Doug Hoffman raised eyebrows last week when he vanished on primary night, refusing to talk with reporters or with his supporters.
"It's been…infuriating," said Mark Barie, chairman of UNYTEA, a Plattsburgh-based tea party group that had been one of Hoffman's most prominent backers.
"They are simply insulating themselves from any contact even with their closest allies."
The Hoffman camp released one pre-packaged quote, but declined to make him available for interviews.
Then on Monday, public radio reporter Mike Benjamin with WRVO radio tracked Hoffman down at a Conservative Party recognition dinner near Syracuse.
"It's not over yet," Hoffman told him. "So let's wait and see what happens with the absentee ballots. We're very anxious to see them counted."
Benjamin then asked the obvious question: "Have you given any thought to running on the Conservative line?"
Hoffman pauses for four seconds (yes, I counted) and says stiffly, "Thank you for voting for me, I appreciate it."
Absentee ballots will be tallied beginning on Thursday. Currently, Hoffman trails Matt Doheny by more than five hundred votes.
Meanwhile, I asked Alison Power — Doheny's spokeswoman — to give me a sense for what her guy is doing while we wait for closure on the GOP primary.
Here's what Power wrote:
We're closely watching and responding to what Rep. Owens is up to, Matt is keeping up campaign visits and meetings as he did in the primary (today, for example, visiting and meeting with Massena Central School Superintendent Roger Clough, then speaking with Massena business leaders).
Agreed to one debate already (in Syracuse in October). Staff is also working on things like updating our web site for the general election.
Exactly six weeks to go until Election Day.
Tags: election10
Do politicians feel any embarrassment when they will not answer a simple direct question?
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I doubt they feel any embarrassment. Politicians, by nature, are adept at appearing to answer a question without answering. They are skilled at lying with a straight face, taking credit where none is due, casting blame on ANYONE else and providing a long, windy answer in the hopes that you will forget your question. If feeling embarrassment requires any level of self-reflection, then the answer is no. Heck, not many of these guys even show up in mirrors.
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How can people support this guy? How could we expect him to fight for our district? I am sure he's a nice, respectable guy, but we need someone who can communicate and go toe-to-toe with those sleaze balls in DC.
"Have you given any thought to running on the Conservative line?"
"Thank you for voting for me, I appreciate it." WHAT?!!
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"Politicians, by nature, are adept at appearing to answer a question without answering."
But I thought Hoffman wasn't a politician, and that's why we should vote for him.
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I really don't understand how anyone can support this candidate. He's offered no specifics about, well, anything. Policy, his initiatives, what he'd do differently than Owens, or if he'll even stay in the race if he loses the primary. Sure, we've heard the same bland, general talking points any fool who watches Faux news and has a microphone can repeat, but nothing specific. He almost seems like a child wearing adult clothes. This is who some think should represent us in Washington? Sorry, I just don't see anything beyond the suit.
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He's Sarah Palin in men's clothing.
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Here's a note to the GOP "wizards of smart" who wanted Doheny to have a "R" after his name.
RCP now has Owens polling ahead of Doheny.
Way to go, GOP leadership.
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