In the summer, Bill Owens wasn’t even a Democrat. Now he has two Democratic presidents — one current and one former — throwing him on their shoulders.<\/p>\n
Normally, this kind of backing would be a curiosity, but in this race Owens is still scrambling to build loyalty among rank-and-file Democratic voters.<\/p>\n
There’s no faster way to get there than to link arms with Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, men who still enjoy sky-high approval-ratings among progressives.<\/p>\n
Another sign that Owens could solidify his base was the backing of the Working Families Party. <\/p>\n
WFP flirted with endorsing Republican Dede Scozzafava (as they have for her Assembly races) but criticism from conservatives forced her to distance herself from the progressive party.<\/p>\n
(Her campaign spokesman says Scozzafava didn’t seek the WFP nod.)<\/p>\n
This gives Owens one more spot on the ballot, and little more liberal credibility, which could matter in a low-turnout race.<\/p>\n
Finally, Owens continues to benefit from the escalating dust-up between movement conservatives and the GOP.<\/p>\n
The battle has been a major distraction and drew widespread national press attention this week. <\/p>\n
Democrats clearly feel that Republican disarray has given them a shot at winning a district that has never gone for the Ds since the two parties were founded.<\/p>\n
Now on to the other candidates…<\/p>\n
Dede Scozzafava had a very good week, picking up crucial endorsements from labor groups and an even more timely nod from the National Rifle Association and sportsmen’s groups.<\/p>\n
That gives her some much-needed conservative cred. <\/p>\n
Also, stealing some of the unions away from Owens could deny him some of the boots-on-the-ground support that helped push Glens Falls Democrat Scott Murphy over the top last spring.<\/p>\n
Once again, the only thing wrong with Scozzafava’s campaign is that nasty conservative insurgency that keeps hitting her from the right. <\/p>\n
Not much she can do about it at this point except keep fighting, and that’s what she’s doing.<\/p>\n
Finally, Doug Hoffman finally went up with a personal ad introducing himself to voters — a TV spot that shows him with very shiny yellow hair. <\/p>\n
Until now, his ads had all been negative attack spots, so this was an important step for Hoffman. Voters like to pull the lever for people, not arguments. <\/p>\n
Also, Hoffman continued to win passionate support from national conservative groups. <\/p>\n
There’s every indication that he’ll be well funded right through November 3rd, which means he’s unlikely to fade.<\/p>\n
Is Hoffman keeping it close enough that he could actually win? That’s highly debatable. But he’s certainly becoming a bigger and bigger factor. <\/p>\n
I think one thing’s certain: Without Hoffman, Scozzafava would be a shoo-in at this point. But as things stand, this race is a complete toss-up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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