It's a soap opera up here in the Adirondacks, and the plot just thickened.
Yesterday, Doug Hoffman, Tea Party mascot of 2009, gave up the ghost and withdrew from the 2010 race. Which means I need to get you up to speed fast, so we don't miss the chance to fight hard for the seat.
Previously on NY-23:
Harken back to the early Tea Party days of 2009 when moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava became a target of opportunity for the Tea Party because of her support a woman's right to choose, marriage equality, and a working relationship with unions. This, despite being Republican enough to oppose cap-and-trade, support the Bush tax cuts, and carrying a solid A rating from the NRA, as most successful pols up here in the land of deer hunting do. (But it's not about social issues they say! Ha!)
Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Fred Thompson and the power of a 24/7 Conservative media machine made Scozzafava sound like ACORN's favorite daughter. They backed Doug Hoffman, previously unknown CPA, forcing Scozzafava by poor numbers and a rapidly depleting election fund to drop out of the race. She endorsed the Democrat, Bill Owens.
Thus did a House seat, so long in Republican hands candidates could still meet their constituents by horse and buggy, flip to blue.
Bill Owens won the special with 48%, and arrived in DC in time to support Health Care reform. He joined the House committees on Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Agriculture - all fine committees to be on when you are representing a rural district with a history of military bases in upstate New York.
The 2010 Primaries made for a repeat scenario with Owens set as the Democratic candidate, and Hoffman losing to Matt Doheny by slim margin. Hoffman, lacking other exciting career options, decided to keep his name on the Conservative line. Tea Party devotees began a chorus of hollering about how this election was going to be lost because Matt Doheny had the temerity to believe that winning the primary was a good enough reason to stay in the race.
That 3 way race put the seat firmly in the blue column, with Nate Silver's magical calculator giving it over 79% likely to Owens.
Which brings you, dear reader, up to yesterday's breaking news: Doug Hoffman took one for the team and finally removed himself from the race. He endorsed Doheny, and asked people to pretend they don't see his name on the ballot under Conservative when they vote, and go Republican team go.
Bill Owens needs a team on his side again, he needs people to stand up to the coming onslaught of outside dollars and character attacks.
I don't agree with Bill Owens on everything. He has already signaled a willingness to work with the Blue Dogs and Republicans on the Bush tax cuts. He does not support marriage equality, though he does support civil unions (much like the President). But he isn't representing me - he's representing the people of his district. We can't use a broad brush to paint Democrats the way the G.O.Tea Party does.
So I'm asking for help keeping this seat blue, so we don't lose another vote where we can find common cause to help the people of NY-23 when they most need attention to fix the problems they face in their daily lives - starting with jobs, jobs, jobs. There are good people in the 'Daks and they deserve better than to be pawns in a national game of left versus right.
We need your voices, and your support today or yesterday's news could turn into tomorrow's GOP House takeover. With NY-23 forgotten in a national narrative on the power of Fox News and John Boehner to decide the lives of millions.
Whatever you can kick in for Bill Owens through Act Blue will help. And you'll find a whole list of other candidates who can use the boost as well.
Let's be part of the story of keeping NY-23 blue. Working people blue.