Even after Monday's ruling which rebuffed the election challenge, a growing number of Washington voters believe that Dino Rossi was the legitimate winner of the November election. So says the Strategic Vision poll of Washington voters, taken subsequent to Monday's ruling and released today.
The poll asked respondents now that the court has upheld Christine Gregoire’s victory and Dino Rossi has conceded the election, who they believe actually won the gubernatorial election; 59% said Republican Dino Rossi; 34% said Democrat Christine Gregoire; and 7% were undecided with a margin of error of ±3%. When asked if they approved of the court’s decision that upheld Gergoire’s victory, 40% approved of the decision, 43% disapproved of the decision, and 17% were undecided. When asked about a potential rematch between Rossi and Gregoire in 2008, the poll found that 58% would support Rossi; 36% would support Gregoire; and 6% were undecided.The numbers are even more favorable to Rossi than those of the earlier poll taken just before the trial.
As I wrote on the first day of the trial, there were actually two simultaneous trials going on: A legal trial and a political trial. Gregoire prevailed in the legal trial. Rossi won the political trial. I think Gregoire and the Democrats will be surprised to discover that a legal victory without a political victory isn't worth nearly as much as they would like it be worth.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at June 10, 2005 02:37 PM | Email ThisThis has only increased the pressure and when it finds it's release in 2006 & 2008, the Democrats, in their ignorant bliss, won't have even seen the landslide that will wipe the out, coming.
Posted by: Jeff B. on June 10, 2005 03:10 PMTheir poll did show continuing support for other Democrats, though (even Patty "OBL built schools" Murray!).
Posted by: Bostonian on June 10, 2005 03:44 PMLet me guess, you're going to tell us Gregoire got a mandate to be governor via an election process that should be a model for the US & the banking industry, right?
But a random poll of 800 voters in the state is a "hack job"? Try and read the questions (get some help with the big words) and tell us how they are spin?
Notice the pure, blatant republican lies in these questions and results:
"Voters gave Senator Patty Murray strong approval ratings. Fifty-five percent approved of her job
performance; 35% disapproved; and 10% were undecided.
Senator Maria Cantwell received lower
approval ratings, with 48% approving of her job performance; 40% disapproving; and 12% were
undecided.
President Bush’s job approval was at 40%; with 51% disapproving; and 9% undecided."
(Actually, even I question who they polled if Patty Murray gets a 55% approval rating. I guess it does pay to do nothing)
Yes, and 59% of these very same people still believe Rossi legitimately got the most votes (as distinguished from "winning".)
Clearly, it's just a hack job and these people are idiots.
rb
"59% of these very same people still believe Rossi legitimately got the most votes (as distinguished from "winning".)
should read:
"59% of these very same people still believe Rossi received the most legitimate votes (as distinguished from "winning")
Posted by: rb on June 10, 2005 03:48 PMI think he's a magic Republican that moderate Democrats will vote for. He called them "Dinocrats."
Posted by: Shannon K on June 10, 2005 04:26 PMthanks for rephrasing my post.
Posted by: manco on June 10, 2005 05:21 PMIO -
I'm not so sure about that...
Most people relate the purpose of the election contest with funny business in King County. They know the bulk of the voting problems occurred there! (again)...
Ron Sims, as the King County Executive, is up for re-election this year. His campaign alone will keep the wounds open! He will lose his race to a Republican. Once that person is in the KC Exec seat - he will be able to make the appropriate corrections to the election department and possibly expose issues that weren't even covered in the contest!
He will have 3.5 years to work on it!
My sense is that Murray is in some kind of protected zone of her own. I can't understand it either, but she's in that magic Senate zone and just keeps getting elected over and over like Ted Kennedy.
Cantwell on the other hand is a) now linked with suspicion of KCE. (Did Gorton really win?) And b) linked often in the press with a possible Rossi run for Senate. That connection, along with the negativity surrounding Real Audio, her perceived (or real!) lack of qualifications for the job, and some of her Howard Dean like foot-in-the-mouths of late. She's definitely vulnerable.
Gregoire is cooked. Whether she's anything real behind that Grinch like face is now moot:
a) She's linked with having been given a title, she probably did not deserve.
b) She's done a horrible job with campaign promises and raised taxes in a careless and disrespectful way.
c) Most hurtful, she has almost no sense of timing, delivery, charisma or anything really likeable about her from an outward standpoint. She's got that insulated, haughtiness that only someone with true disdain for the electorate can have. It's really amazing that she got the votes she did.
She's going to be remembered as the Accidental Governor.
Posted by: Jeff B. on June 10, 2005 11:20 PMLiberal Democrat governor
2 Liberal Democrat senators
liberal democrat state senate
liberal democrat state house
liberal democrat King county executive
is that truly representative of this state? As a conservative Repubican, I feel like a victim.
Posted by: Manco_Dollars on June 11, 2005 11:13 AMRegarding point b), I really don't understand why we keeping beating this dead horse. I see it so often on blogs and conservative websites, this "Senator Rossi" crap. We've have to get it through our thick heads once and for all that Rossi isn't going to be in the Senate. Why? Because he has said so. We have to honor the man's word.
The same goes for this King Co. Executive lead balloon. The last thing Rossi should do is accept some third-rate consolation prize that he has little chance of winning anyway. It is my understanding that this was suggested by, of all people, Sam Reed. Probably the LAST person Rossi should be getting political advice from is Sam Reed, after what Reed did (or didn't do) to (for) Rossi in the governor's race. Rossi better watch his back around Reed, the guy seems to be looking for a chance to twist the knife he stuck in there.
Probably a re-run in 2008 against Fraudoire is the best fit for Rossi as a candidate, but I think he is going to be a very heavy underdog in that race as well. Why? Well, as I noted before, Fraudoire will have a full term to fix things up with the 'Rats in WA state who were, for whatever reason, reluctant to support her in the last race. Second, the dynamic is totally different. Rossi will be facing an incumbent Fraudoire, and that is a big advantage. The '04 race was for an open seat, which will not be the case in '08. As much as I think the Republicans will wave the bloody shirt from the '04 robbery, I don't think it will be enough to offset the natural advantage an incumbent has.
Anyway, it's a ways off yet.
Posted by: Interested Observer on June 11, 2005 11:56 AMI think it's all that starbucks coffee the wet siders drink that makes them vote blindly for democrats.
Over here on the dry side we vote for Republicans all the time. There just aren't enough of us to balance the others out.
Sigh ;)
It is worth at least 3.5 more years as Governor, and not having to wait 3.5 years for another chance.
As for those polls, they're hardly a reliable source.
Posted by: Daniel K on June 11, 2005 02:54 PMLiberal Democrat governor
2 Liberal Democrat senators
liberal democrat state senate
liberal democrat state house
liberal democrat King county executive
is that truly representative of this state?
As a conservative Repubican, I feel like a victim.
Posted by Manco_Dollars at June 11, 2005 11:13AM
Manco, you missed a true opportunity today by not attending the King County Republican Convention - it was grass roots Conservatism at its BEST and there were NO victims in attendance!
The first joy was parking amongst other cars with CONSERVATIVE BUMPER STICKERS and not having to worry about being "keyed" as has been threatened by our less civil left pals.
The second was the upbeat personality of the convention itself - what a great group of dedicated and determined conservatives led and spoken to by both Kirby Wilbur and Mike Siegal.
Third was a surprise speech by Dino Rossi who was there to officially nominate David Irons for King Couny Executive. I am so impressed by both gentlemen and how lucky we are to be able to claim them as ours!
Fourth was the number of young people in attendance, smiling, enthusiastic and working hard.
This was my first convention and it was a terrific experience.
Please, please, please all, get out and campaign for your candidates, for the initiatives that remind the libs in power that they work for US and to spread the word that we are here and we WILL make a change for the better in King County and in Washington.
Posted by: Cheryl on June 11, 2005 05:51 PMI hope you are right Richard Higgs.
But, I think that there are other, better reasons for the possibilities of a third party: there is nobody representing the interests of men and fathers - half the population.
Democrats make a living outright attacking men. The liberty of an islamic terrorist means more to the average Democrats than the liberty of a man or a father.
Meanwhile, Republicans run from these issues in fear of radical feminist groups. But, men vote for Republicans by large percentages.
Men and especially fathers are figuring out that there is nobody representing their interests and, in fact, several parts of government that are attacking them.
Once that reaches critical mass, unless Republicans grow some gonads, these men and fathers are going to defect. And, it ain't gonna be the Democrats that get their votes.
Posted by: BananaLand(aka Iguana) on June 12, 2005 11:16 AMI believe that Strategic visions poll says it all.
Let the leftists gloat and expose their selfishness for all of us to witness after maintaining the nightmare in Olympia. Change has to be fought for and does not come easy. The Repubs have to move on from their reputation as the "stupid party", and expose the Democrats for the "sneaky party" con-artists that they generally are. There are always exceptions to these classifications, but Conservatives in this state need not feel like victims with our current makeup of government. I-900 and I-912 will force the business as usual bunch to look more for the good of the people if they pass, because the people will have spoken. Also, voting these leftist bums who have their own selfish and special interests at heart will help this state become more friendly for all.
No need for spin, even though SV is a notorious GOP polling firm, I don't doubt that given people's sympathy for a person that just got his ass handed to him in court, and the fact that the entire GOP lawsuit was a PR campaign of misinformation that Rossi would have a better standing than Govenor Gregoire.
But given that the King County Republican's can't even run an election with less than 500 people, and had an error rate 20x as great as King County Elections, plus the GOP is already starting to turn on itself, I really doubt that a snap poll today matters in the long run.
Cheryl:
You forgot the thrill of an election run so badly it made King County look like they knew what they were doing.
Posted by: jdb on June 12, 2005 08:08 PMAnd yet everything I say is true. That must just drive you nuts.
Posted by: jdb on June 12, 2005 09:34 PMOn your other point, I agree that Fraudoire is probably one of the ugliest old croakers to come down the pike in a long time. I understand one of the WA Senators, Patty Murray, is often selected as the Senator least likely to be confused with a rocket scientist (i.e., dumb as a box of rocks). Fraudoire would probably win the contest as the politican least likely to be confused with Jessica Simpson.
Posted by: Interested Observer on June 13, 2005 06:13 AMThis legislature and state government is full of arrogance and has nothing but contempt for the people they supposedly govern. Our best hope is direct democracy which thank goodness this state has despite efforts from the left to get rid of it.
Posted by: Palouse on June 13, 2005 02:30 PM