A Glutton For Punishment

Apparently Doug Hoffman didn't get the message last time, as he's tossed his hat back into the ring to try and win the NT-23rd Congressional seat. What makes him think that voters there will choose him now? Ed Morrissey is pretty much .proclaiming Hoffman is going to win.

Circumstances should favor Hoffman this time. In the previous contest, a special election to fill John McHugh’s seat, the state didn’t allow for a primary contest, throwing the nominations to the county chairs of both parties. Democrats chose Bill Owen, while Republicans passed over Hoffman to select DeDe Scozzafava. Hoffman ran as a third-party candidate instead, winning over Tea Party enthusiasts while Scozzafava campaigned poorly and alienated voters in her district. Hoffman came within a couple of percentage points of winning the whole race.

This time, though, the normal primary process will select the nominees, but Hoffman has to be an early favorite to run the table. He has a high profile, thanks to his amazing run last year. Owens will have to run again in a district that elected Republicans for over 100 years in perhaps the worst national environment for Democrats in years. Although losing this race to Owens last year wasn’t the best outcome, Hoffman now won’t have to run a primary challenge against a sitting Republican. That makes his task much easier, and it also keeps the national Republican organizations from the temptation to meddle in the process.

I'm quite curious as to what makes both Morrissey and Hoffman so certain that this time will be different, that the GOP and Republican voters will suddenly accept him.

After all, Hoffman didn't seem to interested in fighting for the position to start with, as he never once debated Dede Scozzafava and re-conceded at least 3 times. His only real support were from Tea Baggers and think that was more for the gimmick of it all rather than any type of realistic change that Hoffman would have brought.

I suppose that both Hoffman and Morrissey think this election will be different because Hoffman will be running as a Republican. That's something that Tea Baggerrs had once shied away from, until their princess ( Sarah Palin ) told them that they would HAVE to choose a party if they wanted to make any gains. And like that, the narrative that Tea Baggers had no political affiliation disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

I don't see Hoffman even making it through the primaries, as his language is the same as every conservative, equal parts bland and predictably vague. The more things change, the more they stay the same I suppose.