Tea Party leader slams Doug Hoffman, suggests support for Doheny
I just received a statement on yesterday’s primary from UNYTEA leader Mark Barie in Plattsburgh suggesting that his group will meet tonight to decide who to support down the stretch. Here’s the main point of his email:
“I am very disappointed with the way in which the Hoffman campaign was conducted. It was unorganized, it lacked focus, and it failed to take advantage of Doug’s tremendous popularity.” said Barie, adding, “Doug’s senior campaign advisor (Chris Baker) ran this campaign from his office in Arizona and he was clearly ignorant of what was happening on the ground here in the North Country.”
Barie says his group will meet tonight to decide what to do next. Here’s his full statement:
Although the results of yesterday’s GOP primary are still unclear, the Upstate New York Tea (UNYTEA) party is moving quickly to organize for the November elections..
“There are less than seven weeks until the November election, and we intend to use that time to reorganize and to make the case to voters that Bill Owens has got to go”, said Mark L Barie, Chairman of UNYTEA.
Barie acknowledged that UNYTEA’s endorsed candidate, Doug Hoffman, is the apparent loser in the race. His opponent, Matt Doheny, is now leading in unofficial results by more than 600 votes. Approximately 1800 absentee ballots have yet to be counted.
“Doug would have to take about two thirds of the absentee ballots in order to win. I think that’s unlikely, but we can not afford to sit idly by while the recount takes place.”, said Barie.
According to Barie, UNYTEA’s Steering Committee will be meeting tonight to discuss the results of the Primary.
“We will be polling our members in the days to come and then making a decision as to the role UNYTEA will play in the Congressional race”.
Barie spoke bluntly about the results.
“I am very disappointed with the way in which the Hoffman campaign was conducted. It was unorganized, it lacked focus, and it failed to take advantage of Doug’s tremendous popularity.” said Barie, adding, “Doug’s senior campaign advisor (Chris Baker) ran this campaign from his office in Arizona and he was clearly ignorant of what was happening on the ground here in the North Country.”
“Speaking just for myself, if Doug doesn’t make some personnel changes, his campaign for Congress is going no where. I think his chances for success on the Conservative Party line are minimal. This is true because, unlike last year when he came so close to defeating Bill Owens, this year’s GOP nominee is not a tax and spend liberal. Matt Doheny is a fiscal conservative”.
Barie stopped short of formally endorsing Doheny, saying that was up to UNYTEA’s 1000 plus membership who will be polled by email and regular mail, in the next two weeks.
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Sounds to me like your buddy is trying to save face and get in Doheneys good graces Brian.
It really was not a slame on Hoffman. It was a reality based statement that Hoffman make a poor choice of a campaign manager. The incompetent campaign manager blew the race for Hoffman. I have seen a number of good people lose races because they choose poor campaign managers.
I had been struck recently by the contrast between Palladino and Hoffman. Both had been endorsed by the Conservative Party. Palladino had stated that he would abandon his bid to become Governor and support the primary winner even though his name would continue to appear on the Conservative Party line on the ballot. Meanwhile, Hoffman maintained that he would continue his campaign. A three-way race featuring two conservatives would almost certainly result in an Owens victory. Seems like one guy was trying to serve the conservative movement while the other was simply being self-serving.
If the Tea Party boss is so quick to shift his support from Hoffman to Doheny, it’s evidence of how little actual substance separated the two candidates and how much of it was about egos and the self-indulgent venting of rage (not that I’m convinced there’s ever been much substance to Hoffman).
Additionally, I wonder if the Tea Party really has any ideology that separates it from conservative, but not frothing at the mouth, Republicans or whether their real ideology is being, in the words of one Chris Gibson supporter, “an Angry-American.”
One correction here is that Palladino was not endorsed by the Conservative Party — Lazio was. All in all, it was a pretty tough night for the Conservative Party.
–Brian, NCPR
The extent to which the Conservative Party resembles a “party” in any real sense is limited. There’s little if any professional & full time workers in its organization & it doesn’t recruit members like the Ds or Rs do. It is really an endorsement party just like the Working Family Party. So, last night can hardly be a “really tough night for the Conservative Party.”
I think Brian has it right about a tough night for the Conservative Party.
While it is true that the Conservatives are basically an endorsement party, yesterday’s primary calls into question whether there are enough Lazio voters to get them the 50,000 they need to have automatic ballot access. Without the guaranteed access, it could spell lights out for the party.
Brian (not B Mann)- UNYTEA is not the whole of the TP movement. Brain Manns friend may be MR UNYTEA, but he doesn’t represent anyone I know of. In fact, of all the TP “types” I’m aware of locally, none belong to UNYTEA.
Added to my handle, with another Dan posting.
Hope Hoffman stays in. I can’t see Owens losing with the two GOPers in the race. I don’t belong to an organized political party-I’m a registered Dem–but I believe Dede would have won if Hoffman had bowed out the first time…and I would’ve voted for her.
Bret: it’s very clever wordplay but not as subtle as you think. What evidence do you have that the UNYTEA guy is “Brain (sic) Manns (also sic) friend”?
Because Brian Mann said he was his friend some time back. As for the “Brain”, nothing clever about it at all, that was simply misspelling. I didn’t even catch it till now. If I wanted to insult Brian I’d be far less subtle than that.
My point is you, not Brian Mann, imply that this guy represents the whole of “The Tea Party”. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“decide who to support” should be “decided whom to support”
The grammatical error, though becoming more accepted daily, distracted me from the point. Clearly, UNTEA’s Mark Barie does not support Chris Baker. The rest of the speculation comes from information not found in Mr Barie’s statement.
FIRST: To HOFFMAN: STAY IN THE RACE ON THE CONSERVATIVE LINE!!!
Slamming Hoffman or his campaign is unjustified. The truth about Doheny and his supporters needs to be brought out. Madison County clerk Kunkel sent out a robo call comapring Hoffman to Obama and Pelosi because he supposedly is splitting the vote. NOTHING BUT LIES to first compare him to the destructive forces of this nation and LIES that HE is splitting the vote. He showed what he could do last time and the republicans refused to endorse him. So WHO IS SPLITTING THE VOTES??? No, when supporters of another “conservative” sent out attacking lies, one needs to question that candidate or the candidate’s supporters (committees). Hoffman is the PEOPLE’S CHOICE. WAKE UP REPUBLICANS!!! Bernsten is another RINO – homosexuals in the military, and who knows what else to erode the morals and constitution of this nation. HOFFMAN IS THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE. VOTE HOFFMAN. The Republicans need to get the cotton out of their ears and get off their thrones and out of denial. If they want a win, they need to back the RIGHT CANDIDATE! I will vote a third party at the risk of losing for 2 reasons: 1) PRINCIPLE! 2) PRINCIPLE! Oh, a third reason too: PRINCIPLE! And maybe there will be an underlying reason? Teach the corrupt and non-representative “leaders” and decision-makers a lesson.
People like True Patriot scare me. Tea Party doesn’t represent oppression and taking away rights of women although some members feel that is part of it. It’s stands for its acronym. A “true patriot” doesn’t keep his neighbor down becuase they have differing views. Maybe that’s patriotic in Iran but not here.
Mr. Mann,
I just heard your interview with Mr. Barie this evening on the radio.
I am particularly baffled by a claim that a Hoffman loss does not mean a failure for the Tea Party.
What exactly would constitute a failure for the Tea Party, if the candidate they did support fails to win in a primary.
It’s nuts. The Tea Party is either successful and gains a new mandate (when their candidate wins) or “doesn’t fail” (when their candidate loses) because it’s a national organization.
Would all Tea Party candidates have to receive ZERO votes in order for the Tea Party to “fail?”
This is the same self-preserving line: “We didn’t fail because of our conservative postions, we failed because we weren’t conservative enough!”
Nonsense.
-Justin
Since Doheny was a strong supporter of Scozzafava I have to ask, when did he become a conservative?