Friday, October 30, 2009

NY 23: No idea who I'm rooting for

The very reliably Republican district in northern New York is holding its election next week and I see upside to each of the candidates winning:

Democrat Owens winning would be good because it would show that Democrats win when anger and hatred divide the Republican party. The victory would be short lived, as this district is sure to go Republican in the next election.

Republican Scozzfava winning would be a rebuke to those on the far right. It would also be a sign that the national Republican party might be able to become a big tent again. While this would be the worse outcome for my party, it would be the best outcome for the nation.

Conservative Hoffman winning would be great for my party. It would send the signal that to all Republicans that they have to go for far right or face a challenger. A record low 20% of Americans identify themselves as Republican and if Hoffman is elected there's no reason to believe this number will go up. While this is arguably the best result for Democrats, it's probably the worst result for the country.

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