The Washington state GOP: Dino, or dinosaur?
The state Republican Party is crumbling. Is another run by 2004 gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi the last hope?
Republicans in Washington state are in dire shape, and it's not just because of President W. The state party has become borderline irrelevant, ignored by prominent officeholders who have their own private armies. Democratic state House Speaker Frank Chopp, a formidable political boss, has taken the battle to the Republican strongholds in the suburbs, where he is stomping opponents. Republican legislators are inexperienced, badly outnumbered and outgunned, and out of touch with the party's corporate elite. Not edifying.
All these factors led to the wipeout in the 2006 election. Yet just two years before, former state Sen. Dino Rossi of Issaquah, a commercial real-estate salesman, finished in a virtual tie with the well-known state Attorney General Christine Gregoire in the governor's race. Secretary of State Sam Reed, Attorney General Rob McKenna, and Land Commissioner Doug Sutherland all won statewide office, and the trio, along with Rossi, won every single Puget Sound suburban legislative district, according to former GOP party chair Chris Vance. Can they bounce back again?
There are two contending strategies for revival – Dino-ize or modernize.
The irrepressible Vance, who dreamed of running for U.S. Senate in 2006 when Mike McGavick was trounced by Maria Cantwell, is a leading advocate for the Dino strategy. Vance argues that Rossi can win in a rematch against Gregoire in 2008, and that the only way to transform a party in such poor health is not step by step upward through the Legislature but from the top, by putting a Republican in the governor's mansion. "Dino unites the party," says Vance. "He's got name ID, money, a statewide organization, and the sympathy factor since a majority of voters still think he won the last race." Another plus factor (there aren't many) is new party chair Luke Esser, far more congenial for Rossi than the previous chair, Diane Tebelius.
One big problem is that Rossi says he won't decide whether to run until the end of 2007. If he declines (most think he will run), the Republicans would have to scramble to find a serious candidate and make up for lost time. McKenna apparently looked at the race and was discouraged by the power brokers, who felt he was too young to take on an effective incumbent governor and didn't want to lose Republican control of the attorney general's office. John Stanton, native Seattleite, moderate, and CEO of Western Wireless and one of the founders of the local wireless business, has told some supporters that he would not be interested before 2012. Meanwhile, Dino's Hamlet-act has kept him from behaving like a party spokesman during the last session of the Legislature, and prevented others from getting into the race. "If Dino wants to run, there will be no serious primary opponent," declares Vance.
In a conversation with Rossi this week, I asked him if, considering the party's plight, he wouldn't accelerate his decision. Nope, he said. "Like fishing, you have to be patient, and I can afford to wait till then." He hasn't been buffing his image or public standing, and his recent purchase of an interest in the minor-league Everett Aquasox – put together over burgers at the Issaquah Red Robin with friend and former Mariners star Jay Buhner, he says delightedly – didn't exactly enhance the Rossi gravitas.
And what would he run on this time? "The Democrats in the past budget have just created the biggest deficit the state's ever seen," he predicted, noting that he had gone through a similar drill of dieting in 2003, working with a Democratic governor. Any other big personal crusades he's developed since the last issues-light race? Not ready to say. I also asked Rossi for his views about the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, including John McKay of Seattle, a Republican. He tiptoed through the minefield. "Never met the man," he said of McKay, though he knows his brother, Mike. (Everyone in Republican politics knows the McKays.) Rossi insisted he had applied no pressure when McKay was considering voter-fraud issues in the recount drama after the 2004 gubernatorial election. (McKay said he found no grounds for legal action.) Any comment on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's handling of the firings – a huge issue for the country, for the independence of the justice branch, and for the Republican Party? Rossi defaulted to his trademark avoidance of commenting on federal issues.
That's Rossi the unifier, to be sure, since McKay has polarized the party by his principled stand (compelling to moderates and independents, traitorous to party loyalists). Indeed, some Republicans, such as former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, had started boosting the suddenly famous McKay for higher office, but that's probably a fantasy given the anger of the conservative base. Grant one to Rossi for political shrewdness. But his casual vagueness on many important issues, including Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement, and his above-politics stance ("I don't need a political career, and if I had wanted that I would have run for the Senate in 2006," he told me), make many wonder if he has enough depth and belly-fire to topple an admired incumbent governor.
He may. He's a better campaigner than Gregoire, being personable, funny, and approachable. He'd run against 24 years of Democratic governors and a general unhappiness with Olympia (spending too much, botching big issues like education and transportation). He'd sing from the suburban hymnbook: Skip the ideology, don't raise my taxes, make progress on schools and congestion, and say nice things about the environment. Much depends, of course, on who the Republicans nominate for president and if that candidate can motivate the dispirited party voters. As to the kind of governor Rossi would be, you wouldn't be able to tell much from his genial campaign, but he would probably be quite pragmatic, given the strong Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, though he's not cut from the Bold Breakthrough patterns of a Mitt Romney in Massachusetts or Arnold Schwarzenegger in California, both more liberal states than Washington.
The other strategy, a rather long shot, is to modernize, not Dino-ize, the party. You more or less concede that Gregoire can't be beat, given the roaring economy, the Bush factors, and all the goodies she and her Democratic majority have spread across the landscape. So you behave like a classic party in minority phase and become a Party of Ideas, using the 2008 race to put them forth and rally supporters. You tackle the problems that Democrats, constrained by the interest groups they have to reward, can't really deal with, and you try to deploy market incentives to make big changes. An example would be getting private companies to foot much of the bill for highways and transit, as Europe and many socialist countries are doing. That's an idea that would give Frank Chopp fits (not a bad foil to play off) but might promise voters significant relief from congestion and lower costs in construction. (That's an example, folks, not my recommendation!)
The modernization strategy would have to peel off a lot of soft Democrats and independents, since the local Republicans would revolt. It would take a forceful leader, probably one who is self-financed as billionaire Stanton could be. It would probably take two elections to really get traction. It would take the Dan Evans wing of the party to stop dreaming about an Evans restoration and actually do grunt work again. (Some call these disillusioned moderates the Pickleball Crowd, since they seem to like to go off to Whidbey Island and play a good game of Pickleball, invented by former U.S. Rep. Joel Pritchard, rather than work for a party that has been taken over by social inferiors.)
So a reinvention of the state Republican Party is unlikely to happen. But then, consider how the state is changing and the nature of the politics for the new economy. This new politics is not San Francisco liberalism. It's not rent control and agonizing about white privilege and coming up with millions of reasons why the government just can't do something. It's much more Silicon Valley – disruptive, experimental, individualistic, capitalistic, free-trading, globalized and so perfectly comfortable with multicultural workforces, ambitious, and impatient. Much more brash like Rudy Guiliani than old-line John Kerry.
The result is a paradox that will have to be resolved sometime soon. The state is tipping into a kind of populist, big-government majority at the same time that the economy is pulling our politics in the opposite direction. Eventually, a party might emerge to match the drift of the economy and the demographics. Judging by the present state of the GOP, that won't be soon.
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Comments:
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 2:02 a.m. inappropriate
Rossi doesn't have a prayer.: Gregiore will be able to win even if she screws up big time. Rossi doesn't have anything to talk about except losing last time. Gregoire is accomplishing her goals and executing her agenda in healthcare, education and the environment. All the Bush conservatives will vote for Rossi, but when both of them leave the room, that leaves nobody.
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 3:10 a.m. inappropriate
Brewster not a Dino Booster: Nice objective review David, maybe if all of our elected officials could just be Democrats, this "New Politics" you speak of would really have a chance to flourish unabated by any of those pesky opposing viewpoints. Then there wouldn't really need to be a Crosscut, just the party newsletter. I am curious though your comments seem to gloss over some obvious contradictions. "This new politics is not San Francisco liberalism, it's not rent control, agonizing about white privilege or coming up with millions of reasons why the government can't do something". Have you been following the affordable housing debate about density? Can rent control be far behind? You are right we don't agonize about white privilege, we send students to conferences about it and codify it in Seattle School Board policy as institutional fact. Heck we even pay a SPS staff member 6 figures a year to address it. Finally, "coming up with millions of reasons that government can't do something". Do you mean like a sensible transportation plan, fixing pot holes, adequate police and fire coverage. I think Dino was right, this budget will be a terrible burden for the people of Washington. But until the pain gets bad enough, Democrats will still be in charge.
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 5:41 a.m. inappropriate
Gregoire Needs Rove: I disagree with David's prognosis. The next election will be won by the Republican party, if an only if they manage to find a desirable national candidate and if they outspend Gregoire.
Suppose the Republicans have someone who is at least competitive ... say Romney or Guiliani. Gregoire has amassed massive business commitments so she will raise a lot of TV money. Rossi, conceivably can do the same. Rossi, would need to paint himself as Evans' successor, a reformer emerging from the burnt ashes of the Bush debacle.
In this scenario, the decision will be based largely on the candidates' images. Gregoire's image remains very fragile. Her big plus is the way the legislature has spent money on things people want. Education. BUT, she has failed utterly in educational reform. The WASL Waffle can be an albatross. The tobacco money gimmick with her faux pas about creating jobs will be coming to the fore at about the same time the UW has to deal with its funding crisis from the NIH. The UW campuses at Bothell and Tacoma are Potemkin villages and she seems about to drop the ball in reagrd to the planned Everett Polytech. On other issues ... gay marriage, immigration,she does not look all that good either. All this is meat for a PR campaign.
There is more. Her tactic of impugning Rossi's stands on abortion could backfire. Rossi's actual record is pretty good. His principles are well known as are his restraint in forcing his beliefs on others. His stand leads to the possibility of attacking her for being anticatholic. The trick here is being aggressive, not supporting Republican extremism, and attacking Gregoire for lacking an ethical stand. The Roberts court decision may make loittle sense, but it can be painted as restraint ... restricting extremists who would abort full term fetuses.
Then there are the leadership issues. Gregoire really waffled on the Viaduct and has not been a convincing leader in other areas either.
Bottom line, if Dino does not have Rove as an albatross, if he can turn the right to life issue into his right to personal beliefs, then Gregoire can be attacked as indecisive on critical issues of education reform and transportation. Such a campaign would borrow a lot from the Arnold (another Catholic). DR would, one assumes, also ocme out for an Arnoldish environmental stand and push a long term fiscal policy.
If he really wanted to shock things uo, he would propose replacing the B&O; tax with a "flat tax" devoted to reducing the sales tax and paying for full funding of the State constitutional requirements for education. The openings here are awesome. DR could attack the UW collegelettes in Bothel and GTacoma and insist on real campuses more like what Eastern has created in Vancouver. The issue of Everett Polytech is a great one for Rossi to take up. Imagine Arnold, Dino, and the first 787 as a backdrop for a news conference supporting building the Washington Institute of Technology in Everett! WIT!
Dino can win IF he can dump Rove,
SeattleJew
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 7:07 a.m. inappropriate
Rossi 2004 = Gore 2000, Rossi 2007 = Gore 2007: A truly fortuitous day for this topic.
The situations of Al Gore and Dino Rossi are exact parallels, separated only by ideology. That is, both have moved on. Both are happy away from politics. Both have a new life now, with new interests. They gave it their best shots, and they came up short, through no fault of their own.
Now the republicans need to move on from 2004 - and give swing voters like me an attractive option for governor in the November 2008 election.
Allow me to offer an example from the past, and then some suggestions.
On April 27, 1982, 25 years ago today, the State of Washington filed suit in Federal Court to block construction of an oil trans-shipment port at Port Angeles. This movement was spearheaded by Governor John Spellman - Republican.
No other governor, before or since, has done anything of this magnitude to stand up to the oil industry. It would have been easy for him to have pocketed a large campaign contribution, and allow the project to go forward. But he didn't.
Perhaps such audacity in a republican today is unthinkable now. This is only an example.
John Spellman, despite breaking his pledge to not raise taxes (which I never believed for a minute anyway), was the best governor the state has had that I never voted for. And that fact has bothered me ever since.
So, maybe they don't mint republicans like John Spellman anymore. Or do they?
Here's a concept - what about a candidate who dares to defy his/her caucus in the lege to vote his/her conscience? Any republicans today fit that bill?
Glad you asked. As a matter of fact, yes. They are listed below.
... Sen. Cheryl Pflug of Maple Valley
... Sen. Dale Brandland of Bellingham
... Sen. Jim Clements of Selah
All three of these brave republicans voted against their caucus consensus to approve a referendum, an amendment to the state constitution, to the voters this autumn. That referendum, if approved, would remove the supermajority requirement for validation of school levies.
The supermajority requirement was put into effect 63 years ago for specious reasons. It is high time that that injustice is vaporized. Ironically, it will only require a 50% vote do trash the 60% requirement currently on the books.
These three candidates may not be very popular with their caucus right now, due to their actions. I hope their constituents appreciate their efforts, but there is no guarantee there either. Politics is like that - you can be safe, or you can vote your conscience.
But in the second case, you can be proud of yourself every time you look into the mirror. Even if you are voted out of office because of your decision. That is a priority for some of us.
Perhaps that can be a priority for the republicans too, as they search for a viable candidate for governor.
The governor has been wading through a large mud puddle in the past few weeks - largely, but not entirely, due to her handling of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and SR520 Bridge rebuilds. She is vulnerable. Republicans can seize the opportunity to capitalize on her weaknesses. The governor needs to do everything right for the next 18 months, to repair the self-inflicted damage to her credibility.
But if the republicans beat the same old drum of tax cuts and property rights, they will stay in the dustbin, where those proponents rightfully belong.
Republican candidates for governor are out there, people with the guts to vote their consciences.
Now the state republican party needs to identify them, and to have the guts to support them, if they want to win in November 2008.
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 9:58 a.m. inappropriate
Gregoire's Mine Field: Gregoire faces a mine field in Seattle. Either the viaducty or 520 have the potential to cause some Seattle Democrats to sit out the next gubernatorial election. If 20 or 30 thousand Seattle D's are really pissed at her over the viaduct, she is toast. Not that they would vote for Dino, they might just skip that race. She is Olympia centric and is distrusted by many of the party base in Seattle.
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 12:57 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Rossi 2004 = Gore 2000, Rossi 2007 = Gore 2007: I've heard good things about Pflug and how she's bright and "gets" how our overall transportation spending is folly because of its imbalance towards light rail, which in even a wildly optimistic scenario will handle only a small percentage of our transportation need. (It'll never carry freight. It'll never take your kids to soccer practice or drop them off at school. It'll never go to the grocery store.) Also, being a woman is a plus in Washington politics, for whatever reason. With Murray, Cantwell and Gregiore, it's obvious that being a man is a strike against you when running for higher office here.
And you're right, Spellman was a good governor, as was Evans, both moderate Republicans. Unfortunately, being a Republican nowadays is a lot like being a salesman wearing a suit made of s**t because of the radio-active halo effect of the Bush presidency, although maybe that halo isn't as bad for a woman.
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 2:42 p.m. inappropriate
What about the women?: The US Supreme court just took a big chip out of abortion rights. They have scared the hell out of women! Will they vote for Rossi--a right-wing religious anti-abortion rights wacko? Brewster and his ilk usually fail to mention that Rossi is opposed to choice in their Rossi coverage but the Democrats will be sure to bring it out in the campaign. I hope that the Republicans run Rossi. Nationally and statewide the Republican party is demonstrably corrupt and incompetent. They used to run great campaigns,. and maybe they can do so again, but the news is out: they have shown that they can't govern worth a damn. I get a kick out of hearing them criticize Democrat budgets. Have they taken a look at Bush's budget numbers lately?
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 3:15 p.m. inappropriate
What we saw in November is that not only did the Republican Party not walk the walk, it garbled and stuttered when it tried to talk the talk! And we got our heads handed to us! Even about the best legislator in Olympia, Toby Nixon, went down to defeat to a lightweight like Ericahmed al Oemigahmadinijad, D - Fajullah. Something's definitely askew.
But David Brewster? Like, we should take advice from him? Bre'r Fox, would you like to watch the chicken coupe? We may be dumb, but we aint's stupid!
The Piper
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 4:17 p.m. inappropriate
2012 A Better Bet for the Republicans: Beating Gregoire in 2008 will be very tough for Republicans. The Governor has done a fine job in getting things done in transportation and education. I do agree that the viaduct was a big misstep, and she shouldn't be downplaying Seattle. Not only is it a key part of her base, but Seattle has more in common now with Belleuve, Bremerton, Tacoma, Everett, Renton and other larger Puget Sound cities than those cities have with the rest of the state.
That said, it's hard for the challenging party to win when the economy is so strong. Rossi nearly won last time because he stayed on message and is personable, and Gregoire played a prevent defense. Rossi's main tactic of blasting Democratic overspending might have traction if there was a deficit, but there's not much compelling about his policies at this point. Where's the vision of what great things that this state can and should do? Gregoire does a fine job of showing us her vision for the state.
There's also a lot of internal issues with the R's that still has to be worked out. The House R attack on the prison reform bill (pushed hard by Republican Senator Mike Carrell) shows the divide between R's that want to be more inclusive and get things done, and those that are so far to the right that they're in danger of falling off their flat earth. That battle will likely have to play itself out before the R's are ready to make a serious challenge.
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 5:30 p.m. inappropriate
We've already seen the Dino Campaign....: In case you missed it, we saw the Dino campaign run in that election by Mike McGavick and you can see the democrats finally figured it out.
If Dino is smart, he will not run again, and go down in history as the might-have-been governor of Washington and republican king-maker for the next couple of election cycles.
I don't think he will be underestimated again, or allowed to get away with smiling ads, ignoring his very unpopular stances on issues.
Personally, I would be more interested in seeing Rob McKenna run. I'm not sure how his stances on issues would look, but at least he has the one thing the republican party is sorely missing, proven integrity.
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 5:35 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Here chicky, chicky, chicky...: I see Republicans giving advice to Democrats daily. Fortunately they are not listening. Otherwise this state would be facing the financial and ethical problems that are now challenging the federal government. I heard Senator McConnell use the term "surrender-date" in referring to the Democrats legislation requiring a troop draw-down in Iraq. That term is pure framing genius. Indeed if you listen to right wing radio and read right wing comments on blog you will come to understand that Republicans are very good at thinking and expressing bumper sticker sized thoughts. But governing requires thinking in complete sentences; which explains why the Republicans are losing two wars while borrowing billions every day of the week. Fiscal conservatives, my ass! And oh yeah: terrorism acts are up 29%. "Freedom is on the march." We're fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here." Absolutely genius at this bumper-sticker thinking. Just not good enough. Can you say nuclear? Bush can't!
Posted Fri, Apr 27, 6:06 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Here chicky, chicky, chicky...: "Republicans are very good at thinking and expressing bumper sticker sized thoughts. But governing requires thinking in complete sentences."
Great sentences! It is sad how the neocons have ravaged the U.S. Instead of honest policy debates, they have fallen to calling those that disagree with them "treasonous." The Dan Evans wing of the party were competent and knew how to govern, often working with Democrats to get things done for all the citizens of Washington State. The neocon wing has marginalized the R's in our state, even though Rossi and McGavick are of a more reasonable cloth.
I'd like the state to have at least a two-party system - that'll require R's to become dominated by those who can govern, not those who can't stand much of the American populace. Although I often don't agree with Rob McKenna, I respect his independence and thoughtfulness. I'd rather see him run in 2012, and not be a sacrificial lamb in 2008.
As far as your point on R's giving advice to D's, John Kerry followed the advice of those pundits on the right by playing up his war record instead of attacking Bush's record on the economy. Many of those pundits were the same ones factually wrong in building up the case for the Iraq war. Their advice to Kerry, needless to say, was also off target.
Posted Sat, Apr 28, 12:18 a.m. inappropriate
Pseudo Picture Psychoanalysis: Why the grainy picture of Dino? Clearly a bias against him, intended or unintended. Crosscut should be more careful.
But note the face, the logical right side of which wears a polite smile. Not uncommon for the logical brain whose heart isn't in smiling. Contrast this with the left-brain which reveals the "true" feelings of the individual. Dino looks as if he's laughing. This is a very likable guy and trustworthy too.
All politicians have the superficial smile on the right. Many have the face of the killer on the left. Dino does not. People will vote for him.
Of course Gregoire's has smile balance too. I predict a close race. Maybe a recurrence of the recount.
So remember, faces count. But take the Crosscut Dino picture with a grain of salt.
Posted Sat, Apr 28, 12:41 a.m. inappropriate
RE: Pseudo Picture Psychoanalysis: It's not a grainy photo per se - the photo has one of those "artsy" effects that makes it looks like a painting. Perhaps like you'll find at the new Seattle Art Museum.
Posted Sat, Apr 28, 8:39 a.m. inappropriate
Dino and small government: Deadken got it right when he wrote "don't think he (Dino) will be underestimated again, or allowed to get away with smiling ads, ignoring his very unpopular stances on issues." Behind Dino's big smile is a right wing religious wacko who's political goals are not in sync with the goals of Washington citizens. The US Supreme Court's recent ruling on abortion has shown people that these guys are for real. They want to keep women barefoot and pregnant. And for some reason women don't find that appealing. The Republicans talk a great game about smaller government and the right to be left alone and then they want to tell people who they can marry, and what they can do with their bodies. the Republican party's platform is built on a foundation of hypocrisy. People are catching on and unless the Democrats,who are certainly flawed themselves, really screw up the Republicans, nationally and locally, will be out of power for some time-as long as it takes for people to forget what a crummy job they have done at governing over the past decade.
Posted Sat, Apr 28, 10:57 a.m. inappropriate
If Democrats have run the show for 24 years, where is Utopia?: With Dems in charge of Olympia, King County and Seattle for the last couple of decades, why don't we have Utopia? We have had Both Republican and Democratic Administrations in the the other Washington, so that can't be it. If there are problems in Washington State with Education, Transporation, Public Safety, Housing and the Environment it falls squarely on the shoulders of the Democrats who have failed to lead. Give Washington a regime change in Olympia and a chance to actually fix some of the issues that face the State. If they don't, I am sure that the Nickels clan will be back from Ireland and be willing to resume business as usual.
Posted Sat, Apr 28, 12:51 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Pseudo Picture Psychoanalysis: True, it's Photoshop. We had a very low-resolution image to work with. No slight intended.
Posted Sat, Apr 28, 4:16 p.m. inappropriate
RE: If Democrats have run the show for 24 years, where is Utopia?: Former Republican Presidential candidate Pat Robertson predicted a few years ago that the RAPTURE will occur tomorrow, the 29th. You sir, like all good God fearing, family values loving Republicans will be leaving us Godless liberals behind to work things out in our own Godless manner. Personally, with you God fearing Republicans out of the way, I'll be advocating for the end of lying, torture and killing and imprisonment without trial on the national level. And here at home I'll demand education, housing and health care for all. Good luck in heaven! Don't work your way through those sixty virgins all in one day. You need to make 'em last for eternity, ya know? Oh, wait a minute, I'm doing it again. Confusing Republican evangelicals with the Taliban.
Posted Sat, Apr 28, 6:59 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Pseudo Picture Psychoanalysis: Trying to be objective about photo selection isn't easy. The Rossi picture is actually pretty flattering imho. I notice the Gonzalez pic also is pretty low res. But it's in a humor column.
Posted Sat, Apr 28, 10:11 p.m. inappropriate
Rossi's prospects summed up in a single letter: W.
Yes, this make for boring political journalism, but come on, it's all about Bush these days. The Bush white house and Republican congress had an unrestricted opportunity to advance their agenda. They did, and the results could not have been any worse, and their failure could not have been any more obvious.
Posted Sun, Apr 29, 5:04 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Rossi's prospects summed up in a single letter: Agreed that W. casts a ghostly pall over all Republican candidates. The sheer incompetence and inability to execute any policy except cutting taxes demonstrates such a panoramic failure to govern that it calls into the question the ability of any Republican to govern.
The majority of Americans now fear that your average Republican will be a puppet to a jingoistic, totalitarian, liberty-stifling, Neo-Con policy so far removed from reality as to be comical.
The fear-based coalition cobbled together by Rove for the past eight years was quite fine at dividing the country, but the Emperor's Republican Clothes have been exposed for some time now. Rabid-dog tactics such as employed by Rossi acolytes in attacking Gregoire and Sims, or the Republican party and Reichert in attacking Dave Ross--and later Darci Burner--do not play well with women, who seem to be shifting in droves to the Democratic side. When Republican wives can no longer give their loyalty to the Republican war in Iraq, then the tide has turned for Republicans -- a loyalty-based party whose influence is greater than its numbers -- so they must have party discipline to succeed.
Now, only more independent minded Republicans have a chance of winning, but they have to be strong enough to buck the jingoism and the group-think that anchors the core of their party. But the only people with experience doing that are on the Left: Democrats, Progressives, Greens, et al.
Eventually the fiscally conservative Republican with liberal social values will still have a chance, because Democrats get tripped up a lot in wasteful spending. Rossi may be able to position himself this way, because on abortion and right-to-life, politicians can sometimes be given a free pass to express minority-opinion personal beliefs, so long as those beliefs don't spill over into legislation. Rossi can say whatever he wants about abortion or gay rights so long as he never succeeds in doing anything.
Ross could win, but Gregoire would have to really stumble big time. The mistakes she's made so far are dwarfed by her successes. Some Dems may have reservations about her, but they'll still vote for her over any Republican.
Posted Sun, Apr 29, 5:26 p.m. inappropriate
Nice try: If the Reverand is holding services in the open air drug market across from City Hall in Seattle, he must be content with the status quo. No progress from progressives? No improvements in Public Safety, Healthcare, Transportaion, Education at any level State, County or City with Democrats in control for over 20 years. Shocking! His solution? more of the same, only with more government employees . The results, more of the same only with higher taxes.
Posted Sun, Apr 29, 10:26 p.m. inappropriate
Dino is dead: Dino Rossi is a virulent right-wing pro-lifer. This was ignored by the idiots who ran Christine Gregoire's last campaign based on the assumption they were going to win easily, so they didn't have to work very hard. This strategy didn't work. This time, they'll go hard after Mr. Human Life and his right-wing minions and Gov. Chris will rout the smiley liar. Bound to happen.
Posted Mon, Apr 30, 1:21 p.m. inappropriate
Praise the Lord: Praise the Lord! Washington state's version of the American Taliban will lose! Think Rossi shouldn't be compared to the Taliban? Let us compare: the Taliban lie and torture and kill while praying daily. Just like Bush, who Rossi supports, therefore making him a junior American Taliban.
Anyone who can continue to support Bush in spite of his losing two wars, committing numerous war crimes, and shredding the constitution he swore to uphold is in acute denial. Indeed you are enablers of lies and torture and killing and will one day have to explain yourself to the Lord. My Republican friends, face the facts, Bush and his evil, corrupt, and incompetent ways have destroyed your party.
Posted Mon, Apr 30, 6:23 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Praise the Lord: I think the reverand's comments stand alone as the single most important commentary the Pro-Gregiore camp can articulate with regard to a potential Rossi run, or any Republican for that matter. Proud to spend beyond record revenue intake. Proud to support Watada. Proud to support suppression of Free Speech by abusing Government prosecutorial powers. Proud to support May Day rallies for illegal aliens. Proud to steal private property rights. Your party's actions are speaking so loudly, I cannot hear your shouting of meaningless banter. If in 24 years of rule in the State of Washington, there are still issues with Transportation , Education, Healthcare , Crime, Homelessness, Affordable Housing and the Environment...you have only ONE party to look to and it is the Democrats. Complain about Rossi and Republicans all you want, the facts are that you and your party own every major problem that this State faces.
Posted Mon, Apr 30, 7:25 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Praise the Lord Cameron is a TRUE believer-He has partaken of the koolaid!: You are a TRUE believer Cameron. Your hatred of the Democrats has blinded you to the sins of your Republican party. Reverand Money actually wrote in "none of the above" in the last governor's race, and will be doing so again. Indeed , Reverand Money writes in "none of the above" more often than he chooses a candidate to vote against. However I voted for Baghdad Jim, who with his cast iron balls, went to Baghdad and called the President a liar on TV, and WAS RIGHT, and now deserves the vote of all Americans who love this country. Hate the Democrats for all that you say above. I do not blame you. But I do argue that the Republicans are demonstrably worse. Today's news a hundred dead American soldiers in Iraq in the past month; many more have been maimed. The Iraqi people, liberated by our brave President, have suffered even worse casualties. Cost of the War so far: $500,000,000,000. Number of terrorists out to get us-up 29%. Feel safer Cameron? But perhaps you are wise young Cameron to be a Republican. You see in Bush's America, any American that Bush DECIDES is an enemy combatant can be snatched up, jailed forever without a trial or even being told what he is charged with, and legally tortured until he admits to a crime-or two. If you don't know that what i have just described is true-you are willfully ignorant. Hate the Democrats Cameron. Hate the "illegals" who produce your food. And hate those of us who support the constitution. But don't assume that every one who disagrees with you is a Democrat. We are not! And to resort to a level you will hopefully understand. the Demcrats being awful doesn't make the republicans better. Judge each party on it's own merits and know that when Clinton lied-no one died. Even some of the conservative think tanks are callin Bush's war on Iraq the country's biggest foreign policy blunder ever.
Posted Mon, Apr 30, 7:38 p.m. inappropriate
PS: The one thing you got right about the Reverand, Mr Cameron, is I do support Lt. Watada. A man who has offered to fight in Afghanistan, which he judges a lawful war, but has the courage to refuse, as required by his oath to support the constitution, and the US Army field manual to serve in Iraq, an unlawful war. He's showing more courage than Cheney and Rumsfeld and Bush did avoiding Vietnam. You are probably unfamiliar with the fact that a war of aggression is an international war crime. You may also be unaware that if Rumsfeld travels to Europe he risks arrest to be tried for war crimes. And lastly, Cameron, if you support Bush's war, why aren't you over there fighting those gosh darn terrorists so we won't have to fight 'em here?
Posted Tue, May 1, 12:31 a.m. inappropriate
Results of GovGregGuar's Legislative Session: A couple of comments on the end of the recently ended, hugely successful legislative session:
1. I'm not overly impressed with any individual piece of legislation; however, I'm smilingly impressed that real, honest-to-God legislation is once again being produced by the legislature -- we don't have gridlock anymore! Because the Dems are in charge and have a majority and WANT to pass new legislation rather than cut taxes or roll-back existing legislation, the State is no longer driving with the parking brake on. A microcosm of this change is the removal of the supermajority required to pass school bonds.
2. Reasonable lip service and actual walked talk of fiscal restraint was demonstrated with:
- Incremental progress made across a broad agenda
(although spending money to clean up the ocean sounds a bit grandiose),
- Creation of a rainy-day fund (within at least some barrier to breaking and entry),
- GovGreGuar not stepping out in front of that fiscal train-wreck,
the upcoming vote on regional transportation, which if passed,
will be a bit like fitting a $50,000 Lionel Choo-choo Train into
one's interior design plan and personal transportation budget.
I'm still well aware that the legislature spent A WHOLE LOT of money for the Biennium, and that government remains largely inefficient and ineffective in many service areas. Hopefully some obvious reorganization will occur to better align institutions and to achieve economies of scale.
Because the GovGreGuard has not succumbed to hubris (though the brush with success may undo them still), and has focused on substance, the Dems have a good chance for a long successful run. The 'Publicans (Their Political Beeks Hold More Than Their Bellicose Can) will be stuck playing Off-Broadway on Fox News for the next 5yrs or so, until W.'s reign is but a faint bad dream of what Hell will be like if it designed properly.
Posted Tue, May 1, 4:10 p.m. inappropriate
RE: Praise the Lord Cameron is a TRUE believer-He has partaken of the koolaid!: The Reverand cannot control is glee or his bladder on this post, he takes us from State politics to Bush hatred in the blink of an eye. Apparently not voting is symbolic of the reverand's devotion to apathy. I will gladly defer to the reverand's familiarity with Representative McDermott's cast iron private parts, afterall first hand knowledge is always the best. Maybe you can contribute some of those reverand monies for his fines for losing his court appeal. Wars are expensive in both lives and treasure, by the reverands measure we should end all wars because they are just too expensive. The war on Drugs is an failure, billions spent millions dead world wide, but not worth the fight? The war on poverty, no success in sight, drop it, right reverand? War on crime? come on reverand nothing will change human nature, some folks are just drawn to the thug life. We might as well scale back the the police and courts. I can see from the reverand's remarks the only "True Believer" around here is the right reverand.