What I Hate About Politics

Update: I'm not naive. To be fair, I should add, Reagan had his attack dogs. And they knew how to bring it, too. What was never allowed to happen was for it to reflect directly on Reagan. Image is everything. The best of the best know that. Evidently Hoffman's handlers haven't learned it, yet.

Frankly, there's plenty to dislike about politics. To me, the embodiment of good politics was Reagan - forward looking, positive and, in a sense, inspirational. Michelle Malkin has a guest post by Conservative Party candidate in NY-23 Doug Hoffman. You can read the consultant written slash and burn of his opponent without so much as a word about what he's about at link.

Specifically, she’s changed her position on income taxes. One would have expected more hostility to taxes earlier in the campaign, since she had a leadership role in her brother’s company as it racked up almost $200,000 in unpaid tax liens. But alas.

Thanks for improving the Nation's political discourse there, Doug. Pity you don't seem to have enough positive to say about who you are, what you stand for and why you deserve a shot, instead of opting for the usual disingenuous attacks you, or someone on your behalf bought for the space Michelle was kind enough to grant you on her excellent blog. Frankly, I can see 100 ways to take out Dede Scozzafava without another misleading, mindless screed written to appeal to the worst of conservative political instincts. But I guess you need them foaming at the mouth come election day. But alas. Gag. I hope you didn't write that bit yourself.

Scozzafava has been receiving it on both sides over the past few days — Republicans and Democrats have been, for at least a week, trying to sell a rather tenuous “tax trouble” story — I heard about the issue last week from both Democratic and Republican sources, but after examining the evidence, decided not to go with the story. At least one other reporter received the same information, but decided not to run with it.

The “tax trouble” story in short: a company owned by her brother, for which she served as COO until recently, Seaway Valley Capital Corporation, acquired a number of companies though a merger with North Country Hospitality. These companies — Alteri Bakery, Sacket’s Harbor Brewing Company, and Good Fello’s — have nearly $200,000 in federal and state tax liens against them,  most of which were incurred for tax periods before the companies were acquired by Seaway Capital. The companies are still run by North Country Hospitality as part of the merger.

The story really hit the political blogs today — here’s one pushed by the Dems; here’s another  pushed by the Republicans.

The Dems get Politico and the Republicans get RedState - samol, samol. But you have to give it to Doug and his team, they're touching all the bases and just the right hot buttons, too. That's politics. Don't hate the players, hate the game.

Comments

[Bruce NV]

Sorry, Dan, but you ARE coming across as naive. You're also coming across as someone who doesn't care what the GOP stands for, as long as it opposes the Democrat party. There's more to it than that. Scozzafava is just another Spector or Jeffords (or Snowe or Collins). What does it benefit the GOP to send boatloads of money to her, if she's just going to be another Pelosi acolyte? Hoffman has my money, unlike the RNC, which will see NOT ONE RED CENT.

[Dan Riehl]

"Scozzafava is just another Spector or Jeffords (or Snowe or Collins)."

What is it I actually wrote, Bruce?

"Frankly, I can see 100 ways to take out Dede Scozzafava without another misleading, mindless screed"

If that doesn't imply that I see a great many things that are problematic about her, I don't know what would. Look. Everyone on the Right will mostly be writing Dede sux, vote Hoffman posts today. Does one more or less make a big difference? No, frankly, it doesn't. Hoffman looks to have all of his duck in a row.

What I wrote about is an entirely different angle on the race. I do that all the time. It's part of why my blog tends to not be just another programmable rant on the issue of the day. I often take up a different angle to keep from being bored writing the same old thing that every one else is.

I expressed my wish for a slightly better form of politics, no more, no less. Is it a knock on Hoffman that he's engaging in the samol samol? That's a fair cop. I'll plead to that. So what? Do I think it's somehow pivotal to the race? No, frankly I don't.

For better or worse, what people read here is the Riehl world view. If it were the same as everyone else's, I would be the at least somewhat less than marginal blogger that I am. And I can't start changing or apologizing for it now just because the base, of which I am a part, is understandably all stirred up.

[Joe]

Dan, this seat should never have been in play for the Dems. Now it is. And having Scozzafava, a Marget Sanger Award Winner, run for this seat in what is a conservative and Roman Catholic district is not exactly good strategy on the GOP's part.

Is Hoffman any different as a politician? I do not know. I do know the GOP needs to wake the hell up and start getting serious. I get we need to run Republicans who can win in certain districts, but Scozzafava is completely wrong for this district. We need the right candidate needs to mesh with the voters in the district. And yes, you can be a principalled conservative and still win in a liberal state or district. You must be a principalled conservative to win in conservative state or district.

All I can say is I want to invite the GOP leaders who thought this up to a poker game. I will supply the beer and nuts.

[Joe]

http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2009/10/16/i-know-it-was-you-newt/

[Jana]

I agree with both Dan and Joe. I don't know much about either Scozzafava or Hoffman, but I think the fans in this fight really got going when the RNC/Newt decided to enter the fray. My feeling is that they really don't want to lose this district, and it would be an embarrassment to do so. Hence, get behind the one who is more likely to thread the needle.

Still, I think they're underestimating the attitude of the base at the moment (lord, WHY, don't they keep up with the blogs?!) and weren't anticipating pushback.

End result? Probably the seat goes Dem, and they'll have to put the blame where it belongs: lazy thinking and the local party bosses' stupidity.

[Smarty]

I guess to a "Center-Right" person having another Snowe-Specter type is just fine.

For actual conservatives, there is no point putting the GOP in power if they are just going to be Democrat-Lite.

The GOP needs to stop funding RINOs just because their strategery says that they are electable.

[Fe]

I promise I wont hate if I can remember the player but the word on most of the lips is Scozzafava, and I believe that is the gamer, no? Why do they make politics so hard for the public education product?

[Alex]

Jana is right, and what the real message of all this is is that the GOP cares little about anything other than keeping their own seats comfy. It may well be that they want to get a "safe" seat, although I'm skeptical. What, exactly, has the GOP leadership shown us? Maybe I could get behind a moderate con winning in a more liberal district IF AND ONLY IF I could be shown that the GOP had a larger plan for conservative governance.

Instead what I get is a lib seat for a lib party where the cons are the outliers. And then we get the insiders telling us "lib or lib light or go home." Way to turn us off.

[Pasadena Phil]

Dan, I'm really disappointed in you. And to frame your argument around Ronald Reagan is a cheap gimmick. Most of us who have actually participated in political campaigns know one very important rule and I quote Tim Pawlenty's (don't get me started about that RINO) online campaign advisor Patrick Ruffini: "Politics is a contact sport, wear a helmet." I would add "wear a cup too".

Politics is not a nice game won only by nice people play nice, people who refuse to venture far from their comfy country clubs. It is a ruthless game played by the most ambitiously corrupt among us. You play to win.

In politics, it's ALL about winning, not how you play the game. Being nice is "nice" but so are baby ducks and fluffy bunnies. You're wasting those foolish sentiments on people who don't deserve it. If you can't stomach the fight when the turning point is at hand, just say so. Go down to the basement with the women and children and we'll let you know when the coast is clear.

[the bishop]

I actuallt skipped over that part of the bio, her actual record was more important

[Dan Riehl]

Oh, take a break. How many of you have gone down to your Rep's office to tell him face to face just what you think?

How many of you have gone out and recruited a more conservative candidate to primary your own Rep in a year?

How many of you have gone down to the local HQ to give them a piecve of your mind?

A couple, a few, maybe?

Don't everybody raise their hands all at once.

I was at the 9/12 TP in DC, how many of you came by to say hello?

Better yet, how many of you have even attended one in your home state?

2010 is going to determine the direction of America for the near future, not one otherwise un-noteworthy House seat in NY.

[RogerCfromSD]

Either put up or shut up. The GOP has to decide whether it's going to act like a winning franchise with an ethical mission statement, or if it's just going to be a clubhouse for entrenched power broker wannabes.

Conservatism IS the winning strategy. If the GOP continues to give Conservatives the finger, we saw respond in kind.

Too much is at stake for us to allow nimrods to dictate our pay levels and freedoms.

[Art Deco]

Mr. Riehl,

Candidate Hoffman has given a precis of his positions in his campaign literature distributed by post, and how they contrast with those of the Democratic and Republican candidates; this literature goes to the voters in the district.

I should offer that I think many commenting have misunderstood Scozzafava and how she figures in the tapestry of New York politics. Words like 'liberal Republican' and 'radical' have been used. The thing is, I think if you parsed the records of John Lindsay or Jacob Javits over their many years in office, you would discover a rough set of criteria by which they evaluated claims on the public weal. John Lindsay in particular was antagonistic to what might be called the established practices of New York politics.

I doubt you would find that in parsing Scozzafava's public positions and record. She got the nod from ten Republican county chairman and amiably co-operates with Democrats in the state legislature. I submit to you that the reason for this is that she is anything but radical; she is a manifestation of business as usual.

About a decade ago, a disaffected politico wrote an article for City Journal in which he offered a concise description of the motor of New York politics: "business opportunities for insiders". These business opportunities are to be had with the intermediation of characters like Dede. To the extent that business incomes are politically determined, the efforts of entrepreneurs will have less and less to do with actual enterprise and more and more to do with the pursuit of connections.
The various departments of the state executive have distinct interests quite apart from the administration or the public at large, and such is openly admitted. Legislative bill jackets are awash with statements like, "the Department of Law [or Motor Vehicles, or Commerce, or Social Services] has no objections to this legislation".
Local 1199 seemed to own Gov. Pataki, much less the Democratic legislative caucus.

More diffuse interests are kow towed to as well. When Dede Scozzafava says she will 'fight for seniors' (or farmers, or whomever), that is code for the following: "No extant privilege granted through state regulation or largesse will be revoked, no matter what the contextual circumstances are".

And that is the problem. The political economy of New York has degenerated into a web of negotiated privileges. Also, for all the expense they incur, the observed performance of our public agencies is no more than average. This has left much of the state with a chronic economic malaise. This is the legislature's world, George Pataki's world, and the world of the mossbacks and crapsters who were behind this nomination. It is Dede Scozzafava's world as well.

As for her positions on social questions, consider. The unions (including her husband, who is on the payroll) want card check, and she'll give it to them. Local 1199 and the State United Teachers and CSEA/AFSCME want those on the payroll held harmless at all times, so tax increases are on autopilot, with her blessing. 'Seniors' (or the local branch of the AARP) want this or that subsidy for this or that purchase, and she'll 'fight for it'. The dairy farmers want state enforced guild regulations, so they stay in force, &c. The gay lobby wants county clerks to hand out 'marriage' licenses to their members and Planned Parenthood wants their business subsidized and Dede says 'yes'. That's what she does. You can call her a 'liberal'. More precise descriptors would be 'Albany hack' or 'the-whiny-fat-kid's-indulgent-mother'.

Both candidate Hoffman and the Democratic candidate have spent the last twenty years earning a living, not sitting in elective office presiding over the provision of second rate public goods while misappropriating someone else's living. They are not part of the problem. Dede is.