Rumblings In The Conservative Underdog World

Jillian Bandes | November 12, 2009 2:16 PM

Conservatives are poking around to see if their failed underdog in NY-23 was conned out of some votes:

Unless Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman got exactly zero votes in the town of Fenner (Owens got 157, Scozzafava got 248), and at one polling place in the town of Hamilton (Owens got 75, Scozzafava got 79), and at one polling place in the town of Sullivan (Owens got 173, Scozzafava got 251), the initial vote totals look rather hinky.

By comparison, the lowest number of votes that Owens got at any polling place was 57; the lowest number the withdrawn candidate Scozzafava got was 2. It's not impossible that no one in any of those places chose to vote for Hoffman, but it certainly seems unusual for a guy who got 45 percent district-wide.

The margin was such that it would have to be a pretty big voter fraud for the results to come out any differently. But it's still very much worth gossiping about.

Then there's this special emergency meeting being requested by Marco Rubio supporters in Florida:

We have observed in recent weeks an unprecedented series of reports and events in the media which cast negative perceptions of the Republican Party, both to the public and to our members. While many factors may be involved in the various circumstances, our members and the public are receiving continuing negative reports about issues involving financing, candidates, political activities and more, concerning the Republican Party. This has been, and continues to be, extremely damaging to our Party, our candidates, and our members.

I can imagine how that meeting would go: "How about you take notice of a candidate who is actually supported by Florida voters, instead of lining up behind Crist like bunch of little tweenage girls at a Hanna Montana concert?"