At his rally today with NY-23 Democratic candidate Bill Owens, Vice President Biden tapped into the emerging narrative that the this election represents the expulsion of moderates from the Republican Party — and that moderate GOP voters should vote for Owens in order to teach the GOP a lesson.
“We aren’t asking you to switch your party,” said Biden. “We are just saying join us in teaching a lesson to those absolutists who say no dissent is permitted within your own party.”
This comes after Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava was driven out of the race for being too moderate, by a national right-wing campaign in favor of Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman, and Scozzafava’s subsequent withdrawal and endorsement of Owens.