Those who thought a loss for the Conservative Party candidate, Doug Hoffman, was a setback for the conservative movement are probably right, but that’s no matter to Palin-ites. They’d argue they only lost because the stodgy Republican establishment didn’t embrace Hoffman SOONER.

That’s highly arguable, considering Hoffman’s lack of knowledge of local issues, his carpetbagger status (he doesn’t live in NY-23), and his just overall poor appearance as a candidate. He was always more of an idea. He wouldn’t even meet with the Syracuse Post-Standard’s editorial board, but who could blame him after his disastrous appearance before the local Watertown Daily Times.