'Unconceding' an election

Doug Hoffman, the conservative party candidate who seemingly lost the hotly contested race for New York's 23rd congressional district surprised many by announcing on Glenn Beck's radio show that he is "unconceding" in the hopes that as-yet-uncounted absentee ballots will tip the vote in his favor. His opponent, Democrat Bill Owens, is already seated in Congress and has cast a key vote on the health care bill and even Hoffman admits it's a long shot. So why he is taking this unusual step? (Hear Doug Hoffman's "unconcession" on Glenn Beck's radio show)

The election was "stolen": A series of counting errors have tightened the vote count considerably, says The Lonely Conservative blog. "Is it a coincidence that the errors all happened to be in Owens’s favor?" Still, even if Hoffman comes out on top, he'd have to contend with "an army of lawyers" to unseat Owens.

"Another stolen election in NY23?"

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Hoffman does whatever Glenn Beck wants: Hoffman may have conceded the race, says Alex Pareene at Gawker, but "Glenn Beck decided that Hoffman's concession was premature. And Hoffman just does whatever Glenn Beck says." Because that's what one does when one is "a true conservative."

"Heroic loser conservative to become upstate New York's Norm Coleman"

Hoffman is playing the game shrewdly: The odds are still against him, but "the 'count every ballot' schtick is smart politics," says Allahpundit at Hot Air. By extending the process, he gets more media exposure in advance of his likely rematch against Owens in 2010.

"Hoffman: I'm unconceding NY-23"