That's a big chunk of the message from today's Andrew Garber work in the Seattle Times discussing the Evergreen State GOP. It features appearances from Dwight Pelz - who surely has pure motives for his commentary - as well as party-switchers Fred Jarrett and Rodney Tom.
Listen, as much as I would really like to hear from two guys who didn't have the stones to stand up to disagreements with more conservative legislators (and their own PCO's) to stand by their own views, let's not and say we did. Both gentlemen seem very content to argue with an older, caricature of the party rather than to discuss the actual agenda that Dino Rossi or a number of quality legislative candidates ran on this cycle.
On a related note, Garber's work is sloppy. He says:
During the governor's race, Rossi demonstrated his conservative credentials by noting his opposition to abortion, his interest in rolling back a provision in the state's gay-rights law and saying he wasn't certain how much humans are to blame for global warming.
It's strange. I looked through all of Rossi's ads and could find any on those topics. That's probably because he came out of the gate in October of last year talking about education, transportation, fiscal responsibility, and public safety. As the electoral mood evolved, he added a heavy dose of talk about the economy and making sure state government wasn't adding to the burdens of working families.
But, that gets in the way of a good journalistic narrative so it gets left out.
Meanwhile, what the Fred Jarretts and Rodney Toms want is an abandonment of principles. That's not going to happen, but the party can certainly embrace candidates who might not agree with the GOP platform in full. Example: Steve Litzow ran one of the best legislative campaigns of the year. Thanks to the brutual demographics of his now Democratic district, he's probably going to come up just short.
Guess what, he's pro-choice. I'll take that any day of the week in the 41st District, and others like it. Just as Democrats have embraced more moderate candidates to be competitive in suburban races (for which you have to credit the political machine that is Frank Chopp's mind).
Likewise, Rob McKenna is obviously a potential gubernatorial nominee in the future. He's pro-choice too, seemingly along the same libertarian thinking on that issue as Jennifer Dunn. In this state, that's fine.
For now, the party actually took a significant step forward this cycle by winning legislative seats rather than losing them. Moreover, they did so by finding good candidates, who fit their districts, then ran great campaigns, talking about issues that mattered to their prospective constituents, including education, transportation, and health care.
You wouldn't know that reading today's article or listening to people with their own narrow view of what it means to be a Republican today. As much as ignoring what actual GOP candidate did on the ground this year can be fun in some circles, it doesn't make for highly productive conversation.
Posted by Eric Earling at November 09, 2008 09:46 AM | Email This1. Obama wins big.
2. Gregoire underperforms national (D) ticket by 10+ points, but gets by.
3. Rob McKenna wins big in a (D) year.
4. (R)s gain seats in Legislature in spite of Obama tidal wave.
Barrels of actual and electronic ink have been and will be used on #1 above. Haven't seen much if anything on the ''underperforms'' from #2.
Also not much on the amazing fact that while Obama-Biden are winning WA by just under 17 points, Rob McKenna got re-elected by just over 19 points; i.e.:
There was a THIRTY-SIX point delta between the national (D) ticket and the AG. If that's not a unique situation, it must be close.
Finally: For (R)s to actually GAIN seats in the WA Leg this year would seem like a subject that could deserve an entire book all by itself.
Posted by: Methow Ken on November 9, 2008 10:22 AMAnd ditto about Simpson: ick.
However, don't insult Howdy Doody.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on November 9, 2008 11:56 AMThe state GOP needs to address three things:
1. Get over losing control over the primary. Until they do, it's going to always be an "us" versus "them" kind of thing, which accomplishes nothing.
The people have spoken... repeatedly. Instead of opposing it, they should have embraced it and worked with it. For independents, now everything you do is being done to strengthen a bad position... and that wastes time, effort, energy and money.
2. Fix the infrastructure. One thing that Comrade Pelz said has the ring of truth to it: they do NOT have a bench... they've got McKenna.
Here in Clark County, they've done a terrible job of candidate development and recruitment.
The leftists in the 17th are vulnerable. Deb Wallace has wasted $93 million for an unneeded, unwanted and unbuildable I-5 Bridge replacement that is expected to cost $4 Billion that no one has... all so they can get that moronic loot rail across the river and in to Vancouver.
The GOP ran some nice, well-meaning people down here who didn't have a clue or a dime. They lost badly in both open seats (Of course, one of those seats was in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Vancouver) but they were forced to run, for example, a write-in candidate against Pridemore, an independent against Comrade Jim "For election week make my middle name 'Hussein'" Moeller and did they even run anyone against Jacks?
VETTED candidate recruitment (Joesph James? Please.) and development. A short, medium and long term strategy. Competency in organization. Motivation and a plan, not to mention funding.
It took several years to dive into this toilet. They're not going to get out over night. But if they don't take these basic steps, they're not going anywhere.
3. Minority outreach. WSRP needs a full time, year-round, minority outreach program. When the WSRP inevitably attempts to make some minority contacts a few months before the election, the leftists rightfully respond by saying "they only give a damn about you when they want your vote."
Full-time program. Full-time minority staffing. Full-time recruitment efforts. Full-time minority public relations efforts.
Continuing to ignore the minority community for 21 months every cycle is NEVER going to get it done. And why the WSRP insists on taking that tack is inexplicable.
Will these things happen? I see no sign of them.
And until they do, issues of "message" and "nuance" and the like will make little difference.
By the way, Eric... I eagerly await your apology to HROC which, it seems to me, did an absolutely exceptional job in the face of both the OhDrama tsunami and your efforts at aiding the leftists when you attacked them.
BIG apology, Eric. Man up, get it done, and then we can move on.
Posted by: Hinton on November 9, 2008 12:10 PMHinton, who is my friend of many years, is right: HROC did a good job this year. Was it perfect? Of course not. On balance Senate and House recruitment was superb. Given how poorly we did in 2006 we should all of us be thankful that so many good people would choose to run in 2008.
Ken above is 100% correct. In Washington we stood against Obama better than most states. Some of that is because we suffered so badly in 2006, but much of it is because Rossi, McKenna, the state party and the caucus committees did a good job this year.
Posted by: Alex Hays on November 9, 2008 12:46 PM
We are having a difficult time accepting Dino Rossi's defeat at the hands of the most incompetent and corrupt Governor in my lifetime. We expected John McCain to lose, but not Rossi. With his defeat, any hope we had that Washington's voters would get a clue has all but vanished. Seattle continues to extend its perverse, disgusting tenacles into the suburbs and beyond, leaving us little hope for a resurgence of conservatism.
Posted by: Saltherring on November 9, 2008 01:37 PMIt is too bad Litzow will not make it. He is a much better candidate than Marice Maxwell. I work in Renton and several small business owners commented on how clueless Maxwell was on most issues, including education. She is on the Renton school board which is one of the most poorly ran districts in our state, not to mention home to some of the lowest test scores.
She is a Realtor with connections which is why she got elected but hope Litzow gives it another try in 2010.
Posted by: jk on November 9, 2008 02:55 PMIt is too bad Litzow will not make it. He is a much better candidate than Marice Maxwell. I work in Renton and several small business owners commented on how clueless Maxwell was on most issues, including education. She is on the Renton school board which is one of the most poorly ran districts in our state, not to mention home to some of the lowest test scores.
She is a Realtor with connections which is why she got elected but hope Litzow gives it another try in 2010.
Posted by: jk on November 9, 2008 03:00 PMIn your minds republicans are sheep that vote for the part nominee no matter what. They are mindless followers of the party leadership.
Well thankfully I think these narrow minded party leaders are going to be voted out of office for trying to shoe away all the libertarian minded people that tried to be active in the local GOP.
What remains to be answered is whether they will stay with the GOP even after the GOP starts putting forward candidates that stand for their principles and are for smaller government.
Posted by: Lysander on November 9, 2008 03:59 PM(1) Don't go gracefully. Complain loudly about how the new voters were ignorant, foolish, stupid, etc. (This will help you get their votes next time. Trust me on that.)
(2) Don't get creative. Keep recycling the exact same attacks which just failed. (Tinkerbell died because you didn't clap hard enough!)
(3) Convince the rest of us you have no grasp of reality. Keep telling us that you have absolutely no clue what words like "Marxist", "socialist", "extremist", and "racist"(!) really mean. (This will keep everyone eager to talk with you.)
(4) If anyone disagrees with any of your positions in even the slightest degree, then attack them with the terms listed in (3). (Dialog is for traitors and Communists, you know.)
(5) Buy lots and lots and lots of guns. Nothing makes your fellow citizens more comfortable than guys wildly calling names from behind a phalanx of automatic weaponry. (We're far less likely to agree with expanding police powers if we think that heavily-armed persons are calling us traitors. Really.)
(6) No matter how long your elected representatives and executives held power, nothing bad is EVER their fault. Do not allow any examination of their policies. (When all else fails, blame Clinton.)
Oh, wait, you're all 'way ahead of me on these, aren't you? Let me know how it works for ya.
Posted by: tensor on November 9, 2008 04:06 PM"Rossi says he's not running on the issue and doubts whether if a bill restricting abortion would ever come before him if he's elected. But he indicated that he would sign such a bill."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008169822_social10m.html
It's not Garber's fault that you're sloppy.
Lay out a plan for easier adoptions (streamline the process, fewer lawyers), create a safety net for young, unmarried mothers through faith based initiatives (many churches have great places for unwed pregnant teens or young adults), provide easier access to health care by mandating that insurance companies offer a plan for pre natel care to otherwise healthy young adults or teens at a very low rate and then offer student loans that will be forgiven should that individual complete a 4 year degree in 5 years from an accredited college.
You would need to make sure there is not fraud and abuse, but if set up right the R's could take this issue away from the D's and turn a "liability" into an asset.
" In Washington we stood against Obama better than most states. Some of that is because we suffered so badly in 2006, but much of it is because Rossi, McKenna, the state party and the caucus committees did a good job this year. "
" .... McKenna, the state party and the caucus committees did a good job this year. "?
Alex:
Now that we have an idea of what you think is something done well, your day job doesn't require quality control does it? Or involve any health and safety issues?
If it does, there is reason for concern.
Posted by: Brian Thomas on November 9, 2008 05:38 PMAgain, please name one Republican you have ever voted for you in your life.
I refuse to be lectured about what a true Republican is and isn't by someone who can't actually bring himself to support any Republican candidates when he has the chance.
Posted by: Eric Earling on November 9, 2008 05:46 PM
" I refuse to be lectured about what a true Republican is and isn't by someone who can't actually bring himself to support any Republican candidates when he has the chance. "
Eric:
Unlike you, who will support any 'Party' hack the liberal leadership of the RNC, the WSRP, the KCGOP places at the front of the queue of candidates, a social Liberal who will 'reach across the aisle' and has 'the best chance of winning', with the admonishment to the grassroots that if they don't support the 'Party's' candidate then they are not supporting the 'Party'.
Principle and ideology of the candidate are not to be an issue (unless the candidate is Conservative). Only that for Republicans to win, they must be like Democrats.
Not that it doesn't work in a Liberal population like King County. After all, McKenna and Reed easily get re-elected. Reichert just got caught up in the Bush backlash.
Democrats know one of their own.
Posted by: Brian Thomas on November 9, 2008 07:49 PMDo you really think of Seattlites as being evil or just ignorant? I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt here...
Posted by: Crusader on November 9, 2008 08:31 PMLet me say this once so you know why I'm otherwise ignoring you: I'm happy to have conversations about the direction of the party with many, many people. I'm not interested, however, in having conversations with crazy people.
Good night.
Posted by: Eric Earling on November 9, 2008 08:54 PMTrue enough. You're much further left then most democrats. Somewhere between Stalinist and Communist, in fact.
Posted by: Hinton on November 9, 2008 09:22 PMThere was a huge difference between them, right? Please do elaborate. After all, your knowledge of history does dwarf that of everyone else who posts here.
But you're right, I do think Rep. McDermott is insufficiently liberal. However, I will accept having his policies implemented. (I'm feeling magnanimous in victory.)
Posted by: tensor on November 10, 2008 12:03 AMhttp://vote.wa.gov/Elections/WEI/Results.aspx?ElectionID=26&JurisdictionTypeID=3&ViewMode=Map
But if you do live in the far south of Redmond, you can move north, and have Jay Inslee as your Representative. He's pretty liberal.
Posted by: tensor on November 10, 2008 12:52 AMI like the saying, "If you condone it, you are promoting it".
Face it, the leftist ideologues control the media, and the media corral and drive the ignorant like the cattle they are. Seattle's civic and political leaders promote confiscatory taxation, wasteful spending policies, welfare as an entitlement for the indolent and the inebriated, while sanctioning parades of sodomite perverts and naked cyclists. They have destroyed their public schools, compromised their electoral system, hamgstrung their police department and allowed gangs of thugs to intimidate the citizenry. Urban power brokers and their media shills have "blessed" Washingtonians with the likes of Christine Gregoire, Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, Jim McDermott and other disgracefully stupid and ineffective politicians. Seattle's evil, shameful urban culture continues to be spread throughout the state by a corrupt leftist government in Olympia.
In this, Seattle get what it deserves, but do the rest of us, who did not vote for it, deserve it also? I think not.
Posted by: Saltherring on November 10, 2008 07:44 AMEric:
You are sounding shrill again.
I suggest you buy a larger size of pantyhose.
Posted by: Brian Thomas on November 10, 2008 08:06 AMThat would certainly explain the multiple endorsements of Reichert and Rossi by the Seattle media, wouldn't it?
Posted by: tensor on November 10, 2008 10:08 PM