The N.C. Republican Party is bringing in Doug Hoffman, the defeated conservative New York congressional candidate who helped spark a national debate about the party's future, to speak at a political fund raiser in Raleigh later this month.
State GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer said that Hoffman would be a good fit for Tar Heel Republicans, Rob Christensen reports.
"His candidacy in New York inspired conservatives across the country, and he will reach out to North Carolina conservatives to help us reclaim our government," Fetzer said in a statement.
Hoffman has been part of a national debate about what should be the party's stance toward moderates. The GOP leadership had nominated Dede Scozzafava for a U.S. House vacancy after President Barack Obama named Republican Congressman John McHugh as Army Secretary.
But her conservative credentials were criticized her because she favored abortion rights and same sex marriage. Hoffman, a local businessman, ran as a conservative party candidate, picking up the endorsement of such conservative luminaries as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and TV personality Glenn Beck.
Scozzafava ended up withdrawing from the race and throwing her support to Democrat Bill Owens who won a congressional seat that had been in Republican hands for 100 years.
The N.C. Republican Party has long been a conservative party associated with the late Jesse Helms, and Fetzer said he had personally supported the Hoffman candidacy.
Hoffman will speak at the party's Hall of Fame Dinner on November 21 at the North Raleigh Hilton.
Comments
Re: NCGOP brings in Hoffman, NY candidate
November 6, 2009 - 11:47am — GiggleBoxSee Charlotte election returns for details.
P.S.
Jesse would have been the first one forwarding the email about Fetzer being gay had he been alive and still kicking the crazy.
Re: NCGOP brings in Hoffman, NY candidate
November 6, 2009 - 10:47am — JedspedWow. I read this and my first thought was: "Gee, the GOP is really getting smart. They're doing just what they need to do to take control of things."
Not really.
I've been voting in Tar Heels elections for 23 years. The last thing the party needs to do is push moderates out the door. It's moderates that make the difference in the elections. The money that gets spent, the media rhetoric, the courtship of various blocs all take a backseat to voting booth decisions by independent-minded, mostly centrist, moderate voters.
The wackier and more "consevative" the GOP gets, the less likely it is to see control of any key NC offices any time soon.
Re: NCGOP brings in Hoffman, NY candidate
November 5, 2009 - 8:47pm — GiggleBoxA "NY conservative" is a liberal here. Brad Miller is too conservative to win a GOP nomination north of the Virginia border. What a joke.
Re: NCGOP brings in Hoffman, NY candidate
November 5, 2009 - 8:30pm — ConMaxGood Grief! Has [Tom is not Gay] lost his cotton picking mind like Glenn Beck or simply so stupid to think that Hoffman is the next " Joe The Plumber" on Shore Leave........
We can only hope
November 5, 2009 - 5:55pm — James_ProtzmanWe can only hope that Tom "who-is-not-gay" Fetzer wants to remake the NCGOP in the spirit of the national Glenn Beck Sarah Palin party. In the wake of Art Pope's destruction of Richard Morgan, I say "Let the purge continue!"