Not that anyone in upstate New York gives a rat's ass what I think, but I'm throwing my moral support behind the guy anyway.
In New York's 23 district there is a special election to next week to replace John McHugh who recently resigned to become Secretary of the Army. The Democrat is a left wing loon, and the establishment Republican is only slightly less left wing and loony.
Enter Doug Hoffman, who is running on the Conservative ticket. In his words:
"You see I’m not a professional politician; I’ve never sought elected office. I grew up poor in Saranac Lake, in the heart of the Adirondacks. My siblings and I were raised in a single-parent household by our mother. We worked to help her pay the mortgage. But, like so many others in this great land, I worked hard, got a good education, did a six-year stint in the military, married, landed a good job with a “big eight” accounting firm and started living the American dream.
"It’s funny what can happen in America, when you are able to dream and have the courage to follow your dreams. At 27 I was hired as controller of the organizing committee for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Three years later I bought the accounting firm that employed my mother. Now I have six offices spread across the northern reaches of New York and a dozen other small businesses in the Adirondacks that employ my wife, children and hopefully someday, my grandchildren. I am living the American Dream."
I don't know this guy. For all I know, he may suck as a politician. But he has his head in the right place and he loves America. That's good enough for me. Apparently that's good enough for a lot of voters too. According to the most recent poll, he's in the lead.
Good luck, Doug. I hope you kick some ass next week.