Counting Those Chickens

...before the eggs have even been laid is Human Events editor Jed Babbin, who says that the only possible, conceivable message of conservatives winning in Virginia and upstate NY on Tuesday is that America will soon banish moderates and the Democrats from the land.

In the House, Scozzafava’s fate will have already sunk in. The pro-abortion, pro gay marriage Scozzafava was chosen by local Republican bosses to run for John McHugh’s empty seat (McHugh having been picked for Army Secretary by President Obama). New York’s 23rd congressional district was moderate but pretty solidly Republican. But her nomination galvanized conservatives nationwide, bringing most of the powerful conservatives in to support her third-party challenger, the hitherto unknown Doug Hoffman. With them came an outpouring of campaign money and -- as of last weekend -- dozens (hundreds?) of Tea Partyers coming to the district to campaign for Hoffman door-to-door.

Scozzafava, to her credit, dropped out of the race. Tomorrow, Hoffman will probably be elected. Those who ignore the lessons of NY-23 and Virginia -- moderate Dems and establishment Republicans alike -- will suffer greatly in 2010.

House Republicans believe that some 46 House Democratic seats are within reach of a Republican takeover next year. That’s a bit optimistic. There are 52 “Blue Dogs” who still pretend to moderation and independence from Speaker Pelosi.

The real lesson of the Hoffman Effect is that the GOP is fully committed now to replacing everyone in the House and Senate with Teabaggers. The 2006 and 2008 repudiation of these idiots only proved to them that Republicans weren't batshit insane enough. They'd rather wreck the country than give an inch. To them, the last three years simply didn't exist, nor do the voters who voted for it.

Only the teabaggers matter in their America now.