Party of No Equals No Party - 2009 - 11 - 02 countdown with keith olbermann

JUST A TYPO! ALL THAT AND MORE NOW ON "COUNTDOWN." >> ALEX RODRIGUEZ IS HIT. >>> GOOD EVENING FROM NEW YORK. SARAH PALIN WAS IMPLORING VOTERS IN CANTON, OHIO, TO GET OUT AND VOTE, ONE YEAR AGO TODAY, ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5th, THE DAY AFTER THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. ONE YEAR LATER THE CANDIDATE WHO TRIED TO WIN THE WOMEN'S VOTE BY RUNNING AS A HOCKEY MOM NOW HAVING ANOTHER REPUBLICAN WOMAN NOT ONLY OUT OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION IN THE 23rd CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF NEW YORK BUT OUT OF THE GOP ITSELF. OUR FIFTH STORY OF THE "COUNTDOWN" FINALLY A JOB FOR WHICH THE GOVERNORS QUALIFIED. THE UNEMPLOYED PALIN INSERTING HERSELF INTO THE RACE FOR THE NEW YORK 23rd WITHOUT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, EVER SHOWING UP THERE. TWO WEEKS AGO GOVERNOR PALIN HAVING POSTED ON HER FACEBOOK PAGE THAT SHE WOULD BE SUPPORTING THE CONSERVATIVE THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE DOUG HOFFMAN OVER THE MODERATE REPUBLICAN IN THE RACE. GOVERNOR PALIN, ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT IF NOT THE ONLY FAR RIGHT POLITICAL FIGURES TO HAVE DONE SO, OTHER REPUBLICANS LIKE NEWT GINGRICH HAVING BACKED MS. SCOZZAFAVA. THIS PAST SATURDAY SHE DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE IN THE FACE OF DECLINING POLL NUMBERS AND POOR FUND RAISING. BY SUNDAY SHE WAS APPEARING AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT FOR THE DEMOCRAT IN THE RACE BILL OWENS WARNING HER FORMER RIVAL TO AVOID THE HATEFUL AND DIVISIVE TACTICS THAT HELPED DRIVE HER OUT OF THE CAMPAIGN. MS. HATEFUL AND DIVISIVE HERSELF THE NORTHEAST DISTRIBUTER THEREOF GOVERNOR PALIN AGAIN USING HER FACEBOOK PAGE, THIS TIME TO THANK SCOZZAFAVA, QUOTE, FOR ACTING SO SELFLESSLY BY DROPPING OUT. YOU MISD PART TWO EVIDENTLY. THIS AFTERNOON RECORDING ROBOCALLS FOR THE DEMOCRAT MR. OWENS. >> IT'S NOT IN THE CARDS FOR ME TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE BUT I STRONGLY BELIEVE BILL OWENS IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO CAN BUILD UPON JOHN McHUE'S LASTING LEGACY IN CONGRESS. TO ADDRESS THE TOUGH CHALLENGES AHEAD WE MUST RISE ABOVE PARTISANSHIP AND POLITICS AND WORK TOGETHER. >> HOUSE MINORITY LEADER BOEHNER TODAY SLAMMING MS. SCOZZAFAVA FOR BACKING THE DEMOCRAT. HE OF COURSE HAD ENDORSED HER. AT A RALLY TODAY FOR THE DEMOCRAT OWENS VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, THE GUY WHO DEFEATED GOVERNOR PALIN, ELICITING BOOS FROM THE CROWD WHEN HE MENTIONED HIS FORMER RIVAL. THE ACTUAL VICE PRESIDENT CHALLENGING REPUBLICAN VOTERS IN UPSTATE NEW YORK TO VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRAT AND TEACH CONSERVATIVES A LESSON, ALSO CALLING OUT MRS. PALIN FOR FAILING TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE. >> NOT WITH STANDING MY FORMER OPPONENT, AND BY THE WAY I LIKE HER. I REALLY DO. NOT A JOKE. THIS IS NOT A CHEAP SHOT. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS SARAH PALIN THINKS THE ANSWER TO ENERGY WAS DRILL, BABY, DRILL. IT'S A LOT MORE COMPLICATED, SARAH. >> GOVERNOR PALIN RESPONDING BY, HOW ELSE, POSTING ON HER FACEBOOK PAGE READING IN PART, THERE'S ONE WAY TO TELL VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN THAT WE'RE TIRED OF FOLKS IN WASHINGTON DISTORTING OUR MESSAGE AND HAMPERING OUR NATION'S PROGRESS. HOFFMAN, BABY, HOFFMAN. TIME NOW TO CALL IN AS WE'VE REACHED THIS POLITICAL NADIR OUR OWN LAWRENCE O'DONNELL CONTRIBUTOR TO THE HUFFING POST AS WELL AS ADVISOR TO THE LATE SENATOR MOYNIHAN OF NEW YORK. GOOD TO SEE YOU. IF NOT FOR SARAH PALIN AND HER FACEBOOK PAGE WOULD THE NEW YORK 23rd BE GETTING ANY ATTENTION? >> NO. *** ARMEY COULDN'T DO THIS. SHE DID IT. ALL MY SOURCES UP IN THE 23rd SAY THIS WAS CHUGGING ALONG IN A NORMAL WAY UNTIL SARAH PALIN CAME IN. THEY EXPECTED AN EXTREMELY LOW TURNOUT FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION AND THE HARD CORES WHO YOU GET TO TURN OUT AND PALIN HAS ACTIVATED THAT PART OF THE DISTRICT BUT IT IS NOT WHAT THE DISTRICT IS REALLY ABOUT ANYMORE. IT'S A RELIABLY REPUBLICAN DISTRICT NAH HAS BEEN TRENDING MORE AND MORE MODERATE ALL THE TIME. >> THE CAMPAIGN, HER CAMPAIGN LAST YEAR BEGAN, I MEAN, WITHIN HOURS OF HER SELECTION BY SENATOR McCAIN, BEGAN TO BE ENVELOPED BY THEIR PERPETUAL CHARGES OF SEXISM. EVERYTHING THAT WAS, EVERY CRITICISM OF HER WAS SEXISM. EVERYTHING WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS A WOMAN. BECAUSE SHE WAS A CONSERVATIVE WOMAN. WHY DID SHE JUST PUSH ANOTHER REPUBLICAN WOMAN OFF THE CLIFF AND WHERE ARE THE CHARGES OF SEXISM ABOUT THAT? >> OF COURSE WE REMEMBER THE GENDER DEFENSIVISM OF HERS CAME AFTER HER CRITICIZING HILLARY CLINTON FOR MAKING STUFF LIKE THAT. >> OF COURSE. >> LOOK. THIS IS A TERRIBLE SITUATION FOR THEM BECAUSE THIS IS A PARTY THAT IS IN THE WRONG END OF THE GENDER GAP AND WHAT DID THEY DO FOR IT THIS WEEK? THEY KICKED THOUGHT WOMAN WHO HAD THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION TO RUN FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THEY JUST BEAT HER OUT OF THE PLACE. THIS COULDN'T HURT THEM ANYMORE. IT'S ASTOUNDING. THEY DON'T EVEN QUITE QUALIFY FOR PARTY STATUS ANYMORE WHEN THEY'RE DOWN INTO THE LOW 20 LIKE 19% OF AMERICANS SAYING I'M REPUBLICAN. THIS MAKES THINGS MUCH WORSE. >> AND THAT 19%, WHO PUT SARAH PALIN IN CHARGE OF IT? DOES RUSH LIMBAUGH KNOW ABOUT THIS. >> RUSH IS JUMPING. HE'S TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH PALIN. IT'S FASCINATING TO WATCH. HE HAS LOST CONTROL OF HIS PARTY. THEY'RE NOW COCHAIRMEN. RUSH SAW WHERE PALIN WENT AND HAD TO JUMP IN THAT DIRECTION. RUSH DID NOT LEAD THE WAY TO HOFFMAN IN THE 23rd. AND SO RUSH IS NOW A STEP BEHIND. >> WELL, ON TOP OF THIS, HOFFMAN TODAY THANKED HIS MENTOR, GLENN BECK. >> YES. >> SAID THEY'D STAY IN TOUCH AFTER HE GOT ELECTED. IT'S A FIGHT OVER -- IS THE 20% GOING TO SPLIT INTO THREE PARTIES OF, YOU KNOW, 6.5% EACH? >> WE MAY FIND OUT HOW MUCH BECK CONTROLS, HOW MUCH RUSH CONTROLS, HOW MUCH PALIN CONTROLS. >> ONE BIT OF PRACTICAL POLITICS HERE. DID THE CONSERVATIVES, WHO WENT AFTER SCOZZAFAVA NOT ANTICIPATE EVEN THE POSSIBILITY THAT SHE MIGHT THROW HER SUPPORT TO THE DEMOCRAT? DID THEY NOT EVEN GAME PLAN THAT AS A REMOTE CHANCE? >> YOU CAN TELL IN MICHAEL STEELE'S STATEMENT WHEN SHE DROPPED OUT THEY DIDN'T. THEY EXPECTED HER TO IMMEDIATELY GET IN LINE WITH THEIR IDEA. REMEMBER, THIS GUY IS NOT ON THE REPUBLICAN BALLOT BUT THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY BALLOT. YOU'RE NOT ENDORSING A REPUBLICAN BUT JUMPING ACROSS THE LINE TO ENDORSE HIM. I THINK AND EVERYONE IN THE 23rd TELLS ME THE REAL STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK FOR HER PATAKI. THE SAME GEORGE PATAKI, NOW THIS IS A MUCH MORE INTERESTING DISTRICT THAN PEOPLE REALIZE. IT BORDERS THE STATE OF VERMONT WHERE THE ONLY SOCIALIST SENATOR GETS ELECTED, PLATTSBURGH, WHICH IS THE NEW YORK CITY ON THAT BORDER, HAD A GAY, OPENLY GAY MAYOR, THE FIRST IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK EVER. GEORGE PATAKI TOOK HIM AND INTO HIS ADMINISTRATION JUST IN 2006 SO TO SEE PATAKI JUMP OVER INTO THIS KIND OF BETRAYAL OF SCOZZAFAVA IS THE THING THAT REALLY PUSHED HER OVER THE EDGE. WHEN THE DUST WAS CLEAR THERE WAS NO PARTY LEFT OF HERS TO ENDORSE AND SHE HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE OF DO I GO WITH THIS CONSERVATIVE GUY WHO'S INCAPABLE OF REPRESENTING THE DISTRICT, DOES NOT LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, OR DIE GO WITH THE GUY WHO UNDERSTANDS THE DISTRICT AND IS MORE IN AGREEMENT WITH ME? SHE WENT WITH THE CANDIDATE MORE IN AGREEMENT WITH HER. >> LAWRENCE O'DONNELL OF MSNBC AND THE HUFFINGTON POST AND THIS PROGRAM OF COURSE THANKS FOR YOUR INSIGHT. FOR MORE ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S APPARENT WAR ON MODERATES LET'S TURN TO MSNBC'S POLITICAL ANALYST RICHARD WOLFFE AND ALSO AUTHOR OF "RENEGADE THE MAKING OF A PRESIDENT." GOOD EVENING. SARAH PALIN AND DEDE SCOZZAFAVA, MIGHT THIS BE AS SIMPLE AS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS NO LONGER BIG ENOUGH OR TOLERANT ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF THEM. >> THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS BEEN CONDUCTING THIS PURGE OF MODERATES FOR A VERY LONG TIME. IT STARTED WITH GROVER NORQUIST WITH THE CLUB FOR GROWTH AND IT REACHED THEIR LOGICAL CONCLUSION BECAUSE THERE AREN'T THAT MANY MODERATES LEFT. YET THE PARTY ISN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR THE TWEETER AND FACEBOOK POSTER FROM THE NORTH BUT IT GOES TO SOMETHING MORE THAN THIS WHICH IS WHAT KIND OF PARTY DO THEY WANT TO HAVE? AND CAN THEY SEE THE THREAT, REALLY, THE KIND OF MORTAL THREAT THAT THIS INDEPENDENT, CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT OPPOSES NOT JUST TO MODERATES BUT TO THE PARTY AS A WHOLE? I THINK THIS IS TYPICALLY FROM SARAH PALIN A TACTICAL MOVE NOT A STRATEGIC ONE. THE LONG-TERM STRATEGY DOESN'T LEAD TO ANY GOOD CONCLUSION FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. >> TOMORROW'S RESULT IN THIS IS INTERESTING, FASCINATING IN ITS OWN WAY. IS THE ACTUAL RESULT THAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO ALREADY COMPLETE, THIS WHOLE WEEKEND OF DRAMA WITH SCOZZAFAVA PULLING OTHEN ENDORSING THE DEMOCRAT? >> THE MEDIA IS GOING TO PORTRAY THE WHOLE THING AS A REFERENDUM ON OBAMA. I DON'T THINK THE ELECTION RESULTS OR WHAT WE'RE SEEING OUT OF THIS IS ANYTHING TO DO WITH OBAMA. HE'S NOT ON THE BALLOT. THERE IS ECONOMIC DISTRESS. THERE ARE BIGGER CONCERNS GOING ON. BUT BY FAR THE BIGGEST STORY HERE IS THE KIND OF INDEPENDENT POLITICS THAT OBAMA HARNESSED ON THE LEFT AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SARAH PALIN MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION IS JUST CONTRADICTORY TO ANY HOPE SHE HAS IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. IT'S NOT FEASIBLE FOR HER TO DO THE REPUBLICAN TRACK AND THIS INDEPENDENT TRACK AT THE SAME TIME. >> THE POLLING ON IT, LET ME GO TO THAT FIRST AND THEN I HAVE A QUESTION TO FOLLOW UP WHAT YOU JUST SAID. FROM SIENNA RESEARCH HOFFMAN IS LEADING OWENS BY FIVE POINTS, UNDECIDED 18% THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION. SCOZZAFAVA IS STILL REGISTER AS 6%. BASICALLY A QUARTER OF THE ELECTORATE IS STILL UP FOR GRABS. IF HOFFMAN WINS, IF McDONALD WINS AS EXPECTED IN VIRGINIA TOMORROW NIGHT THIS WILL BE PRESENTED BY THE FAR RIGHT AS THIS REFERENDUM OR MAYBE REFERENDA AGAINST OBAMA AND FORECAST FOR 2010. WHY WOULD THEY NOT BE CORRECT IN THAT? >> WELL, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY BIGGER THINGS GOING ON IN POLITICS RIGHT NOW. WHETHER YOU LOOK AT THE KIND OF LOW TURNOUT WE'RE SEEING, THE DISAFFECTION WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND AGAIN, IF IT WEREN'T FOR OBAMA YOU'D BE SEEING THE SAME THINGS FOR DEMOCRATS, TOO. THERE IS A MUCH BROADER LEVEL OF DISTRUST IN INSTITUTIONS AND PARTIES GOING ON BUT THIS KIND OF GETS TO BUT IT'S SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL RACE. AS LAWRENCE WAS JUST EXPLAINING, THE INDIVIDUAL DYNAMICS OF THESE DISTRICTS MAKE IT INCREDIBLY HARD TO EXTRAPOLATE OUT AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU NEED ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT, LOOK AT THE 2001 RESULTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. DID THAT PORTEND WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN FOR REPUBLICANS IN 2002? NO. THESE OFF-YEAR ELECTIONS IN BETWEEN THE PRESIDENTIALS AND MID TERMS ARE INCREDIBLY UNRELIABLE. >> OBVIOUSLY AND LAWRENCE POINTED THIS OUT THE 23rd IS OPEN BECAUSE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION NAMED THE FORMER OCCUPANT OF THAT SEAT TO BE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, MR. McCUE. IT TOOK THE FORMER UTAH GOVERNOR JOHN HUNTSMAN, MADE HIM AMBASSADOR TO CHINA. THIS AFTERNOON THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY MR. GIBBS WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS. DOUG HOFFMAN'S SURGE IN THE POLLS. HE CALLED IT FASCINATING. GOING TO GO OUT ON A LIMB. AM I RIGHT ABOUT THIS? THE WHITE HOUSE TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE REPUBLICAN PURGE OF ITS OWN MODERATES BY PICKING OFF SOME OF THEM FOR ITSELF AND SORT OF MAKING THE PROCESSING A LITTLE FAST INNER PLACES LIKE THE NEW YORK 23rd? >> NOT MUCH OF A LIMB THERE. LOOK. NEVER MIND WHAT THEY DID WITH HILLARY CLINTON AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE. THE IDEA THAT THIS PRESIDENT GOT ELECTED BY REACHING OUT TO MODERATES, BY LOOKING REASONABLE, GETS TO THE HEART OF THIS ISSUE. DEMOCRATS ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT. ING IDEOLOGICALLY PURE AT THIS TIME IS SELF-SATISFYING BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO REACH THE BROAD MASS OF AMERICAN VOTERS WHO DECIDE THESE ELECTIONS YOU'VE GOT TO BE IN THE CENTER AND DO BOTH. YOU HAVE TO HIT YOUR BASE AND GET THE MODERATES, TOO. APPOINTING THOSE PEOPLE TO THE ADMINISTRATION WAS AN IMPORTANT SIGNAL.