I believe innocent life should be defended at all costs and the guilty should be punished. I believe this country has the right to defend itself preemptively, and I believe for the most part we make an effort to do so as honorably as possible without compromising our safety, and while that may not always meet the standards of international laws it meets the standard of the Constitution and that’s golden by me. I believe the money we earn is ours, and only what is absolutely needed should go into taxes for social programs that we know work or are incentive based. I believe charity should be a product of free will, and its best when it is a product of free will going where the individual intends it, doing what they designate, and going to those they believe deserve it. This is the core of conservatism. It is good. And I choose to live it.

In all the stories about former GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava and why she pulled out the race, there has developed a certain meme as to why she did not win in a three way race: she was a bad candidate.

In more than a few blog posts not only from her detractors, but from those who say they want a more expanded GOP, this meme has stuck and it even has an image, one of Scozzafava going to campaign in front of conservative challenger Doug Hoffman’s headquarters surrounded by Hoffman supporters. For many this is proof positive that Scozzafava was a dunce, a weakling, an all around inferior candidate.

Scozzafava has a few positions that are more liberal (on abortion and marriage equality) but most of her positions are, at best, moderate-to-conservative. More often than not, however, she is a conservative.

Local Republicans tapped Scozzafava as the nominee in July because they believed her centrist views would appeal to a coalition of centrist Republicans, independents and Democrats in a moderate-minded district that Barack Obama won with 52 percent of the vote in 2008. The national party supports her for the same reason: her perceived electability. This is a case where the wingnuts are…well acting like wingnuts and the national party is acting more pragmatic. The hard right is not concerned about winning as much as they are about being heard, even if it means handing the seat to a Democrat.

The reality is that you aren’t going to win NY-23 with a staunch progressive or a staunch conservative. McHugh has served the district well and is known as a moderate. That is why he was such a tough election foe. In order to serve the district, you have to be able to balance yourself.