Todd Bissonette / AP Photo
Prominent Republicans are worried that what happened to Dede Scozzafava could happen to candidates throughout the country. Scozzafava was the moderate Republican who dropped out of the race for New York’s 23rd Congressional seat Saturday, facing pressure from a more conservative candidate. “This makes life more complicated from the standpoint of this: If we get into a cycle where every time one side loses, they run a third-party candidate, we’ll make Pelosi Speaker for life and guarantee Obama’s reelection,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. A local party chairman called the move a “detriment to democracy.” The move serves as a sign of encouragement for conservative members of the party who are aiming to drag Republicans to the right.