Republican Party Rejects the Middle

The Nation's Washington editor Chris Hayes visits The Rachel Maddow Show to talk about MSNBC's projection that a Republican will not win the 23rd congressional seat in New York for the first time since the civil war. But this does not mean a victory for the Democrat, Bill Owens. When the moderate Republican candidate Dede Scozzafaza dropped out three days before the election, Douglas Hoffman (the far-right third party candidate) took her place as the conservative choice. Now, the National Republican Committee is endorsing Hoffman, the man who pushed their candidate out of the race. This marks a takeover of the GOP by far-right radicals like the tea party protesters. Hayes explains why this is not a good political move for the Republican party, as they continue to alienate their voter base. However, Hayes notes that while maybe not threatening for the 2012 election, this new sect of the right wing could be successful in organizing the Republicans for the 2010 elections, which can be won just by getting the base out to vote.

--Alana Levinson

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