Obama attended a fundraiser for Owens; the vice president showed up for an eleventh-hour rally in the district; and they worked every connection they could to flip Scozzafava, leaving the nominees of both major parties aligned against the ..... Before Palin's endorsement there was no national attention to the race, and Hoffman looked like he stood no chance except as a spoiler candidate. After her endorsement, the White House went all in to counter her efforts. ...
