Dead heat nationalizes New York special election

[babylonsister]

This is great news!

Dead heat nationalizes New York special
By Aaron Blake
Posted: 03/14/09 01:50 PM


The race to fill Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-N.Y.) former House seat is dead even, and with two weeks to go before the March 31 vote has become the major political battleground for both national parties.

It is the earliest of bellwethers for the 2010 election cycle and has taken on the same kind of significance as the three Democratic special election takeovers of 2008.

Both sides now say the race is within the margin of error, and neither is backing down from its ownership of the result.

Republicans feel they have little to lose by heaping emphasis on a district that has gone Democratic the last two cycles, especially with the party at a low-water mark in its overall House representation. Democrats continue to trumpet the 70,000-voter registration advantage the GOP has in the district and say Republicans should have had a far easier time regaining the seat.

In a Friday fundraising e-mail titled “Dead Heat in New York Special Election,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Executive Director Brian Wolff notes a recent independent poll showing Democrat Scott Murphy within four points.

“It's a sprint to the finish in the big special election in New York's 20th Congressional District,” Wolf writes.

GOP Assemblyman Jim Tedisco started the race with a 21-point lead, according to a Republican poll, but he was also far better known than his opponent, and his campaign insists it always expected the race to close within the margin of error.

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dead-heat-nationalizes-new-york-special-2009-03-14.html

[FLAprogressive]

1. Repub vs. Repub-lite. Big deal.

Murphy is a handpicked party insider who offers very little. Not a progressive, just another Blue Dog hack like Gillibrand. don't waste your money

[babylonsister]

2. I'll take the (D) at this point. The more, the merrier.

Whether you consider this a big deal is moot as you seem to frown upon anything remotely positive.

[FLAprogressive]

3. What's the positive of another insider hack pulling our party rightward?

[cali]

5. the positive is that unlike a repub in that seat, the dem will vote

largely with the dem caucus. Here's an example for you: This week, the wilderness legislation that had already passed the Senate lost by two votes in the House where it needed a super majority to pass. Almost all the moderate dems and blue dogs voted for it. Only 3 dems did not. This was important legislation. It would have protected millions of acres. Murphy almost certainly would support such legislation.

Now you know.

[FLAprogressive]

6. I'll stop criticizing the DCCC when they start funding actual Dem candidates as opposed to

Republican-lite hacks. All the money that was spent on conservative Dems this year could have went to progressives that had a chance to win.

[cali]

7. OK. First of all, I never suggested that you not criticize the DCCC

secondly, you asked a question and I provided a detailed answer to said question. Then you completely changed the subject. Lastly, a progressive dem would have virtually no chance in that district. Some of you can't seem to grasp that not all districts will elect a progressive. That said, I agree that the DCCC supports centrists even when viable progressives are an option. And that is fucked up.

[FLAprogressive]

10. "centrist" is just a nice term for "pro-corporate". nt

[cali]

12. gad I hate stupid.

And progressives sure can be as dogshit stupid as anyone else. Thanks for the evidence of that.

[babylonsister]

11. So go campaign for the rethug. nt

[elocs]

13. Wouldn't it be interesting to purge the party of all who are not progressives

and move them all over to the Republican column. Get rid of every Democrat who does not toe the line and vote lockstep and support every important progressive issue. Progressives: those who seem to delight in biting of their noses to spite their faces and who favorite appetizers are other Dems who do not slavishly support their views.

[Posteritatis]

4. I admit, I love dead heats. Suck on that, "what's one vote matter?" cynics! (nt)

[redwitch]

8. Scott impresses me. I was at the meeting where he was chosen.

I believe there is a great deal of difference between him and Tedisco. I am going to canvass for Scott tomorrow.

[babylonsister]

9. redwitch...

:yourock: :fistbump: