By design or happy accident, Republicans dodged a big PR hit by stringing out the results of the 20th Congressional district special election.<\/p>\n
But with Jim Tedisco’s concession on Friday, the GOP has another chance to confront their rapid descent into insignificance.<\/p>\n
As Republican leaders concede, they played this one by the standard conservative play book: Fiscal conservatism, anti-Pelosi rhetoric, and regular digs at President Obama’s profligate spending.<\/p>\n
They ran a capable, experienced candidate, a guy who is scandal-free and well-funded. When the race began, Tedisco was arguably the most visible, influential Republican in New York state — the man who took on Eliot Spitzer.<\/p>\n
The GOP poured in massive resources and talent, dispatched Rudy Giuliani, Michael Steele, and other Republican luminaries.<\/p>\n
This formula was played out in a lightning-fast election against a complete unknown, a political neophyte — Scott Murphy? I asked two months ago. Who the hell is Scott Murphy? — on turf that is historically favorable to Republican candidates.<\/p>\n
Bottom line? It didn’t work. <\/p>\n
For a Republican to come close in a district like the 20th with the particular dynamics that shaped this race — that’s not nearly good enough. <\/p>\n
(When GOP talkers suggest that this was a respectable finish, it’s sort of like the coach of an NFL team arguing that it’s okay that they lost to a college squad…because at least they kept the game close.)<\/p>\n
The Washington Post’s Chris Cizzilla put it this way: “One thing is for sure: this is an opportunity lost for Republicans.”<\/p>\n
But maybe not. Maybe at long last Republican leaders will take this voter feedback, retreat to whatever mountaintop conservatives favor (Valhalla? Olympus? Sinai?) and begin confronting reality.<\/p>\n
Here are some places to start: Why did we pick the candidate we picked — instead of, say, a woman like state Senator Betty Little? <\/p>\n
Why did we refuse to give Jim Tedisco the leeway to embrace President Obama’s stimulus package, once we realized that it was popular in the 20th district?<\/p>\n
Why are we using the same group of operatives and tacticians in race after race, when they’re not winning for us?<\/p>\n
Is it time to revitalize the party at the county level, finding new chairmen, new committee members?<\/p>\n
Maybe the biggest question: Why is Scott Murphy, a venture capitalist and a self-made millionaire, running as a Democrat? What’s so broken with our GOP brand that he’s not one of ours?<\/p>\n
Jim Tedisco once claimed that his victory here might spark a revival Republicans in the Northeast. <\/p>\n
If his party leaders are honest with themselves, and start asking the tough questions, Tedisco’s defeat could do even more good for the party.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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