop Inn...

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  4. Stacey, sounds to me like Hoffman is taking advice from John McCain's people, by not wanting to publicize Palin's endorsement. While taking her supporters' money, they try to hide her in a back room. Hoffman and his campaign people appear to be real amateurs. This is not going to work!!!

    You better believe that from today onward, the Democrat Owen, will be joining Palin and Hoffman at the hip. In fact, Sarah will be in every one of Owen's TV commercials from this point onward. Owen already has a huge amount of cash on hand, and with Sarah getting involved, the "nutroots" will flood him with even more money. Just yesterday Soros started to contribute to Owen (see FEC Report). Sarah's face will be constantly on local TV for the next 10 days. There is no way Hoffman can run away and hide from Palin. In effect, he is committing himself to receiving all of the negatives of her endorsement without gaining any of the positives.

    If he thought she would be a "net" drag, he should never have sought or accepted her endorsement. If he wants to win this race now, he has to actively use her as a "weapon" against the Democrats and not hide her away.

    Based on his interview with the Watertown paper, and now his strategy in how he is using Palin, we are backing a pretty "dim bulb" here. He may be a conservative, however, he appears to be as politically clueless as all the RINOs.

    Bottom line, if he doesn't smarten up quickly he is going down to defeat. I think this is why Palin took so long to endorse Hoffman. Don't forget Palin's spokesperson Meg Stapleton has strong connections to the New York State Republican party through her father, and probably knows alot more about Hoffman and the local political situation than you or I. Palin probably had real doubts about endorsing this guy but felt she had no choice given the way this situation has developed with the grassroots. My hope is that Hoffman doen't do too much damage to Palin!

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  5. So don't expect to see Hoffman TV ads in NY23 shoving the Palin endorsement in voter's faces.

    I think this is a dumb move on the part of the Campaign. I would bet money that the Owens Campaign will soon be airing ads tying Hoffman and Palin together like conjoined twins in a freak show. Distancing yourself is the cowardly thing to do. And we have had more than enough of that from the GOP for quite some time now. Embrace Sarah and hold her close and show the bastards you're not afraid of them. Now is not the time for weaselly behaviour. What are you? A man or a newt?

    Quoted from and linked to at:
    23 SKIDOO IV

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  6. Ugh, Myers the Blog Intern looks like a gay twink.

    You need to hire me. A 37 year old man; Sans the milk behind the ears.

    -Pat

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  7. @Patrick,
    Myers is a good chap. Don't know what a 'gay twink' is, and I'll cherish my ignorance. ;)

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  8. Hoffman was on Cavuto, and talked about the Palin endorsement, and NRO has a column up, quoting him as being very appreaciative of her support.

    I'd like to see Palin pop into Hoffman's district, and appear with him at a couple of rallies, practically every voter in the district would show up, even the dems.

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  9. Agreed. Get Palin to NY23 pronto. NO shame just game.

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  10. I am not sure why but everytime I hear the term " Intern" I get the urge to smoke a cigar. Perhaps Stacy can incorporate this search for an assistant into Rule 5 somehow.

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  11. @buzzz52490,
    Tough challenge, actually. As Rule 5 is all about positive stuff, not predatory behavior, I'm not sure how to tie that in.

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