A reader writes:
Here is my own anecdotal contribution, as someone who grew up in NY 23, was once a part of the Republican establishment there. I have both moved out of the area and am no longer a Republican, but I still have many contacts with party voters there. What I’m hearing from friends & former neighbors the last 24 hours doesn’t sound good for Hoffman.
The North Country is a seriously economically depressed area, and some kind of healthcare reform would disproportionately benefit the local residents up there. Like most places, it is fairly popular among the regular voters. Over the weekend, registered voters of both parties have been INUNDATED with phone calls, mostly from Hoffman’s side, railing against the evils of the Pelosi machine and Nationalized Healthcare. We’re talking 20+ calls/day. I think there are more people calling registered voters in NY 23 than there ARE voters in NY 23 it really is a very sparsely populated region.
Combine the out-of-touch culture war rhetoric that GOP voters there are getting bombarded with, and the snide “parochial” comments from national figures about their local issues, plus Scozzafava’s endorsement of her Democratic opponent, and anything could happen. Scozzafava is now actively campaigning with Owens in the 23rd. They had an appearance together yesterday in Canton, NY. It’s truly bizarre for me to imagine all this national bile and culture war crap being heaped on such a tiny little parochial district you can usually number the people who turn out to vote there for these kind elections in the very low 4 figures.
I don't know, but the Dish tries to offer as many viewpoints as possible.