The Democratic victory in NY-23 provides an interesting bookend to what was unquestionably a disappointing night for Democrats. As I noted a few days ago, for the right-wingers behind the Hoffman candidacy, knocking out Scozzafava was the big prize. Actually winning the race outright would have been icing on the cake, but hardly necessary.

They have shown they can topple any moderate Republicans who don’t defer to right-wing dominance of the party.

If this is what the extreme right wing of the Republican party considers a great victory, then good luck to them, and victories galore.

Yes, they have shown that they can knock out moderate Republicans. But they have also shown what the consequence of putting up extreme-right-wing candidates turns out to be, namely that you start losing seats that have been in Republican hands since the ruddy 19th century.

Granted, their real agenda may not be to replace every moderate Republican by an extreme right-wing candidate. It may be to force moderate Republicans to move to the right. But these guys are rabid extremists. They’re not going to be content with marginal, incremental shifts (that may not discommode voters too much). They are going to insist on significant movements to the right, the kind that they can thump their chests about, and celebrate as clear and unquestionable victories. And what the New York special election shows is that there is a huge cost to be paid in terms of lost votes, lost elections.

So Bill Owens‘ victory over Doug Hoffman seems to prove that if the extreme wing of the Republican party continues to wage war against moderate Republican candidates, the Republican party can look forward to winning fewer and fewer seats. And finding fewer and fewer Americans willing to identify themselves as Republicans.

If that’s the victory they want, then more power to them.

(This may also help keep things in perspective: both Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell won their gubernatorial elections by running to the center.)