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.
Ping
I agree with this analysis.
It was a dumb idea to ask for a revote. He should have simply investigated the legitimacy of the newly "found" ballots, and perhaps demanded a recount in the GOP counties. However, I doubt that it will damage future prospects. There are enough folks in Washington who think this election was fixed that there will be a big backlash in the next election.
So, we should sit on our hands and do nothing while the Democrats steal a state governorship in plain sight.
Sure, it's a meaningful analysis, maybe even a good analysis, but that doesn't mean the federal government shouldn't step in to guarantee a republican form of government in Washington state!
Exactly. He is on solid ground in asking the state to recount in certain areas he requests. He should have the same rights as she had.
No, but we shouild try not to act as stupidly as Al Gore.
So9
If his campaign can come up with more than the extra Gregoire votes in King County, they could demand that the Supreme Court allow the new Rossi votes to be counted on the SAME LEGAL BASIS that the Court allowed the count of the 761 extra King County votes.
Congressman Billybob
I disagree. Thune's loss wasn't after 3 counts of the ballot, the first 2 of which were won. Thune's loss was on the first count. Dino Rossi has every right to challenge an outright election theft where previously rejected ballots and whiteout altered ballots were counted in the 3rd count. There so many irregularities in this election a revote makes perfect sense to me.
Gore was NEVER AHEAD in the count. Dino Rossi won in 2 counts. This situation is much different than Gore's and Thune's.
If there is proof of the theft, it needs to see the light of day. More importantly though, Republicans in all legislatures need to take a lead on electoral reform.
Demrats are setting the agenda as a civil rights issue, i.e. first there is voter fraud (bussing in extra voters, voting twice, buying votes, etc.), then when things are close DEM heavy precincts suspiciously always find lots of votes late in the count(Thune, Rossi, Bush (NM,FL(2000)) etc, when its close first call for a recount (FL, OH, NM, WA) then go to a HAND count (which is ridiculous) and when that too fails look for a liberal judge to rule for you.
Clear legislation at the outset, practiced and upheld consistently would doom Dem cheating and prevent future outrages. Rossi came out on the losing end of their agenda but just as easily Bush could have in 2000. If not addressed, one day it will cost the Republicans more than Washington State it will cost them Presidency and more.
The argument against Rossi here is not the fact that the election was stolen - it was. It was that his call for a revote, while it is legal and possible - is politically stupid, especially in light of the point in the article that a Dem legislature is never going to OK it. I think John Thune is the model to follow here. If anyone could have challenged fraudulent ballots it was him.
I can see why he's upset and that it's hard to look to the future when you've been robbed in the present, but politically I don't think it's the right move, even though he did win the first recount
Partially agree. The recount is foolish, but what comes next is a full on contest of the results. This will show that fraud took place, without a doubt. The backlash then will be against the Witch, who could have spared the state the embarrassment of the stolen election.
Rumor has it that Dino holds the smoking gun...if this is true then the Dem legislature has no choice but agree to a revote, or to compromise with a full count of the military votes, previously rejected Rossi votes, etc.
Why aren't the Republicans demanding that ALL MILITARY votes be counted?
Perfect analysis
They are on top of this... Rossi brought it up during his press conference last night.
"As it now stands, some people in King County had the rules changed so their votes could count, while other wrongfully disenfranchised people across the state – including many members of our military – have been denied the opportunity to have their votes counted."
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