Doug Hoffman raised eyebrows last week when he vanished on primary night, refusing to talk with reporters or with his supporters.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“They are simply insulating themselves from any contact even with their closest allies.”<\/p>\n
The Hoffman camp released one pre-packaged quote, but declined to make him available for interviews.<\/p>\n
Then on Monday, public radio reporter Mike Benjamin with WRVO radio tracked Hoffman down at a Conservative Party recognition dinner near Syracuse.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Benjamin then asked the obvious question: “Have you given any thought to running on the Conservative line?”<\/p>\n
Hoffman pauses for four seconds (yes, I counted) and says stiffly, “Thank you for voting for me, I appreciate it.”<\/p>\n
Absentee ballots will be tallied beginning on Thursday. Currently, Hoffman trails Matt Doheny by more than five hundred votes.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Here’s what Power wrote:<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
Agreed to one debate already (in Syracuse in October). Staff is also working on things like updating our web site for the general election.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Exactly six weeks to go until Election Day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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