Doug Hoffman vs. ACORN

Conservative Party politician Doug Hoffman is accusing ACORN and union activists of stealing the congressional election from him in New York's 23rd district. Hoffman has taken back his concession to Democrat Bill Owens, and is asking supporters for donations to finance a recount after a recanvassing cut Owens' margin of victory nearly in half, to just 2,832 votes. Election officials said Hoffman's charge was "absolutely false." Is Hoffman out of line, or did fraud tip the election in NY-23? (Watch Liz Cheney talk about ACORN's role in the NY-23 election)

Hoffman's nuts -- but conservatives will believe him: It's tempting to assume that poor Doug Hoffman has "gone mad," says Steve Benen in Washington Monthly. But "right-wing paranoia" is rampant -- a recent poll says a majority of Republicans actually believe ACORN stole the president election for Barack Obama.

"How deep does the paranoia run?"

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There was something fishy in NY-23: A fresh look at the ballots narrowed the gap by 2,300 votes, says Robert Stacy McCain in The American Spectator, so clearly "misreporting can affect political outcomes." If there was criminal tampering, it should be prosecuted. Either way, the tightened tally "makes it a near-certainty" that Doug Hoffman will challenge Bill Owens in 2010.

"NY23: Hoffman charges vote 'mischief' by ACORN, unions"

Hoffman hurts himself by crying fraud: The math now makes it nearly impossible that Doug Hoffman will get the election result reversed, says David Weigel in The Washington Independent. ACORN didn't even have volunteers in NY-23, so Hoffman might want to quiet down. "This isn’t the sort of behavior that wins over a skeptical electorate looking at a possible rematch."

"NY-23: Hoffman accuses ACORN, unions of 'tampering’ with election"