Posted on 12/30/2004 5:57:02 AM PST by crushkerry
Heretofore we have supported Dino Rossi’s struggle against the forces of thievery out in the Washington Governor’s race. We even wrote an article about how the Democrats stole the election, and can certainly understand the anger both he and his supporters feel about the Ukraine-style heist.
.But his latest move is silly, irresponsible and has probably already damaged his political prospects for the future.
To recap, Rossi won an very close Governor’s race against Democrat Christine Gregoire. He won again after the first recount. But yet another recount (and some “found” ballots in heavily Democrat King County) later, and Gregoire appears to have “won.” As we said before, chalk it up to old-fashioned election theft, Democrat-style.
At this point Rossi had two models he could follow. He could be Al Gore who, feeling strongly that he’d actually won the presidency in 2000, acted like a royal pain in the arse until he’d exhausted all credibility. You can still see Al on occasion these days ranting and raving about “no war for oil.”
Or Rossi could have followed John Thune’s model. Thune narrowly lost his 2002 Senate contest against Democrat incumbent Tim Johnson in South Dakota. Here, like in Rossi’s case, there was at least some reason to smell a rat. But Thune swallowed his pride and lived to fight another day. On November 2nd he retired Tom Daschle, onetime Hill power player, to public life.
Rossi has chosen the Gore model. In fact, Rossi may even have surpassed Gore with the inanity of his latest suggestion:
Edged out of the closest governor's race in state history, Republican Dino Rossi urged his opponent to accept a revote, saying the uncertainty surrounding the back-and-forth election was bad for the state. Democrat Christine Gregoire's camp immediately rejected the idea as "irresponsible."
Apparently a revote would actually be possible, although it would have to be approved by the Democrat-controlled state legislature, an unlikely scenario. So why advocate for something you know will never happen? And just because it could be done doesn’t mean it should be done.
Moreover, Rossi has taken a step that actually makes Gregoire look like the adult in this process. The Gregoire campaign’s reaction was swift, brutal and politically smart:
"This ain't golf. No mulligans allowed here, folks," said Gregoire's spokesman, Morton Brilliant. "It's irresponsible to spend $4 million in taxpayer money on a new election just because you don't like losing this one."
And just like that, the bad guys become the good guys.
One wonders if the Rossi forces wargamed this thing out at all. The better course for Rossi would have been to accept the voters decision and gracefully step out of the spotlight. Then, at about this time next year announce his campaign for United States Senate against hapless dimwit Maria Cantwell. With a little luck, the John Thune story could have replayed itself in the Pacific Northwest.
Sadly, it seems a little too late for that possibility.
ROTFLMBO
I'm amazed that there is mixed reaction to this at all. I honestly am.
Not if she won the first two, more accurate counts, and Republican counties were bending over backwards to give Dino every possible advantage by cheating and screwing up military ballots.
Heh heh heh
What am I missing here? The Republican won two out of two recounts. The RAT won the last out of three recounts. The RAT wins. Rossi probably would not win even if there is another vote because with RATS owning the state there would be as many more votes discovered as was needed by them. He might as well back off and fight another day, but I sure don't blame him if he wants to fight on.
I agree completely with your analysis. Although the run against the dimwit senator does have some value. Senator trumps governor any day of the week.
It's not for pursuing justice that the Democrats earned their vilification in Florida in 2000, it's for attempting clear and blatant fraud. In Washington State, the same thing happened, only this time they are getting away with it.
Why? A democrat governor for the next four years will destroy this state economically, and socially...
You are ignorant of the facts in this case. I'm seeing that a lot.
Ballots were permanently altered with felt pen, so that the voter's original markings could not be determined. Votes were "found" nine times in one county. White Out, scratched off, revealed clear overvotes that had been counted for Gregoire. The 2-1 Democrat-dominated canvassing board in King County was not even-handed in their standards for counting disputed ballots. Military voters didn't receive their ballots until the day after the election.
They stole it. They simply stole it. This is not a time to let it go - it's a time to stand and fight.
What you are missing is that the least accurate count, by hand, was the one "won" by Gregoire - after King County (Democrat-dominated) found additional votes NINE times - every time Gregoire's back was against the wall...among other things.
We don't want to let them get away with this. Dino doesn't care about a political future. He just doesn't want to accept a truly fraudulent, TRULY flawed result.
He is right.
Hi Rockrr, I read some of this thread and plan to ignore each ignorant poster who says Rossi should concede (there by tacitly condoning the rape of our WA elections by rats). Thank heaven WE, not they, have the choice to fight. Some people cannot stand up to ANY confrontation!
This is where the wheels come completely off this buggy. The key question is whether or not the result of this "election" really does reflect the decision of the voters. Two out of three counts indicates that it does not. The result now is just the latest, not necessarily the correct one. The question is does the result reflect the voters' decision, or the decision of some political operatives/henchmen in King County with marking pens and whiteout?
Then, at about this time next year announce his campaign for United States Senate against hapless dimwit Maria Cantwell. With a little luck, the John Thune story could have replayed itself in the Pacific Northwest.
Dino Rossi himself has said he isn't interested in a political career. Asking him to accept a consolation prize (with questionable chances of even that happening, given the way the 'Rats run things in WA) is just a slap in his face, as well as all of those who worked their hearts out getting Rossi legitimately elected Governor. A Governor of a state in such a ruinous condition has a chance to clean house and make a difference. A junior Senator in DC, one vote out of a hundred, has very little chance to make a difference. My impression is that Rossi wants to make a difference. If he doesn't become Governor, he can do a lot more good exposing the fraud of the 'Rats and fighting this unjust election, finally standing up once and for all to the 'Rats, instead of just rolling over and taking it in the butt as suggested. Asking him to go to DC and be buried in obscurity for the next six years is doing no service to his state or his supporters.
Dino Rossi didn't jump the shark, he's decided to fight it! The shark will be sworn in as governor tomorrow.
The big picture here is that we Washingtonians (and Rossi gets this) have the opportunity to show the rest of the country how to stand up to election management incompetence (at best) and fraud (at worst). No thinking person could delude themselves into thinking that what went on here was ALL by accident. Freedom and democracy are at stake, make no mistake about it!
Dino Rossi is no Al Gore, because what you don't get is that AL GORE was the bad guy who was trying to steal an election, too (only he didn't get away with shenanigans like re-counting only SOME counties - things like that, because he was stopped). Naturally he should have slipped away and never litigated!
Rossi made history despite the blueness of this state because he cares more about what is right than his political career. That character will land him, after the revote and his terms as governor, in a US Senate seat at the very least.
Even though you concede that Dino won twice, your position is NOW that he should step aside without fighting for what is rightfully his, because he (and we) do not want him to appear to be undignified and Gore-like.
I encourage you to reconsider the withdrawal of your support. Rossi MUST fight, for the sake of the majority.
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