When I first met Mr. Hoffman at the St. Lawrence County fair this past August my immediate impression was that of shaking hands with someone from Mayberry, Petticoat Junction or Green Acres. Let’s be clear in my saying that he did not come off to me as some kind of Andy Griffith… Doug did not exhibit that kind of strength in his aura or personality in general. But he did strike me as a man of sound and honest character, a person who truly believed in principled, conservative values. He was (and still is) a Republican who clearly understood what is missing in government today… fiscal responsibility and a firm understanding of the concept of ‘We the People’ with a strong understanding of the values of conservatism… particularly from a societal perspective.

I asked myself ‘why would such a simple person like Doug, an accountant by trade, come down from the remote foothills of the Adirondacks and throw himself into the dirty, twisted and corrupt den of big city (government) politics… it was like watching a grown up version of little Opie stepping out of Mayberry and attempting to go to Washington… with the hope of making an honest difference once there. What a novel idea… an honest man in Washington!

The problem was that the 11 local chairmen and numerous committee men of the 23^rd district saw what I saw, they heard Doug espouse the conservative principles and ideas they all hold onto but yet his delivery of that message, before those very committee men, as to why he wanted to represent the 23^rd was lacking… he lacked any aura of strength in his delivery. As I said above he is no Andy Griffith. For those of you who may have seen his live appearances on Glenn Beck or with Neil Cavuto (or met him in person) you would have seen what we all saw… an apprehensiveness in his demeanor, some apparent nervousness and in general… weakness in his ability to deliver.

His Don Knotts’ physical characteristics also played a large role in his not receiving the nod from the local RNC committemen…  they likely will publicly deny this aspect. Take a look at Aubertine, Owens or nationwide for that matter… a politicians physical characteristics, their appearance in the eyes of others, more often than not presents a deciding role in their electability (sad but true). The photo of Dede standing in front of Hoffman’s Watertown campaign office played a large role in her huge drop in the polls… in my humble but somewhat caustic opinion; Newzjunky took a very flattering picture <sarcasm>.

Certainly there were deciding factors as to why Dede was eventually selected to represent the 23^rd… cloak and dagger back room big government politics over sound choices played a very large role. [For those who would like to read the details of this aspect of the selection process, at the end of this commentary you will find a link detailing the back room shenanigans ultimately leading up to Ms. Scozzafava’s selection.]

Little Opie did not give up; he moved forward and joined the Conservative party as their chosen candidate. This upset many of the 23^rd’s committeemen and chairmen such as it was promised by all who contended to become selected that they would not challenge whoever was to be the winning selection.

Doug felt differently about this promise after seeing who was selected. And he felt the decision not to challenge Dede as a Republican contender as one might attempt in a regular primary process was the ultimate issue surrounding this ‘promise’.  This special selection process was not part of a normal primary election. He did not see any reason that he could not run against her as a member of the Conservative party.

And as we all know this is exactly what he did do and much to the dismay of the local and national RNC, he pulled it off with a huge amount of success.

Doug ran as a conservative campaigning on all the value issues that many local Republicans and Conservatives alike wanted to see in their candidate (outside of the committeemen, many Republican voters in the 23^rd district were shocked upon hearing of Dede’s selection… I was one of them).

Doug throughout his campaign was clear in his opposition to ‘Gay Marriage’, he championed lower taxes, less government intervention in our lives and was vocally opposed to ‘Card Check’, the ‘Public Option’ aspect of the health care reform movement and vigorously against ‘Cap and Trade’. He won over many voters, to the point that it was becoming increasingly likely that he, Opie, would win. Not a very small feat for a third party candidate to pull off, especially for someone from ‘Mayberry’.

In the end there were some very fishy happenings that prevented Doug from winning on election night. Dede’s endorsement of Democrat Owens after withdrawing at the last minute from the race was a strange development by itself. Owen’s stealth approaches to ‘Public Option’ in the health care debate issue and his apparent acceptance of such at the very near end of the race after having throughout most of his campaign vigorously stated opposition (deceiving how many voters throughout his campaign… especially absentee voters) all played a role in the results on election night.

The Watertown Daily Times and TV7 played a major role towards the end like two professional tag team wrestlers… heavy weights tag teaming up on little ole Opie. The earmark issue concerning Fort Drum was a disingenuous slight of hand, smoke and mirror effort leveled against Doug… although the realities of Doug’s position on this matter were taken radically out of context from his own stated objectives regarding ‘earmarks’. Again, the apparent objective was to sway not just the military vote, but the absentee voters stationed overseas as well.

Owens knew on the eve of the election that he could very well lose… so the DNC had the votes immediately impounded so as to prevent Hoffman from being sworn into the House of Representatives, until a final vote recanvassing could be completed, including absentee votes. Pelosi’s man was fully prepared to play hardball.

Dede effectively threw away early military absentee votes to Owens by virtue of her withdrawal from the race and subsequent endorsement of Owens. Did Washington have a role in this?  Nancy Pelosi did state publicly that the only race they were involved in was the 23^rd. But Doug, not knowing about the miscounts or even how close the margin really was between himself and Owens, conceded the race.

So now the issue is weather or not Owens is legally holding office in congress; precedent has been leveled on this matter before in other races. Taking office before the official count is in constitutes a usurpation of power over voter’s wishes on the part of Congress. Someone wanted a ‘yes’ vote for the Health Care bill.

All are now waiting with baited breath to see what happens this coming Tuesday when the absentee votes will be counted (over a three day period). Hoffman’s loss in numbers has recently been substantially narrowed (due to votes somehow now being discovered that were not counted on election night) to the point that the absentee votes will mathematically have the potential of giving the win to Doug… Owens will have to be removed.

The absentee military vote will not be enough to provide this win, but keep in mind that for many of the military absentee voters, this is not their first rodeo… how many waited until the last minute to vote? How many knew before casting their vote of Dede’s dropping from the race and endorsing a Democrat? This is a wild card of sorts.

The majority of the absentee voters on the other hand are ‘snowbirds’… residents who migrate south every winter. Many of them likely would have waited until the last minute to cast their ballot; many of them are senior citizens staunchly against the health care bill and may have become aware of Owens switch on this issue towards the very end of his campaign. Did the Watertown Daily Times make an issue of this switch of Owens stance on the Health care issue before election day? Or did many voters still cast a vote thinking Owens position on ‘Public Option’ was ‘no’?

Hoffman can still win when one looks at the demographics of the absentee voters… and more importantly, how many of them waited until the last minute to cast their ballots. Unknown.

It is obvious that Owens counted on the absentee votes to win this election (by switching his position at the very last minute on the ‘Public Option’ issue so as not to be accused of breaking a campaign promise… four in total to date… but to gain the early absentee votes in his favor)… why else did the DNC ‘impound’ the vote count on election night?

Votes are in, they cannot be changed… but I look at it this way… Hoffman is an honest Man with integrity… Owens on the other hand has proven himself to be a very deceptive, devious individual who would do any thing to get elected, including carrying pails of milk on a farm for publicity purposes. Owens is a typical Washington politician. Every move he makes, every breath he takes, the people will be watching him… should he win the absentee count. 

Owens Breaks 4 Campaign Promises in First Hour of Congress

Owens Backs Pelosi 100%

Voters Cry Foul Play in NY-23

Who Are You Calling Extremist?

Owens May Have to Be Removed

Owens In Office Illegally?

Nomination of Liberal Republican in New York 23rd Tainted by Breach of Trust