All politics is celebrity here and now.

the local is where reality is, where people really live their lives and try to forge a decent society and care for each other.that has nothing to do with politics.

Politics is power, and money, and that means doing what the corporations want from you. so you come into town as a big bright and shiny thing...

He doesn't bother to read the newspaper he is going to visit? At least once? Flunk Electioneering 101!

In the land of Wingnuttia, elected officials need not be knowledgable or even particularly intelligent, they need only to be ideologically pure. One can only hope that the loons keep driving out the 'moderates'in the GOP, as seems to be the case here.

For some reason, I'm reminded of the line in an episode of the TV series M*A*S*H where a general is being grilled by Hawkeye and Trapper: "Gentlemen, this is a press conference! The last thing I want to do is answer a lot of questions!"

That really was amazingly stupid of him and it likely cost him any real hope of winning that election, not that he had much in the first place.

What it could do, though, is to ensure that the seat remains Republican, since the Democrat in the race was benefitting from this Republican civil war.

Sounds to me like Hoffman would be a good candidate in the exact same way Palin would. Zero knowledge of anything regarding governing but a darling of the extreme right-wing of the GOP simple because......oh hell, I have no clue why.

No wonder Palin supports him. He is just as uninformed and uncaring of the nitty, gritty as she is. Also.

"What it could do, though, is to ensure that the seat remains Republican, since the Democrat in the race was benefitting from this Republican civil war"

I dont think so, the 20% who support the teabagger candidate are not going to switch because of this

In a world with a world wide web, I don't know if "all politics is local" is true anymore. The people who are supporting Hoffman are people who think something is seriously wrong with the COUNTRY, not the district (or at least, not just the district). Electing someone not in the establishment is supposed to be their wake up call TO the establishment. I'm sure many potential Hoffman supporters will puss out and vote Scozzafava, but for the ideologically pure of mind and heart (which IS NOT the same thing as being right, lest you think I'm on their particular bus), voting for the person who shares their values will matter most.

This race is the referendum on Obama. If the Democrat wins, the republicans need to shut the fuck up. Take that Cornyn, you dick!

The "parochial" concerns raised by the editorial board included such things as the St. Lawrence Seaway, and long-planned improvement of US Highway 2, the major east-west thoroughfare through the far north. In other words, regional issues that directly involve the federal government. These are things that any 23rd District candidate should be fully informed of. If he's elected, he'll have to take a lead role on such issues, or risk significantly hurting his own district's interests.

Your morning aphorism

All politics for Republicans is divide and conquer.

It is how they ran the country while in power.
It is how Fox News treats the US population in general.
It is how they treat each other if they can find a way to gain power by it.

Reminds me of the old Pace Thick and Chunky Commercials except with the roles reversed.

"We'd, um, I'd like to ignore all the upstate NY Local Problems and focus on what a bunch of wingnuts from Texas want us to do."

"Texas?!? Only two things come from Texas..."

Good like with that Dick Armey.

That really was amazingly stupid of him and it likely cost him any real hope of winning that election, not that he had much in the first place.

They never expected to win. They're a) going for the national publicity and b) setting him up for the next election.

By the way, are we certain that Armey didn't specifically coach this guy to remain as ignorant as possible of all issues -- as a way of endearing him to the teabagging base, that is?

That should be "upstate" not "up-state". And some of us even like it capitalized, as in "Beautiful Upstate New York." (It usually gets capitalized when it's just "Upstate".)

Thanks!

Oh, he's Palin with a dick.

I have a question. If this guy Hoffman wins, what are the chances that the "Conservative Party" goes national?

Wouldn't it be good for the progressives' side if there was a more substantial amd cohesive right wing third party than the current ineffectual mix of parties like the Libertarian Party and the Constitution Party, plus even smaller, loonier local parties?

>>should have been provided a list of questions he might be asked

Don't I recall howls of protest and indignation when people thought--wrongly--that Obama knew one question that would be asked at a presser?

Now this guy wants a whole list of all potential questions?

I can't wait until 2010 when they unleash an entire nationwide slate of imbeciles.

It's actually quite refreshing to see a candidate admit that he isn't running to actually represent the people in his district, but to further his own interests and those of his party and contributors. Why someone would find that attractive and actually vote for him is the mystery.

I can't wait until 2010 when they unleash an entire nationwide slate of imbeciles.
The fun part is that they have to keep topping each other in hyperbole and bizarre behavior. By 2010, publicly soiling one's self in an access of outrage will be the threshold for serious conservative candidates.

Of course it's no surprise that Doug Hoffman is ignorant of local issues in NY-23: his whole campaign has been an exercise in idelogical purity and Dem-bashing on a national scale. He's been pushed forward as a representative of Greater Wingnuttia, not some New York locality: and we'll see where this gets them....

Reading? What's that?

Local issues, schmocal schmissues.

We don't need no stinking concern or understanding of your petty local issues bitches. We got bigger fish to fry. We need someone who can go to the floor of the house and deny global warming and the legitimacy of Hussein's presidency.

Which one of them (Hoffman or Armey)was wearing the "I'm with stoopid" shirt.

He can't be bothered with "parochial" concerns such as what's actually important to district residents' daily lives; Hoffman has a movement to worry about.

That's what Jim Rogan thought and why he decided to be a House manager for the Clinton impeachment while neglecting constituent services. And that's why Adam Schiff is our representative today instead of Rogan.

Most apt headline ever. Truly, these guys are a part of a movement.

No wonder Palin and Bachmann think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

How many voters are in NY District 23? Surely the majority of them care more about what happens in their District than in DC.

Out of work voters may need rides to the polls. But they will vote Democratic if given the chance.

It's not too likely that the Conservative party will go national. You see, in NY we have something called "fusion voting", where a candidate can appear on more than one party line on a ballot. This has led to a number of more-or-less stable, though small, third parties in NY. Usually the Conservative party seconds the GOP line and the Working Families Party seconds the Democratic line, but not always.