Owens plays to independents in Watertown

One thing’s clear about the soon-to-be 23rd Congressional district race: there’s no clear way to know how this race will play out. The Republican’s being attacked by Conservatives, the Democrat is being labeled a “conservative” and isn’t even really a Democrat. The Republican’s well-known and liked on the western side of the district; the Democrat’s well-known and liked on the eastern side. The Republican’s a seasoned politician; the Democrat’s playing the role of outsider.

So many variables make the race between Bill Owens, the Democrat, Dede Scozzafava, the Republican, and Douglas Hoffman, the Conservative, a fascinating one. It’s worth keeping an eye on how the candidates are framing themselves in the media, especially in places where they’re creating a first impression. Occasionally, I’ll post interviews with the candidates from other media outlets to give a sense of how they’re sketching out their identity (or how the media’s doing it for them).

Last night, on WWNY-TV, the most popular TV newscast in Jefferson, St. Lawrence, and Lewis Ccounties, Democrat Bill Owens played to independent voters. That’s a smart move, given Republicans have an enrollment advantage but there are a large number of enrolled independents, too. Watch the interview here…