News Copy, New York

Consultant's Journal: Politics, Policy and the Business of Reforming Government

Bob Fois

Political Journal
Friday, January 29, 2010

 

The Real Republicans

 

Conservatives from around New York State will be gathering Sunday and Monday in Albany for the New York State Conservative Party's Political Action Conference.

This year is a bit different, following the "Punch and Judy" act that transpired last fall in 23rd Congressional District between arch-liberal Republican Assemblyman Dede Scozzafava and Conservative Party nominee Douglass Hoffman.

Following Scozzafava's departure, Hoffman should have been given a clear road -- but the "Pro-Choice, Pro-Union & Pro Gay Marriage Republican" endorsed Democrat Bill Owens.

Conservative insiders are telling me that Hoffman won't have the same third party glow this time, since Republicans are lining up behind Assemblyman Will Barclay.

Whether the battle is over true Republican platform principles is on the eastern tip of Long Island or back upstate in the 23rd, these same battles will be argued over and over this weekend by Conservatives and Republicans alike.

"Many of us take pride in just saying we're the "real Republicans" in New York"

I like to remind my Republican friends that the New York State Conservative Party carries a set of principles that are identical to the RNC platform.  Yet, Conservatives catch flack from liberal Republicans about our foreign platform.  There's nothing foreign or contrarian about being a Conservative in New York.  We adhere to a true Republican platform.

Many of us take pride in just saying we're the "real Republicans" in New York.

Securing that all important Conservative line is critical for Republican candidates, especially this year.  It seems as though everyone wants to run for Congress.  As many are lining up for Assembly and State Senate seats.  As Obama's popularity wilts, so does the competition for Republican seats.

Pick a number ...

Massachusetts Senate Race Has Vindicated The National Tea Party Movement

Polls in Massachusetts are open.

When the headlines read "Massachusetts Senate race comes down to the wire" (Los Angeles Times) or "Turnout Is Key in Massachusetts battle" (Wall Street Journal), are they setting lower expectations or sizing up what could be a much closer race?

Democrats have unions and special interest groups making phone calls.  Republicans have volunteers and Tea Party activists making cell phone calls and e-mailing from throughout the nation.

What we're seeing is a dress rehearsal for mid-term elections.

But something else is being played out here that the mainstream media must start acknowledging.

The Washington Post and many other news outlets wanted to imagine that only 30,000 Americans converged on our nation's capitol for the 9-12 rally last year.  Most who attended (and I was one of them) observed the lawns outside Congress to be overflowing into the side streets.  There were as many people in the Mall as had stood in the freezing cold for President Barack Obama's Inauguration.

Over a million people came to Washington, D.C. on September 12, 2009 -- but the mainstream media didn't want to believe it.

People are making phone calls for Scott Brown.  The world has changed.  The average American can rally for aany candidate in the continental United States; with your cell phone, with your e-mails, blogs and social networking tools that have no limits.

Democrats are boasting about the number of volunteers doubling for Coakley, "3,500 supporters" reaching out to voters.  The best the unions and special interest groups can do is 500,000 "voter contacts" that include calls and email solicitations.

It's a safe estimate that Scott Brown likely has a few million Tea Party activists and many more new Republican volunteers making a thousand times more e-mails and phone calls than Democrats,

This is what happens when the media pretends a movement is not there -- and worse -- pretends that a movement is not valid.

Forget about the polls for a moment.  Forget about the outcome, especially since the sobering reality is that Democrats have more prime voters that they can pull to the polls than Republicans in Massachusetts.

The irony, as USA Today reported, might be the independents in "liberal" Massachusetts.

"Despite the state's "blue" reputation, more than half of Massachusetts voters — or 2.1 million people — are not affiliated with a political party, according to state registration figures. Among voters who are enrolled in a party, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 3-to-1 ratio."

The story is no longer the political consultants or party leaders.  Frankly, the gathering chorus of those "mad as hell" and not taking it anymore could just as easily topple establishment Republicans as the parrots in the House majority.

Today is vindication for the average American.  This is "A Message From the Kitchen" (New York Times).

Now just pray it all doesn't peak too soon.

Massachusetts Senate Race Has Vindicated The National Tea Party Movement

Polls in Massachusetts are open.

When the headlines read "Massachusetts Senate race comes down to the wire" (Los Angeles Times) or "Turnout Is Key in Massachusetts battle" (Wall Street Journal), are they setting lower expectations or sizing up what could be a much closer race?

Democrats have unions and special interest groups making phone calls.  Republicans have volunteers and Tea Party activists making cell phone calls and e-mailing from throughout the nation.

What we're seeing is a dress rehearsal for mid-term elections.

But something else is being played out here that the mainstream media must start acknowledging.

The Washington Post and many other news outlets wanted to imagine that only 30,000 Americans converged on our nation's capitol for the 9-12 rally last year.  Most who attended (and I was one of them) observed the lawns outside Congress to be overflowing into the side streets.  There were as many people in the Mall as had stood in the freezing cold for President Barack Obama's Inauguration.

Over a million people came to Washington, D.C. on September 12, 2009 -- but the mainstream media didn't want to believe it.

People are making phone calls for Scott Brown.  The world has changed.  The average American can rally for aany candidate in the continental United States; with your cell phone, with your e-mails, blogs and social networking tools that have no limits.

Democrats are boasting about the number of volunteers doubling for Coakley, "3,500 supporters" reaching out to voters.  The best the unions and special interest groups can do is 500,000 "voter contacts" that include calls and email solicitations.

It's a safe estimate that Scott Brown likely has a few million Tea Party activists and many more new Republican volunteers making a thousand times more e-mails and phone calls than Democrats,

This is what happens when the media pretends a movement is not there -- and worse -- pretends that a movement is not valid.

Forget about the polls for a moment.  Forget about the outcome, especially since the sobering reality is that Democrats have more prime voters that they can pull to the polls than Republicans in Massachusetts.

The irony, as USA Today reported, might be the independents in "liberal" Massachusetts.

"Despite the state's "blue" reputation, more than half of Massachusetts voters — or 2.1 million people — are not affiliated with a political party, according to state registration figures. Among voters who are enrolled in a party, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 3-to-1 ratio."

The story is no longer the political consultants or party leaders.  Frankly, the gathering chorus of those "mad as hell" and not taking it anymore could just as easily topple establishment Republicans as the parrots in the House majority.

Today is vindication for the average American.  This is "A Message From the Kitchen" (New York Times).

Now just pray it all doesn't peak too soon.

Something Old, Something New

News Copy hadn't planned its re-launch to coincide with the Wall Street tumble of 2008.

Finally bulldozed much of the old blog, gutted out the interiors and want to start anew.

News Copy is looking for contributors; writers, activists, idealists, columnists, reporters, consultants, an artist or two and perhaps the occasional nuclear engineer to keep this power plant called free speech running smoothly.

We're in Westchester, that sleepy suburb north of the five boroughs.   We've always been here.   Every other Monday is still spent on WVOX in New Rochelle.   The base of operations is still the north end of Eastchester and there's something called a County government a few miles to the north that's about to trigger one of the biggest tax revolts in the free world.

No exageration there.  It's coming.  It's building like steam in a pot.  News Copy and many other local self-publishing operations have relevance in such a civic environment.  We're  more national now -- and still care about about our beloved Empire State -- but all politics is local.

E-mail me at fois@optonline.net -- if you have some ideas to share on here from the right or the left.