In his briefing with reporters today, Steny Hoyer did no favors for Democrats who are getting set to spin a NY-9 loss as a sui generis case of their candidate’s weakness.
HOYER: Well, the special election, I don’t know what is going to happen in the special election. You are right, it is closer than we would like to have it be and much closer than anybody thought it would be. This is a district that has an overwhelming Democratic registration, obviously, just as the 26th in New York has a very heavily Republican. Obviously that is not necessarily this year a predictor of what the outcome is going to be. But we ought not get lost in the individual races, whether it is the 26th or the 9th or Nevada in the special elections. We have been pretty successful in the special elections over the years, as you know. But the real big picture here is we have got to get people back to work. The President has offered a program. Whatever the results of New York 9th, it is not going to be on his jobs program, in my view. I don’t think it is going to have any – there can be no conclusions you can draw about his jobs program. I think you can draw conclusions about unhappiness with the economy. I think you can draw conclusions with reference to the President’s perceived positions with reference to Israel, what Koch is stressing. But I think that there is no doubt that people are concerned about the economy and jobs, and the President’s come in with a program, and I think that the response I have heard from people is positive. They thought he was direct, focused, talking about something they think is important, talking about a program he thinks will make a difference, and I hope so.
Q: So you don’t think it reflects at all on the President?
HOYER: Well,I think every election reflects on the person in charge, but I think that – do I think it is an overall statement on the President alone? No. Do I think, you know, it would be interpreted as being a statement on Obama? That’s probably correct.
Probably.
