Are Doug Hoffman’s tea party backers flirting with Matt Doheny?
Back in May, UNYTEA founder and leader Mark Barie from Plattsburgh endorsed Conservative Republican Doug Hoffman from Saranac Lake and he blasted Matt Doheny, the Republican candidate from Watertown, for courting the GOP’s “party bosses.”
“If Doug Hoffman loses the primary I think the Tea Party movement in the North Country will be pronounced dead whether it should be or not,” Barie said. “It’s a winner-take-all and UNYTEA’s betting the farm.”
But after last night’s debate in Plattsburgh, Barie sounded a very different tone. He first blasted his own candidate, Doug Hoffman, for being poorly prepared.
“I guess he didn’t have the time to work a little bit more on his delivery,” Barie said. “Style in a campaign is important…if and when Doug wins the primary and he goes up against Bill Owens he needs to be smoother than tonight.”
Barie says he doesn’t regret endorsing Hoffman, but he described Doheny as a viable conservative choice.
“Clearly, we’ve got two fiscal conservatives from which to choose,” he said, while praising Doheny for launching a far more grassroots campaign:
“He’s gone down to the committee level, he’s talked to the rank-and-file, and he’s made some inroads…that’s changed the dynamic a little bit.”
Barie says UNYTEA will meet in the next week to decide what to do if Doug Hoffman decides to stay in the race as a Conservative Party candidate, even if he loses the GOP primary.
Tags: election10
Doug seems very slooooowwww. How would he get his voice heard in congress. You can’t just sit back and wait to speak, they’d never give you the chance. He needs a more aggressive personality to be a congressman.
Have they never met Doug? Did they not see him last year? He is not a charismatic kind of guy. He comes off as having a slow and dry personality. I’m not sure that is something you can change just by working a little more on delivery.
Unfortunately-not even having seen the debate-I predicted
that Hoffman did not have the charisma and the speaking
power to make an impact in Congress. That does not mean
he isn’t a decent guy. But poorly prepared-that is rather
shocking. He has been at this for over a year, right?
Sarah Palin has proven that being poorly prepared does not hinder political success.
Are you kidding me? DC is full of well speaking personalities, often posing as wolves in sheep’s clothing, er, elected officials. If anything, Doug’s “unpolished” self is refreshing because you know he’s not charming you with a bunch of BS. DC is full of smooth talkers who are so full of themselves they need a heaping teaspoon of exlax.
Doug should, however, be running his campaign on this theme – being the true outsider, the non-politician, non-lawyer, etc. DC doesn’t need anymore Lawyers. All they do is figure out ways to break the law.
No matter which one wins the Primary at least we’ll have choices this year that don’t include socialist candidates from both major parties. My concern about Doheny is that he is favored by the same apparatchiks that pushed Scozzafava last year. How much federal aid did Doheny get when he was turning around all those failed companies? I fear that he is already tainted as bad as a union member or other welfare recipient
I agree – don’t mistake lack of polish for lack of ability. Doug Hoffman is a breath of fresh air. We don’t need another slick lawyer like Doheny in DC. Worse a lawyer who never did any real lawyering and never did anything in public service for everyday people. What’s he ever done on a local level to help people like you and me? nothing. I don’t want a so-called “investment banker” representing me. They are all in it for themselves.
Oh brother. Socialist candidates?
PNElba: Political influence or political success? Sarah Palin was a huge reason the GOP lost the last election as it undermined McCain’s judgment and credibility among independents.
Sarah Palin was the only thing that kept John McCain out of the 20s in the general election.
I am so happy to see Doug Hoffman, a normal person like ‘we the people’ as my candidate! Doug being honorable and doing his best is better than most of us could do – most of us do not have attorney training like Doheny!!! It sure gives me hope that our country will get back to electing the ‘honest Abe’s’ like Doug to office!! We should forget a hollywood image, legal degree and movie star life style as requirements for office!
Smooth talking lawyers like Doheny with
-big wallets who
-own islands for investments who make their money in
-wallstreet bonuses who
-ship jobs overseas and
-work for companies that in my google searches bring up a company profile written in spanish ….well, that really scares me!!
Doug Hoffman is the kid who worked at the local gas station, who likes to work on cars, who can understand accounting and figure out what those politician lawyers are doing in DC!!! He is a father and husband, he understands what thats about- I do not believe playboy Doheny is married or ever has been so he can not speak to issues many of us face. Lets give our vote to a real local boy -vote DOUG HOFFMAN!!!
How many times have the American public been bam-boozled by sweet-talkin’ candidates? Too many! Mr. Hoffman doesn’t have to talk the talk, he just has to walk the walk. He promises to do so in his best Andy Taylor manner. He’s a real Adirondack success story. In Mr. Doheny’s case, I’m afraid he’s a RINO because he was eerily silent about being a practicing Catholic where it concerned protecting the unborn yet proudly said he stood for “one man-one woman” in marriage. He’s a pro-choice candidate. Doesn’t he know that Catholic doctrine is against abortion? Apparently not. There was definitely a sense from people that Doheny was arrogant toward Hoffman, and the moderator Mark Barie. Next time Barie should carry an inflatable baseball bat when a candidate refuses to shut down his responses. BOP!!! I believe he’s a Huckster who would be just another party boy in Washington. Here’s a question for everyone…who would most likely be involved in a Washington scandal – Hoffman or Doheny? Yeah, I thought so! Case closed.
OK..I voted for Hoffman last time…but no this time..and Mr. Hoffman you have to know in your heart that your not going to win this election..its not going to happen…I know nothing about politics but know Mr. Hoffman will not win..and that is that…BUT…if Mr. Hoffman stays in the election Mr. Doheny will not win either..if we want Owens out then Mr. Hoffman has to drop out…that is it. OH!!! and Mr. Owens how did you get in there by back room politics and who knows what else. You knew we being the voters did not want the health care program but you voted yes anyway…and Pelosi and Obama knew they had you in their pocket.
Boy talked about crooked..jeezzzz and here we are paying the piper.
John
Why is the left sooooo afraid of Sara Palin then and now????
LOL could this be a threat?
Where is the evidence the “left” is afraid of Sara Palin? The “left” is praying that Palin is the Republican candidate for president in 2012. Brian is right, independents do not seem to care too much for Palin.
No one in their right mind would define Scozzafava and Owens as socialist candidates.