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Journalists keep saying Stefanik has changed and try to point at particular moments where she transitioned. They are wrong. Stefanik wasn’t a moderate and she was always willing to break political and social norms in order to win. She was groomed in 2014 by Karl Rove and his conservative American Crossroads PAC. They were the PAC that attacked Sen Bill Nelson for voting for ObamaCare. Rove gave Stefanik $240,000 in seed money to run in NY21, eventually topping $1 million in total support. That was when $1million was a lot of money. No reasonable person could infer that Rove was spending $1million to support a moderate over Matt Doheny.

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/25098/20140609/ny-21-negative-attack-ads-manipulate-media-coverage

And the highly negative campaign style was there from the very start. https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/25098/20140609/ny-21-negative-attack-ads-manipulate-media-coverage

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Sorry, I meant to add this link, not the same link twice,

https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2014/06/stefanik-cruises-to-a-win-as-doheny-blames-rove-013933

Also, on the folks arrested in Stefanik’s office. It still galls me these citizens did not take Stefanik to court on 1st Amendment grounds since they were in her official Congressional office “to petition the Government [their representative in Congress] for a redress of grievances.” The fact that the DA didn’t throw this out immediately does not reflect well on him.

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The editorial board at the newspaper also asked her to drop the charges.

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I think there was a point where she initially recoiled on supporting Trump, but it was not over his political stands but over what she thought was best for her. Stefanik has always done what was in her best interest and not in the best interest of the people. I’ve said many times, I did not know what she stood for.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

And Mark Frost of the "Frost Family Weekly Newsletter" stated in this week's paper that he voted for her. Ah yes, the famous one who tries to walk the middle line in his editorials and paper coverage is now supporting an outright liar (and please read the nonsense he wrote about Castelli). Stefanik FAILED to vote to certify the results of the election. As far as I'm concerned that was the final act of her loyalty to her Dear Leader, Trump. A complete dereliction of her oath of office. The voters made it clear who they wanted yet she went against that to stay in line with McCarthy and Trump. As I've said before, he panders to his ad base, and in this case it's to a lying, crooked, carpet bagger politician who sold her soul to the power machine of national politics on the Trump Train. You correctly point out Stefanik would not sign the "no lying" pledge and hired someone to spy on Cobb's campaign. ANYONE who supports this kind of behavior is a person who lacks the ability to understand why no morals, ethics, and an allegiance to a complete fraud is a red flag. Pelosi family suffered for Trump madness and power over the MAGA REPs. Oh well, we will find out on Tuesday if the second coming of King Donald has been set in motion, but if the close races in the big states go REP, I would guess that Trump will announce his 2024 campaign and claim that his coattails got these folks in to office. Trump has so much blood on his hands from the failed actions during the COVID crisis, allowing the Kashoggi murder to go unpunished, to the January 6th attack on the Capital. Makes me sick that our country has come to this. And worse that we have someone locally supporting and spewing information supporting a person like Stefanik.

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Remember that Kevin McCarthty, leader of GOP in House, joked last year about hitting Nancy Pelosi with a gavel.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mccarthy-slammed-joking-it-would-be-hard-not-hit-pelosi-n1275651

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The sad part I think he was quite serious.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

I agree.

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The next two years will certainly be a rocky time for our country and we are there because of people like Rep. Elise Stefanik. This is not about policy, it is not about being liberal or conservative, it is about what is right or wrong.

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If it was just about policy Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney wouldn’t be BFFs.

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Thanks for bringing up Frost. In the endorsement he claims, “I’m a democrat with a small ‘D.’” Apparently that doesn’t keep him from endorsing someone who supported ending democracy with a small D.

If Trump or Trumplite becomes president for life somewhere down the road I don’t think we can count on Mark Frost being our Doremus Jessup. I’m sure with the endorsement and the softball interviews he’s given Stefanik in the past he’s successfully curried enough favor to be an honored collaborator with the regime.

Oh, and congrats to him on the endorsement and vote for someone whose name I won’t mention who was just as willing to attack Democrats (large and small D) and spread conspiracy nonsense as Elise Stefanik is.

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It is about morality and decency...and about lying and violence....and about the danger to our democracy. I have been one of those old hippies with my signs and obsessive letters to the newspaper, terrified at the silence of high ranking Republicans and of Stefanik in condemning violence--the vicious name calling, the continual lying, the hate...and I am dismayed at all the election deniers (and climate deniers who are running for office, saying that if they lose the election was stolen, preying on people's fears, lying, having a vendetta against women, immigrants, Jews...But even more i cannot understand that "they"might win,, that the absurd conspiratorial theories and the totally unproven "stolen election" and the "worship" of a man clearly corrupt and obsessed with power have taken hold of so many "good" people who have lost their ability to see, care, understand, who are complicit in their wilful ignorance. As Liz Cheney says, history will someday see the dishonor of the now Republican Party. I can only hope enough people will become aware to not let those people have power in this election...

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I’d like to believe the truth always eventually wins out. But I’m starting to wonder.

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me too...but i think of so many cases in history where people "choose" what is so harmful to our world...Stupidity? Not caring? Willful ignorance, Baldwin's "do not see and do not wish to see." I heard you, Ken, on WAMC...good to hear your voice and thoughts...?

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Thank you Bernice.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

I was on the Editorial Board at that time and naively didn’t think it could get worse. Silly me. Stefanik has always had the opportunity to shut it down but has chosen not to. She continues to feed the beast.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

Elise Stefanik got a taste of power and there's no turning back now. She is emboldened by the GOP to keep up the vile behavior because it's working. For some reason, half of our country likes this kind of display. Watching a dumpster fire all day long is more thrilling than listening to a politician drone on about promises they never keep. This is what we've become. There is no bottom.

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On the mark, sir. The Congresswoman is an embarrassment to her office and district and does not deserve to hold her office. Unfortunately, she has GOP after her name, which pretty much gives her a lock on reelection. It's actually pretty pathetic.

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It is a sad indictment that voters are not willing to cross over. It shows that demonizing Democrats works.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

Unfortunately, seeing all the signs around here, I think she’s going to win. People care about inflation the most and they blame Biden for that. What can Trump do about it? Tell me please.

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Anything who knows anything about economics - about simple supply and demands - knows this is complicated stuff and no political party is going to solve the problem.

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Stefanik is clearly a sister of Boebert and meeting and anyone who says otherwise is a liar for the GOP.

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Nov 4, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

May people learn this before they go to vote.

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Nov 5, 2022Liked by Ken Tingley

Republicans in general have lost their souls.

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Sadly, that seems to be the case.

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