Lessons learned from New York District 23

By Chris Adamo

Is it possible for Republicans to make significant political headway in the 2010 mid-term elections, and thereby put the brakes on the Obama/Reid/Pelosi program of dismantling the greatness of America? Even a cursory examination of last week's off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey render a resounding "yes." However, the special congressional election in New York district 23 adds the sobering reminder that the GOP can certainly blow this opportunity if it resorts to its past pathetic pattern of dithering and posturing.

Naturally, the Democrat leadership is trumpeting the win by Bill Owens in the New York race as a defining characteristic of the current political landscape, validating everything from the budget-busting "stimulus" bill to the Democrat push for socialized health care. Yet Owens typifies the fraudulent nature of such a claim, having perpetrated a complete flip-flop of his professed opposition to the "public option" once he had achieved a victory at the ballot box. In typical liberal fashion, upon securing victory he abandoned every conservative principle that he had touted during his campaign, and now supports the worst aspects of Obamacare.

Nevertheless, he won on Tuesday. If his rambling trek to the halls of Congress represents the manner in which Democrats can maintain their hold on power, so be it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-CA) will gladly accept the presence of such minions if that is how she is to remain at the top of the heap.

It therefore behooves the Republican Party, if its leaders have any expectation of regaining their former political clout, to contemplate the situation in New York with uncharacteristic objectivity and immediately set about to fix the horrendous mistakes made there, in order to ensure that such foolishness is not repeated. For if the GOP once again ignores the glaring evidence and reverts again to its recent abysmal tactic of attempted pandering to the "middle," a series of repeats of the New York 23 outcome will just as inevitably follow, and the Democrats will retain or perhaps fortify their hold on power in Washington. At this critical juncture, America simply cannot afford such a fate.

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, lost to Owens by four percent, which is hardly a poor showing considering how severely the deck was stacked against him. The Republican Party began its foolhardy endeavor in this election by selecting Diedre Scozzafava, an ultra-liberal candidate with connections to the party inner circles as well as major leftist political players. Instead of focusing, as they should have, on what was wrong with Owens, the clueless Republican Party then dumped nearly a million dollars into Scozzafava's campaign, often running political ads against Hoffman on the very basis of his conservatism.

Once it became apparent that the liberal Scozzafava was going to be blown out in the general election, she dropped out of the race. But the malignancy of her liberalism was not yet fully manifested. While hapless Republicans lauded her for the noble deed of abandoning a bid that would have proven to be an embarrassing and resounding loss, and extolled her as a great member of their party, she proceeded to endorse Owens, the Democrat candidate.

Against such a backdrop of delusion and confusion, the conservative Hoffman plugged along, maintaining his message of traditional values and true fiscal stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Ultimately, his effort was not sufficient to overcome the obstacles thrown in his path by both major parties. Yet he managed to display a coherent message that generated an amazing degree of momentum in a short period of time. Had he been properly supported from the outset of the race, and had Owens been exposed for the disingenuous fraud that he is, the end result could well have been completely different.

So where does this misbegotten profusion of errors leave the GOP and its prospects for significant gains in next year's races? The lesson is simple and unchanged from times past. If the party establishes and adheres to a goal of truly advancing the conservative agenda (a move which should be undertaken immediately), it can benefit greatly from every devious liberal effort to unravel the fabric of America that the Democrats pursue between now and Election Day 2010.

On the other hand, if liberal Republicans repeat their double-minded attempts to find politically "safe" ground that bears outward commonality with that of the Democrats, they can expect to be relegated to the political outback for the foreseeable future.

Real America has roared in the past several years, and in particular since the advent of the Obama regime. The grassroots protests, "Tea Parties," and Town Hall confrontations are merely reflections of an electorate that has no intention of seeing its country and its heritage mutated beyond recognition, from a free and prosperous society into one of subservience and repression.

Such sentiments are aimed primarily at those Democrats bent on perpetrating this transformation, but also at Republicans who, out of stupidity, cowardice, or some misbegotten devotion to "bipartisanship," refuse to appropriately confront the liberal threat and effectively neutralize it.

Contrary to the propaganda regularly offered as "analysis" by the liberal media/Democrat Party Axis, the backlash against Republicans in 2006 and 2008 was by no means an embrace of the mindset of the political left. The American people overwhelmingly identify with conservatism, but no longer with Republicans, who all too often disavow any loyalty to it. Having vainly attempted to ingratiate themselves with the political "center," GOP "moderates" lost touch with the conservative base.

America is ripe for a reestablishment of those former ties. But it remains to be seen whether the Republican Party will recognize and seize this opportunity to return to its roots and return to power. It would be a welcome change.

© Chris Adamo