NY-23 is an interesting case of one party’s political machinery screwing up, another party’s hopes being dashed, and the electorate fed up with both. But it is not a resurgence of the far right.

Dede Scozzafava was a lame attempt by the GOP party leaders to catch some Obama fever. She is so far left on social issues she could and should be a liberal, except she opposes intrusive government. If Obama and the Dems had stayed a more central course and stayed on their electoral wave, she might have been the best hope to hold  seat in a still rising tide of Democrats.

But the liberal fools in DC did not set a centrist policy course, and instead went far left.  There is now a waning Democrat tide. In comes the rogue candidate who challenges both status quo parties – and low and behold he is a shoe in. NY-23 represents are more right district than the nation, Hoffman reflects his district. He does not reflect the nation.

This actually is not very different than the Lieberman case in many ways. The party apparatus throws in the wrong candidate and a 3rd party comes in to be the message from the people they are the ones who will chose.. In the Lieberman case he, the independent, was the centrist. In this case it could be argued there was only left and right – no center.

There is no way Scozzafava is a typical centrist. But that is not how the far right will see it. They will throw this in everyone’s faces as if their time in political exile is over. Too bad McDonnell in VA, Christie in NJ and  a dozen other state candidates don’t fit their fantasy. This was a fluke, not a wave.

The truth is the nation wants the bums thrown out – as seen by this Fox News Poll:

If members of Congress were up for a job review right now — instead of a year from now — the ranks of the unemployed would swell to an even higher level. Americans place a lot of the blame for conditions in the country on Congress and, because of that, about two-thirds want to “throw them out” of office, according to the latest FOX News poll.

It is very important that the establishment conservatives remember they were the bums being thrown out only 3 years ago. The fact Hoffman (who I do prefer) will get in is not an indication of their return to favor. It is still only a reflection of the fact the Dems are joining the GOP in the dog house.

Overplay this at your own risk – it is easy fodder for ailing Democrats. America is fine with this result because it is a center-right nation (note the equality in ‘center’ and ‘right’). But try and label all center-right folks as  Scozzafava’s and you will find that dog house has a long lease on it. The best response is the people are speaking. The worst response is name calling.

Update: This is the big story of the election, not just NY-23 and its screwed up special election:

For years, Republicans were able to win in Virginia by driving up turnout within their base. But as their proportion of the electorate has dwindled, many in the party have said changing times demand that they adopt a more centrist message to appeal to voters outside the party. McDonnell has heeded that advice, making himself attractive to independents such as David Grimes, 43, a teacher from Fairfax County who supports abortion rights and backed Democrat Timothy M. Kaine for governor four years ago.

…

Sixty-one percent of self-described independents in a recent Washington Post poll of likely voters responded that they will cast their ballots for McDonnell, helping him secure a comfortable 11-point advantage over Democrat R. Creigh Deeds. Those unaffiliated voters make up more than one-third of McDonnell’s supporters, and in Northern Virginia such voters have responded well to his message about taxes, jobs and the economy.

This is how you win state wide and nation wide. Why the fringes are focused on the special election in one very conservative NY district is beyond me. But it would seem many are grasping for green shoots – fictional green shoots.

Tags: 2009 elections, NY-23