Step one: convince a critical mass of the electorate the incumbent is flawed.
Step two: present yourself as a credible alternative.
Darcy Burner and the Democratic party arguably achieved step one in 2006 with the Reichert = Bush theme, plus a heavy assist from a declining Republican brand name (see overspending, Mark Foley, etc.). Step two, however, proved much more elusive. And, it continues to be a challenge in this cycle too.
UPDATE: comments closed due to spam.
Posted by Eric Earling at April 22, 2008 07:29 AM | Email ThisWhy doesn't a paper ask what exactly has the woman done? It is inconceivable that someone who may or may not have had an office at a local homeowners' association is fit for duty. Come on, that is not stuff legislators should be made of. In my book, it doesn't even qualify for a city council position.
Posted by: swatter on April 22, 2008 07:32 AMIt is plain and simple, what Reichart needs to do is two fold: (a) present a clear vision of his priorities, irregardless of who the President may be (he still will most likely be operating in the minority), and (b) slam Darcy on the one note policy. Reichart can't be nice. It is like Obama trying to be above the crowd when you have a pit bull named Hillary biting your ass. Sometimes, you need to turn around and smack the pit bull and put it in its place.
Posted by: tc on April 22, 2008 07:44 AMThe questions about her record will never go away... since she doesn't have one.
Posted by: hinton on April 22, 2008 08:00 AMShe has significantly padded her resume to say she did things she never was close to at that company; I hope Darcy gets a proper vetting this time by the media and YES, she needs to do something other than run against Bush who ISN'T running again this year.
Posted by: Ann on April 22, 2008 08:45 AMShe has significantly padded her resume to say she did things she never was close to at that company; I hope Darcy gets a proper vetting this time by the media and YES, she needs to do something other than run against Bush who ISN'T running again this year.
Posted by: Ann on April 22, 2008 08:46 AMDarcy is a great example of jumping the gun. She wants to be a member of the Progressive Congress club so badly that she put the cart before the horse. She can't help but appear young and whiny. That's her very visible look and tone. She doesn't have any experience, and the made the huge mistake of lying and trying to trump up what little experience she did have. And she is a quitter when it matters most. She would probably have a great shot at getting elected this year, if she had finished law school, and tried to act like a calm and rational alternative to Reichert. Instead, she rushed everything, and has taken to the angry Nutroots wing of the Democrat party.
And that's because even in the Democrat party, there is a hierarchy and a an understanding of the concept of career growth. Those on the Nutroots side are nothing if not completely impatient. They would circumvent the Constitution happily if it allowed them a little more "instant" in their gratification. That's why the young, inexperienced and extreme left candidates hitch themselves to people like Goldy and Kos. Because the alternative of working their way up though the real ranks of the party is not something they are willing to wait for.
If Democrats ever want to get smart, they will realize that people like Darcy Burner are a liability to their success. Normal every day people don't like irrational angry nutroots types that consistently carry and negative, anti-American, cynical and pessimistic tone. You listen to them, and they are always trying to sell you on how horrible everything is until you follow their religion. Reminds me of Scientology. Real Americans, and yes even most normal Democrats are much more positive and hopeful people. Flag burning, car flipping, and Bush Derangement is just not how you win friends and influence people.
And yet this is the mantra of the Nutroots-Progressives. Is it any wonder that they have had more failure than success.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 22, 2008 10:42 AMThere are actually lots and lots of people who think and act like her...you see them everyday and read their thoughts in the forums of the Seattle Times.
Posted by: John Bailo on April 22, 2008 10:56 AMYou know, the ones where Washington voters are too sexist to send a woman to Congress?
Posted by: jimg on April 22, 2008 10:59 AMI agree that step one has been accomplished, with the help, as you astutely point out, of the declining Republican brand (be careful, these are fighting words among Republicans), along with Reichert's own flaws that are separate from "Reichert = Bush". Perhaps it is Republicans that should be putting up the credible alternative.
Posted by: Michelle on April 22, 2008 12:10 PMShe is all puffs with nothing to show for.
Posted by: DopioLover on April 22, 2008 12:20 PM"Normal every day people don't like irrational angry nutroots types that consistently carry and negative, anti-American, cynical and pessimistic tone. You listen to them, and they are always trying to sell you on how horrible everything is until you follow their religion. Reminds me of Scientology."
I guess, then, that we should pay attention to Rand cultists like Jeff B., who calls everyone who doesn't agree with his view of the world a "Marxist," and continues to insist that conservatives and conservatism will prevail in this state even though conservatives and conservatism have been getting their clocks cleaned consistently.
This isn't opinion, this is fact. Democrats are winning legislative, county, and municipal elections in areas of this state hitherto considered solid Republican territory, and the trend shows no sign of abating. In the meantime, the GOP trots out Jim Dunn, Richard Curtis, and Jim West.
What is Dave Reichert going to deliver for his District as Congress goes even more Democratic? When the business community begins to ask itself that, as certainly it should, what will be the answer?
Who's raising more money? Not Reichert. Who's attracting more volunteers? Not Reichert. Who's getting more support from the party's support mechanism? Not Reichert. Who's registering more voters in the 8th CD? Not Reichert.
How is it, Jeff, that there is no mass movement coalescing around *your* ideology in this state? Who's the *real* irrational angry nutroots type here? Little bit of projection, eh, Jeff?
No wonder private union membership is down and declining. Pretty soon, private union membership will go the way of the Elks, Eagles, VFW, and the dinosaurs.
All you have are muni employees anymore. And it works for them because they provide necessary services and many times operate illegally.
Back on topic, the Democrat candidates and policies are flawed, rhyming with thawed, like in the Global Warming Swindle perpetuated by dopes like Al Gore.
Posted by: swatter on April 22, 2008 02:32 PMHaven't checked in yet for the 2008 cycle. But Reichert had far more volunteers than Burner did during the 2006 campaign.
As one of many examples, during the Carnation Parade in Burner's "hometown" Reichert had about 40 volunteers with him compared to Burner's 4 or 5; some of whom were paid staffers.
Admittedly Burner's support from outside the Eighth District is legion but when it came to putting boots on the ground in Auburn, Kent, Covington, North Bend, Orting, Eatonville, etc. Burner fell sadly flat.
Posted by: Don Ward on April 22, 2008 04:21 PMBurner - 122,021
Reichert - 129,362
And it won't even be that close this year.
You had your '1994'. Too bad you didn't do anything with it.
Posted by: jimg on April 22, 2008 04:51 PMDarcy's nutroots ties help her with fundraising, but obviously is a 2 edged sword in the 8th. I'll be surprised if she can win.
Posted by: russell garrard on April 22, 2008 07:01 PMMy whole family lives in Reichert's district and he will get all our votes.
We don't need yet another tax happy B in this state in the middle of a recession!
I don't give a damn how much democraps want to raise or spend this election, it's surely not what this economy needs.
I've watched the economy under democratic lack of leadership in the last two years!
Posted by: gs on April 23, 2008 09:12 PM