Posted on 01/01/2005 4:16:45 AM PST by Josef1235
OK, I'll ask: Should we vote again?
By DAVID HORSEY SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL CARTOONIST
At a social gathering in early November, I was cornered by a key player in Christine Gregoire's gubernatorial campaign. He wanted me to know that one of my editorial cartoons had thrown the election to Gregoire's opponent, Dino Rossi. Being my friend, he made his accusation with good humor, but he was clearly serious and obviously disappointed in me.
Meanwhile, I was getting heat at work from readers offended by cartoons they interpreted as unfair to Rossi.
So it goes with my job. I make everyone unhappy sooner or later. But it's unusual to get it from both sides at the same time.
Perhaps it's just part of the weird dynamic of a governor's race that never seems to end. After three tallies, Gregoire has been certified as the winner by a mere 129 votes out of 2.8 million, yet Rossi is forging ahead with a final challenge. The election process is so deeply flawed, he says, that there should be a new election.
Rossi's partisans appear convinced that election officials in heavily Democratic King County have fabricated pro-Gregoire ballots like the old-time ward bosses who plucked votes from graveyards. Though Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed has attested that there is no evidence at all of illegal activity in King County or anywhere else and though the process has been fairly adjudicated by the state Supreme Court, Republicans still feel as if the election has been stolen from them.
And, in a sense, it's true. Democrats snatched a late victory from early defeat by playing the post-election game very smartly. They didn't cheat, they didn't concoct votes that weren't real, they merely found the uncounted votes they needed while Republicans missed their opportunity to do the same.
Such trolling for additional ballots was made possible because counting votes is a messier process than most of us once believed and because this particular election was so excruciatingly close. The reality is that the third and final count does not prove, without a doubt, that more people intended to vote for Gregoire than Rossi. The fact is, we'll never know for sure.
So, is it worth trying again (knowing another vote might be just as close and just as fraught with uncertainty)? Here's my Burning Question:
Should we hold a new election to choose the next governor of Washington?
Also, I think Mr. Horsey is close to being fair-handed, but the general Seattle P-I view of Dinocrats is ignorant!
I would think that the burning question is, why should Washington state bother to have elections ever if the Democrats will not abide by the law and push to have "intended" votes count as real votes. Why shouldn't they just drop the pretense and say "if you are against us, your vote will never count".
Is it alright if I leave my ballot blank?
This way you can fill it in anyway you like.
Are you kidding????...this election smells like dead salmon along the Snohomish River in September........REVOTE DEMANDED!!!
Proper elections arent messy. If its run right , no votes are found "lying around". 3500 people voting more than are registered is ridiculous,and the military votes should be counted this time before any new election where the military will obviously get screwed again.
Messy elections are just a way Dems use to concoct votes they dont have.I have worked at the polls and no way do we leave the polls to deliver the vote until the figures in the machine jibe with the number of signed registration forms. Counts are made all during the day by a representative of both parties to assure accuracy.
I wouldn't let the same people run the re-vote either.
We've already got a new, apparently accepted, "gift" from Al Gore in that now when an election is very close, we count disqualified ballots as if they were legitimate votes. We need to work on turning that back, not compound the problem.
Just curious, I am sure you don't know the answer. But on those "votes found "lying around and 3500 people voting more than are registered," how did there "voters" do on the other races? Did these extra people only vote for governor? Or did the governor recount only look at the governor vote? It might be interesting to look at the big picture... some day.
With the reports that 3500 votes are in question I'm sure the Democrats want a new vote!
They're still counting votes in Ohio, and I'm certain they want to be able to depend on a clean vote, YEAHHHHHHHHH, RighTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
On that note... 2004 wasn't a particularly great year for me. So, in the finest traditions being created in the People's Republic of King County, I'd like the year to be completely replayed as many times as it takes until I get the results I want.
Oh, yeah! DEMAND it! But not TOO loudly! Too loudly and Rossi might actually GET it! (Although it's unlikely.) If he GETS it, and LOSES, write off the Pac Northwest for the Republicans for the next dozen years!
Ruth Bennett, the lesbian Libertarian received 63,465 votes for governor. Michael Badnarik, the Libertarian running for president received 11,955. So the "hardcore", gun totin', dope smokin', Ayn Rand-quotin' Libertarian vote is about 11,955. Leaving 51,510 Bennett voters who are NOT hard-core Libertarians. Mostly lesbians with an occasional gay male (now a hard core Dem constituency) I'd guess. So I estimate the odds of Rossi winning a re-match at substantially less than 50%.
I'd suggest Rossi should rub the Dem's noses in all of the corruption and fraud, right up to the eve of the inauguration, and then make a Nixon/1960 type non-concession speech saying he's not going to pursue any more legal action. Then, run for the Senate seat in 2006 against Cantwell, having had the governorship "stolen" from him by those corrupt, evil Dems.
You nailed it.
Not very fond of him.
-Dan
The provision for a "do-over" is in the law already. The only question is do we do it with or without a court forcing the Legislature to set it up?
There have been do-overs in the past in other states so precedent has been set. The federal elections are the only ones that have Constitutional limits on them so a do over at state level, while unusual is not out of the question.
I am still waiting for a re-count in which the Republican candidate gained more votes then the Democrat candidate.
So far I haven't heard of one which to me is defying the laws of averages.
I'm not happy about the outcome either, but there comes a point when you have to cut your losses and fight another day. I think if the people of Washington are put through a revote, they will punish the person who forced it. Its not fair, but that's life.
I think Rossi should take the high road and run again in 4 years. If the current Governor buggers up the state (a good bet), he will have a good short. Since he has state-wide appeal, the people of Washington may reward him with some other office. For example, Sen. Patty Murray is just begging to be replaced...
Your right. Lets let all Democraps steal every election. No point in fighting. All hail President Gore!
That being said, I think if it can be shown that a large number of Democratic voters were fraudulent, there would be legal grounds for overturning the election (without a revote). This will be tough, however--the vote was certified by (I believe) a Republican Secretary of State. I am NOT for letting the Dems (or anyone else) steal elections, but I think forcing a revote will do the Republicans more harm than good.
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