Conservative Success in NY-23

From the Politico, "Conservatives on NY-23: We Didn't Lose":

Conservative grass-roots activists asserted Wednesday that third-party candidate Doug Hoffman’s loss in a New York special election was no setback but, rather, signaled a victory for the burgeoning political movement.

Hoffman, who surged to the brink of victory after becoming a rallying point for disaffected Republicans and tea party activists, lost to Democrat Bill Owens 49 percent to 46 percent in a contest that grabbed national headlines.

“I think time was the biggest factor, and if [Hoffman had] had a bit more time, he would have won,” said Everett Wilkinson, a South Florida-based tea party organizer who was watching the contest closely. “I wouldn’t consider it a loss. I think we were successful.”

Janet Spencer, a South Carolina-based tea party activist who in September chartered two buses to take 75 of her neighbors to the nation’s capital for the Taxpayer March on Washington, went one step further, declaring the outcome a win.

“In my opinion, I do consider it kind of a victory because he had a lot of odds going against him and not a lot of time,” she said.

Others dismissed Tuesday’s defeat as one lost skirmish in a larger battle to remake the Republican Party and establish populist conservatism as a political force.

“We plan to continue to play a role when we see a candidate who should be kept from Congress or when we see a candidate who should be advanced,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List.

Dick Armey, the chairman of FreedomWorks, the limited-government, anti-tax organization that has been instrumental in ginning up tea parties, said Hoffman’s loss was simply a function of having too little time — just two months — to mount a successful campaign.

“He just got there late, that’s all,” Armey said. “We think small-government conservatives had a big victory last night.”