What is the lesson of the 23rd Congressional Race?

The lesson is simple. Both parties days are numbered. A third party candidate, who has never run for office before, an inexperienced campaigner and a very late entery in to the race, completely knocks one major party out of the race and nearly defeats the other major party. Not to mention that had the votes that went to the candidate that dropped out gone instead to the thrid party, we would be seeing a brand new letter next to a name in congress.
The lesson is that the people REALLY are sick of them both and we are not joking about this. It isn't just a sign slogan or a protest chant. it isn't idle rhetoric, it's genuine "sick of it" syndrom and we mean business.

The republicans had best learn this lesson well and fast.

We want conservatives, which is what the republican party used to be before the RINOs arrived.

If the party wants to survive then it should listen to the people... otherwise they will go the way of the Whigs and a new party will rise from the ashes.

The republican party cannot compete if it continues to try to be just like the competition.

If people wanted liberals, then they will vote democrat... not republican.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you right, Bob. Are you happy or not happy with how the GOP nominee was chosen in the NY 23rd? I mean, you said, "someone who earned the spot". I could be wrong but I was under the impression that in situations like this the individual states, or maybe even the individual counties, decide what procedure to use to come up with their nominees. I think a primary is always the best way to be sure to get a candidate the voters want but I'm not sure what the reasoning behind not doing that may have been.

I was also under the impression that Doug Hoffman is a very wealthy man who actually doesn't even live within the district and who was completely clueless when asked questions about issues concerning the people of that district. He may have not had much "organization" to start with but several of the right's biggest "stars", namely Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and others, threw their weight behind him and made this race a national story. Obviously, that was enough to make Dede Scozzafava drop out at the last minute. I doubt that anyone expected her to put her support behind Owens, the Democratic nominee who went on to win!

I agree with your "lesson", everyone needs to listen to the people. However, another lesson I'd say could be taken from the NY 23rd special election is that all politics are, after all, "local" and that a "northeastern conservative" isn't the same as an Alaskan, southern or midwestern conservative. The Republicans that live in the 23rd chose a moderate to be their nominee. Maybe Scozzafava is a "liberal" or a "RINO" to the far right in some parts of the country but she just may have been the kind of Republican this district and this part of the nation prefers. If I remember correctly she was leading in the polls until the negative ads started running against her, then she dropped like a rock.

One final thing I MUST say...you seemed to imply that some of the tea party participants were previously Obama supporters. I'm sorry, but I just don't get that impression at all. There may be the RARE exception but from what I've seen the tea partiers were and are Obama haters and for the most part quite conservative.

Annie