And the lesson for Barrackhorroids in all that is clear, despite the “it doesn’t matter” spin we’ll be seeing the next several days from panic-stricken Democrat Socialists and their Dead-Media handmaidens. For the GOP, the lesson from NY23 is clear enough too; Malkin spells it out for the Stupid Party leadership:

Conservatives owe NY-23 candidate Doug Hoffman immeasurable gratitude. He overcame impossible odds (single digits just a month ago) to come within two points of defeating Democrat Bill Owens. Hoffman had zero name recognition. National Republican Party officials dumped nearly $1 million into the race on behalf of radical leftist GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava, who then turned around, endorsed Owens and siphoned off 5 percent of the vote with her name still on the ballot after she dropped out.

Hoffman’s candidacy illuminated the stark difference between GOP political opportunists willing to pimp out their endorsements to any old ACORN-embracing, Working Families Party-consorting, Big Labor crony who puts an “R” by her name — and movement conservatives who refuse to “mooooderate” for the politically expedient sake of mooooderation as dictated by out-of-touch Beltway party leaders. The NRCC/RNC’s $1 million debacle will cost much more than that.

As I’ve repeated many times over the last several weeks:

One thing is guaranteed at the conclusion of the NY-23 special congressional election: The Beltway Republicans who endorsed radical leftist Dede Scozzafava are going to have indelible egg stains on their faces. And GOP establishment fund-raising organizations will be the poorer for it.

Hoffman may have lost narrowly, but NY-23 is a much broader victory for conservatives who believe the Republican Party should stand for core limited government principles. Scozzafava, who was endorsed by far Left blogger Markos Moulitsas Zuniga and backed by Planned Parenthood, the National Education Association, and card-check-promoting trade unions, was denied the congressional seat because movement conservatives refused to support Arlen Specter in a skirt. This is a victory of principle.

Better a donkey in office that acts like a donkey than a donkey in elephant’s clothing making a complete ass of the GOP.

Damned skippy. As Ace says:

Although we lost, I repeat my previous statement that this was (a) cost-free and therefore helpful move. It’s “teaching the GOP a lesson” in a smart way, in a single election (for a term that will last only one year), that will send a short sharp shock that while we may accept RINOs where we absolutely have to, we damn sure won’t be accepting them where we can win with a conservative candidate.

We’re not just going to support liberals just to win; what is the point of “winning” then?

I think that’s something almost all of us can agree on. Onwards, folks; this is only the beginning, and the absolute worst thing that could happen now would be for us to relax and sit back on our heels in smug satisfaction with this resounding repudiation of the Marxist Messiah and his destructive agenda. We need to keep up the skeer; whenever Leftists are talking in outraged or hysterical tones, we can assume the country is on the right track. We CAN turn this nation around, and away from the failed socialist program of despair, self-loathing, resignation, and servility the Left wants to cram down our throats. In fact, we must. Last night was the first halting step on the road back from radical-Left ruin.

You Leftards thought real Americans were going to just sit back and let you turn this country into another Mark-1 Mod-0 totalitarian hellhole — or that a majority actually supported that, just because your unqualified but cunning figurehead managed to dupe enough people to lie, cheat, and steal his way into the presidency? Think again, chums. Like I said, this is only the beginning.