Post-Scozzafava: Who's In Charge At The GOP?

(CBS/AP)

Who's got more juice within the GOP?: Newt Gingrich or Sarah Palin? After the latest turn in an increasingly wacky New York congressional race, that debate's over. Earlier today, Dede Scozzafava, tired of being used as a pi?ata by other Republicans, suspended her campaign. For an energized conservative movement, this was an especially sweet moment.

Support for Scozzafava in a three-way race to represent New York 23rd Congressional District had dropped in recent weeks. She had been dunned repeatedly for taking moderate positions on issues like gay rights and abortion. Her ideological impurity infuriated right wing bloggers who derided her as an ideological phony. The subsequent groundswell benefited the Conservative Party candidate, Doug Hoffman, who also picked up endorsements from influential figures within the Republican establishment, including Palin and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. (Both of whom are talked about as possible nominees to run for president in 2012.) Just prior to dropping out, the latest poll put Scozzafava's support at just 20%.

A victory of principle over pragmatism? That's one way of looking at it. After Scozzafava put out her statement, Michelle Malkin mocked her as a "radical leftist." (This about a candidate who opposes cap and trade and `Obamacare and has received the backing of the National Rifle Association.)

In many ways, the NY 23rd has become a Rorschach test for Republicans nationally. The rhetoric served up by the likes of Malkin and her fellow travelers does wonders to fire up the base, who, after winning, are in a position to pursue their purge of the centrists. But would that improve the the party's appeal? New York Times' columnist David Brooks appearing on PBS Friday night, does not think so. He described the moment as part of a "race for the soul" of the Republican Party. Like other centrists, he now worries about the implications of allowing the purists to define the agenda.

"Scozzafava has a voting record which puts her at the exact middle of the political spectrum," he said. "And the question is: Can Republicans have a centrist and still be a Republican? Newt Gingrich thinks so. He thinks you need moderate Republicans. A lot of Republicans apparently don't think so."

And speaking of Gingrich, earlier this week he said conservative support for Hoffman had been a mistake. On Saturday, Gingrich threw his support behind Hoffman via a Twitter post. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who only a few days ago similarly backed Scozzafava, is now behind Hoffman.

Somewhere in Alaska, Palin has reason to exchange high fives with the First Dude. At least for now.

[Jeepned]

by toldYouso21 November 2, 2009 11:09 AM EST

"Religion has no place in the government of a people"

Seems odd that it was ok for there to be a mix of religion and government for the first 200 years of the United States. All of a sudden it's not? I guess "In God We Trust" is just something that the lunitic right came up with for our money in the last 40 years?

Abortions? I could care less either way about abortions. I just don't want to pay for them. I still don't understand how you can consider it ok to stick a needle in the top of a baby's head to suck it out of the womb and expect and expect people with religious beliefs to pay for it.

Abortion, gay rights and like social issues are a small problem to me. The bigger problem is the pending fiscal colapse of the country with the huge spenders that we have had in Congress for the last 50 years. I'm never too worried about who the President is. He and someday she can not spend a whole lot of money that Congress doesn't give to them. People blamed Bush and now OBama for the so many things that they have little or no effect on. You want to end the war? Don't go yelling at the President, yell at Congress. A president can't conduct a war without congress approving the money for it. Between our Congress being so corrupt and so willing to spend our money that they haven't yet figured out how to steal from us, I have little faith that it can ever be straighten out. One way is to not vote for the "spenders". Scozzafava was a spender, Hoffman wasn't. That's why she had the rug pulled out from under her. That's why you will see more "Republicans" have the rug pulled out from under them.

But none of it will matter. Until the two party system is challenged and beaten and until the "old guard" either dies off or is voted out, there is almost no chance of anything changing until it's too late.

Yes, she is too liberal to be calling herself a Republican, but unfortunately had she been elected, she would have been in the company of many like minded in Congress.

[noloyalisti]

I thought it was Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck or some other racist, violent, right wing extremist. The KKK and NRA (same people?) have become the liberal arm of the Grand Oil Party.

[toldyouso21]

by Jeepned November 2, 2009 1:56 AM EST
How is supporting abortion rights, gay rights and numberous other liberal core ideas concidered "moderate"? Scozzafava, like too many others are Republican in name only.


My response:


Being a moderate Republican means to support conservative principles in those aspects of government that affect the well being of society. That would be fiscal, legal, national security and social programs. It would NOT be the positions on sex, gays or abortion.Those positions are not conservative, they are religious. The GOP needs to stop letting the tail wag the dog.

Grow up and either redefine your party or become that crazy and wacky fringe elements.

A lot of Independents would actually BE Republican if they had their act together--but many of us (and I have been an Independent for over 26 years) are just not into the intolerance, the bigotry, the discrimination the gay and abortion issues like a lot of Republicans.

These issues did not define Republicanism in Lincoln's day and they should not now--the idea of separation of church and state means you do not let your personal religious beliefs color the governing of a country.

You don't want abortions? Don't have them. don't want gays to get married? That is none of your personal business--don't be a gay and if you are, don't get married--but leave everyone else who is to do their thing--these are NOT societal issues. OUtlawing gay marriage and abortion will not stop people from being gay nor will it stop abortions or the need many people have for them. It WILL decrease the belief in the Constitution and will continue to make it a joke---YOU know, those parts about a right to privacy (for both issues), and that all men are created equal (which if this were true, gays would have the same rights, access and protections/privileges under the law as any other group.

Here is the deal: At some point, having been hijacked by the religious fringe and yet needing new blood, true conservatives remained mute and let the weirdos take over the party--now you have the group being run by the equivalent of a mindless Christian Taliban. There is something freaky if not downright weird about a party who would embrace idiocy as like the guy or gal next door (enter Palin or Dubya) and would denounce government while at the same time wanting Government to enforce such things as no abortion or no marriage for gays. Talk about hypocrisy.

There is a difference between what a political party should be and what the GOP has allowed itself to become. Religion has no place in the government of a people --many of which who do not share the same beliefs as you do and therefore should never be made subject to your version of a "life under God" but enforced by Government edicts.

[toldyouso21]

By endorsing a non Republican candidate and not supporting their own, the GOP committed political cannibalism and betrayed their candidate first.she would be a fool to continue to support them, when they basically hamstrung her over her positions.

Being a moderate Republican means to support conservative principles in those aspects of government that affect the well being of society. That would be fiscal, legal, national security and social programs. It would NOT be the positions on sex, gays or abortion.Those positions are not conservative, they are religious. The GOP needs to stop letting the tail wag the dog.

[Jeepned]

How is supporting abortion rights, gay rights and numberous other liberal core ideas concidered "moderate"? Scozzafava, like too many others are Republican in name only.

Many of you may not like the Republican stance on many things and that's fine, opposing opinion is good for the country. But don't go running as a Republican when you are really a Democrat just so you can try to get elected in a heavy Republican district.

The Republican Party is very willing to take moderates, but you at least have to agree with at least a few of the things that the party stands for. It would be like me running for as a Democrat in DC and being pro-second ammendment, anti-abortion, and for small government. The Democrats pretty much have thier standards also, kind of that bottom line baseline belief they require you to have if you want to be one of them. Ask Lieberman about that one.

Personally, I'm much more happy as an Libertarian. I found both "main" parties are full of mainly lip servive professionals who care about nothing but thier own power.

[dragon8me]

I'm glad your a Libertarian. I'm a Green. It's time to move away from the 2 party system. I used to be Libertarian and agree on the "victimless crimes" thing. I even agree on less gov, in some areas. It's these areas and this issue I don't totally agree.
When it became obvious that Dennis Kucinich wasn't gitteng nominated and Ron Paul wasn't either, many of us in both the Green and Libeertarian parties tried to get them both together and run as independent. They both expressed interest, they both like each other and agree an many things, ( I think it was more a matter of which one would lead), anyway it didn't happen but it goes to show that the "far" right and left could come together enough to even consider it is amazing. I think the division you see now is more that people are fed up with the 2 big partys, and are listening to the lies they throw out to blame the other guy and " divide and conqure" so we're too busy yelling at each other to notice them heading to the bank with a fistfull of your money.

[proudmilvet]

Although we are all entitled to Freedom of speech, Who the Hell is Michelle Malkin to think she can give the the definitive answer to who or what someone is or is not? For that matter that also includes the rest of the Psycho-Clowns like Limbaugh,Beck,Hannity,& Coulter. If i we're a Moderate Republican, i would tell every one of these Liars that if they don't like it, they can take their "Fair & Balanced" B.S. & Stick it where the Sun Don't Shine!

[Jim1900]

Too bad the Republicans are turning us into a one-party state (and it isn't their party by the way). I don't think they have even realized it yet. It will be a long time before we have any real choice again.

[proudmilvet]

"She's a moderate", "She's a Radical leftist", "She has the backing of the NRA", "She's not Conservative enough". Do these idiots know what the F**K they want?

[doc_holliday76]

"Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who only a few days ago similarly backed Scozzafava, is now behind Hoffman."
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Proof that the republican't miNOrity party is just blowin' in the wind, and doesn't really have a direction other than OBSTRUCTIONISM.

Their pseudo leaders are pulling in many directions all at once, and those like caribou barbi pulling the miNOrity party towards the far-right extremist fringe teabaggers, will just help to fracture the party further while ostracizing the majority of moderate Americans.

[BeckieBest]

Rush and and Sarah are the leaders of the Republican party.

They'll surely lead the GOP over a cliff.