Palin ‘Going Rogue’ in Upstate New York
EmailABC News' Teddy Davis reports: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin used her Facebook page on Thursday to endorse Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman over Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava in the special election for New York’s 23rd congressional district. “Political parties must stand for something,” wrote Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. “[T]he Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate who more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. That is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party’s ticket.” The New York race is a microcosm of the dilemma faced by parties out of power: How much purity should you insist on from your members? The Republican that Palin has passed over supports abortion rights, same-sex marriage and legislation that would make union organizing easier. In backing the Conservative Party candidate, Palin finds herself in the company of many TEA party activists, plus former House Republican Leader Dick Armey of Texas. "We win when we are us. We lose when we are Democrat lite," Armey recently told the conservative RedState blog. On the other side of the divide is Newt Gingrich. The former House speaker recently threw his weight to Scozzafava. After he took heat from some conservatives for his decision, Gingrich wrote: “The choice in New York is a practical one: We can split the conservative vote and guarantee the election of a Democrat in a Republican seat in a substantial loss of opportunity. Or we can find a way to elect someone who has committed to vote for the Republican leader, has committed to vote against all tax increases, has committed to vote against cap-and-trade, and is a strong ally of the NRA.” The Democratic candidate in the race is lawyer Bill Owens. The trio is vying for now-Army Secretary John McHugh's vacant seat. The election is taking place Nov. 3. ABC News’ Rick Klein contributed to this report.
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“Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin used her Facebook page on Thursday to endorse”
Whoa whoa whoa there- going all in with a Facebook page endorsement? Palin sure is putting her name on the line going all in like that.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 22, 2009, 10:55 pm 10:55 pm
Good on Palin…….she is again showing she is not a washington insider and that she has the moral compass to choose her own road.
Posted by: talkhooloo | October 23, 2009, 12:35 am 12:35 am
There’s likely a contribution underway from SarahPac, and possibly a rally next week
Posted by: ian cormac | October 23, 2009, 12:44 am 12:44 am
Palin who?
Oh yeah, the person who quit being governor of her state…
Not sure I would want her endorsement.
Posted by: NewIndependent | October 23, 2009, 1:21 am 1:21 am
cool, go for it and split the vote and seat another Democrat…….i’m amuzed at how stupid some of these people are…..wait, no I’m not.
It just goes to show how little they prefer to cooperate on anything. And we wonder why Congress is dysfunctional? I’d gladly vote for a republican who is sensible enough to undestand that abortion should be legal and gays should be permitted to marry while standing strong against raising taxes……..one candidate sounds human, the other sounds like the typical devisive idiot we’ve all come to associate with the republican party…….
that being said, whoever would have thought that Newt Gingrich would be the voice of reason?
Posted by: dk | October 23, 2009, 2:38 am 2:38 am
These tea party Conservatives must be making Michael Steele very concerned about his Hip Hop strategy. Maybe he should change it to a Balloon Boy make-over for the Republican Party
Posted by: doug | October 23, 2009, 3:51 am 3:51 am
Aren’t Sarah’s 15 minutes over? Why, yes they are. Nobody’s hardly commented.
So I guess they’ll be voting a democrat in up there.
Posted by: secondlook | October 23, 2009, 7:37 am 7:37 am
“Aren’t Sarah’s 15 minutes over? Why, yes they are. Nobody’s hardly commented.”
I just wish the man child in chief’s 4 years were over….what a disaster. It’s bad enough with him just being president, but just imagine how bad it could be. You know, if he actually did something other than basketball, golf, speeches, flying all over the place, date night, etc. Things could be sooo much worse!!
Posted by: TxBoB | October 23, 2009, 7:41 am 7:41 am
Good for Palin- Repubs do need to be more closely tied to the lower taxes and small government principles that used to be the case. This country needs more than the two existing parties- all either are doing is spending this country into debt that can never be repaid, wars that we cannot win, and larger and larger govt. with no end in sight.
Posted by: Angela | October 23, 2009, 8:02 am 8:02 am
Sarah is killing the Republican Party…..oh, never mind, carry on Sarah!!
Posted by: Josh | October 23, 2009, 8:22 am 8:22 am
Yawn
Posted by: sara | October 23, 2009, 8:24 am 8:24 am
This nitwit would set herself on fire to get attention..TxBob: you and your ilk so conveniently forget that all of these troubles were brought on by your buddy, little Georgie Bush..Obama was left a heap of crap the likes of which we’ve never seen…
Posted by: leogorky | October 23, 2009, 8:33 am 8:33 am
Palin is the voice of reason. For all the intelligent Americans out there…look around the country. What is happening to the home of the brave, land of the free? We are going bankrupt! Quit attacking like schoolkids on Palin & “Think” for once. This Administration is choking American to death….& yes Bush blah blah blah
Posted by: Sam | October 23, 2009, 9:30 am 9:30 am
Sorry, Missed that part where she was wrong. Been watching both political parties. Not sure who we should hang first for getting us in this mess. One thing is certain at the moment, leaving the Democrats in control is just going to give more of the same that we have had over the past few months. Rats.
Posted by: James L. | October 23, 2009, 9:39 am 9:39 am
“I just wish the man child in chief’s 4 years were over….”
If BabyDoll keeps up with her antics your “man child” will have 8 years! This is just FABULOUS! BabyDoll is causing dissension within her own party. They will either have to outright denounce her as a total nutcase–which then admits the party’s error in ever choosing her, or embrace her as a formidable force in the Party–which means certain defeat in upcoming elections. Either way, HoneyCakes is coming out a winner! Her name recognition has shot up dramatically.
Posted by: FS | October 23, 2009, 9:44 am 9:44 am
Sorry Newt, but Sarah is right – life and morality are more important than taxes.
Posted by: Ray Coffman | October 23, 2009, 9:45 am 9:45 am
FS–No matter what Mrs Palin (or baby doll as you call her, she is pretty), Bamy will never be voted in again, even just to mop the floors!
Posted by: lyineyes1956 | October 23, 2009, 9:52 am 9:52 am
Why would anyone want a quitter to endorse them?
Posted by: Angie in PA | October 23, 2009, 10:06 am 10:06 am
So, JamesL: are you really that uniformed that you think this “mess” started in January? What planet do you live on? The administration is trying to deal with the unbelievable mess left by the republicans. Have you read a news paper over the last decade? I’d LOVE it if the nitwitted Palin ran for president. It would just how completely clueless and unwilling to change the GOP is..
Posted by: leogorky | October 23, 2009, 10:12 am 10:12 am
Oh all you OSAMA lovers out there I would like to know…wait LOVE to know exactly name 1 thing that OSAMA has done to help this country besides TRYING to take our freedoms and trying to make AMERICAN’S look like spineless ignorant idiots. Well I guess there are some of you out there that are but don’t try to infect the rest of us with your idiocy.
Posted by: sackett | October 23, 2009, 10:21 am 10:21 am
sackett: By visiting Whitehouse.gov on a daily basis and making that site a part of your daily information reading, you will be able to answer your own question.
Posted by: FS | October 23, 2009, 10:26 am 10:26 am
I’ve always wondered what would have happened if Joan of Arc, instead of being captured and executed, had instead in her insanity become disillusioned with the corrupt and decadent French nobility and led her loyal zealots into a bloody civil war, leaving France easy pickings for the English.
Go Joa… errr, Sarah!
Posted by: Yukon Sam | October 23, 2009, 10:38 am 10:38 am
I am just like all you other educated realists that understand exactly what people like Palin and Armey are doing to their party. I, too, hope they keep their stupid mouths running out of control. Maybe then, we can get rid of that virulent strain of “conservatism” once and for all so that our country can be progressive again.
Posted by: CND FOX | October 23, 2009, 11:53 am 11:53 am
That Old splitting the vote goes both ways. The Republicans want my vote they have to earn it. They are presently out of power because they are out of touch. They will either change their platform to suit independent, conservative voters or the democrats will stay in power. They are not going to get it both ways. They could win for sure in New Jersey if they would adopt some Independent ways and draw the voters to their side but they would rather continue down the same road and loose all over again. Their way or the hi-way didn’t work before and it isn’t going to work now. Change or loose in 2010-2012. They better follow the lead of Sarah Palin or they are in trouble.
Posted by: Melvin E. Holliday | October 23, 2009, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
A win by Hoffman is a test on how Hurricane Sarah is such a force to be reckoned with. Just imagine for all the conservative candidates she endorses and win the election, wow, that is huge…this means, she does not need GOP endorsement to run for POTUS!! She can form a party of her own named ROGUE CONSERVATIVE PARTY, and I am sure Bachmann, Jindal will join her. What will be left of the GOP are crap & flip-flopping politicians like Romney and Huckabee, Pawlenty, McCain and ball head Schmidt.
Posted by: Raymond | October 23, 2009, 6:14 pm 6:14 pm