From today’s Seattle Times:
If money is any indication, this year’s race for governor is going to make the 2004 contest look like a low-key affair.
You have no idea.
The article focuses on money, which both Gov. Chris Gregoire and real estate salesman cum motivational speaker Dino Rossi are raising at a record clip — over $7.5 million combined thus far, with some observers predicting a $20 million-plus race.
“This is one of those things that never ceases to amaze me, the amount of money in politics,” [former state Dem Party chair Paul] Berendt said. “Certainly the rematch is a factor here. But it’s not the dominant factor. There’s just more money in politics.”
But money is only part of the reason the 2008 campaign will be a helluva lot different than the last time around. The big difference, in my opinion, will be the lessons learned from 2004, a race in which an overconfident Gregoire allowed Rossi to get away with running as an amiable tabla rasa, on to which voters could project a fanciful image of the Rossi they’d like him to be.
First rule of political campaigning: if your opponent refuses to define himself… define him for him define your opponent. And you can be damn sure that a substantial chunk of Gregoire’s (and her surrogates’) war chest will be spent doing exactly that. Rossi is simply too conservative for WA state, on both social and economic issues, and this time around he’s not going to get away with refusing to talk about issues that don’t poll well for his campaign. There are also character issues regarding Rossi — his dubious business ethics and his documented reputation as a downright mean spirited campaigner — and in 2008, voters are going to be informed of that too.
Since Rossi’s near miss in 2004, David Irons, George Nethercutt and Mike!™ McGavick have all tried to duplicate the Rossi model — a low-key, likable, issue-less run toward the middle — and all with disastrous results. That strategy simply won’t play here anymore… at least not if your Democratic opponent is awake. And I don’t believe even Rossi is willing or able to duplicate the Rossi Strategy in 2008.
Sure, Rossi’s going to attempt to avoid those many issues where he’s clearly out of step with WA voters, but we’ve seen a different Rossi — a meaner, angrier Rossi — on the campaign trail thus far. No doubt he truly believes he was cheated out of the governor’s mansion four years ago (cognitive dissonance is a powerful drug) and thus he’s understandably pissed off. And it shows. He likes to joke that at the start of the last campaign most folks thought that “Dino Rossi” was a brand of wine. Add an “h” after the “w” and you’ve pretty much described Rossi’s 2008 campaign thus far.
The point is, it’s going to be a much nastier campaign from both sides, which in this particular race, I think is a good thing, because it will leave voters much better educated about who the candidates are, and what they stand for, than in 2004. And as little influence as Rossi uber-patron BIAW wants you to believe bloggers like me have, in their heart of hearts they know that a lot has changed since 2004 in the way the media covers political campaigns, and that the emergence of the blogs as media watchdogs has a lot to do with it. Perhaps I give them a little shit, but there isn’t a single political reporter I have met who is not a dedicated professional, and while they may chafe at our criticism (and the tone in which we offer it), as long as it is substantive, well-supported and relevant, it generally doesn’t go unheeded for long. Much of what I do as a blogger is the media equivalent of complaining to the refs, a time honored sports tradition that yields real, if hard to quantify results.
So hold onto your hats. This won’t be the same Rossi. This won’t be the same Gregoire. And this won’t be the same passive media environment in which the 2004 campaign played out into a virtual tie.
“First rule of political campaigning: if your opponent refuses to define himself… define him for him. ”
Nope, the first rule of political campaigning is define your opponent for him/herself period.
Second is to differentiate yourself from you opponent, which the Good Governor did a piss-poor job of last time around.
One obvious definition that should skewer any candidate this political season is too obviously easy: Republican.
Tie the clown & his posse to the national party at every opportunity.
An ’04 rundown of Rossi’s statements vs voting record:
http://www.democracyforwashing.....=dinorossi
@2,3
That’s the ticket! But, The Good Governor also need to be talking about the good she’s done and why she’s not like that other guy. None of this, “I agree with my opponent, but.” You to be he’s wrong and here’s why and here’s what I’ve been doing for the last 4 years that are good.
Michael @1,
Yeah, more direct way of saying. I’ve updated accordingly.
When Rossi wins in November, would this be considered his
second term?
Mark – Rossi winning in November means he won the special award for lying about his real estate license – so yes – he’ll win for a second time.
As for the Governor’s race- we hope you right wing traitors keep selling that song and that your boy runs on that platform. It will double the amount CG wins by.
And while the only votes found to be illegal in that election were republican – and while we know you righties will cheat again, it won’t be enough to win.
Dino can’t make people forget what a whiner he was after the last election . Then, it went to the courts and there was NO evidence of voter fraud. After that, John McCay was fired for NOT intervening even though he also found no evidence of fraud.
The whole sad episode showed:
1. Rossi is not mature enough to be governor
2. Republican whining can lead to illegal acts (Doc Hasings was the one who lobbied the Justice dept. against McCay)
3. Republicans are sore losers who will resort to dubious ethics to get their way.
Sadly for Gregoire, SHE has a record to defend.
Transportation—Lots of Motion, little Action, 9-1/2 cent gas tax increase
DSHS—Nothing
Retirement Fund–$5 BILLION+ Underfunded
GOvernment Spending—up 27%
More State Employees
Pending $2.4 billion budget deficit
The list goes on & on.
This is all despite Washington having Microsoft, Boeing, Weyerhauser and other key industries to provide a base.
Gregoire INHERITED these….and has done little to help them or expand the base.
She will have to defend her record.
Trying to deflect discussion by attacking Rossi on whatever…won’t work.
Does the word “Republican” appear anywhere on Rossi’s website?
Nope. Not on the front page at least. A kinder, gentler “GOP” appears in its place.
A google search only turns up seven references to the word “Republican” anywhere on the site.
The Republican “brand” is irreparably screwed by lying, cheating, name-calling extreme right-wingers.
And Dino Rossi, sporting ties of high-tempered steel to BIAW, owes his political career to this ugly crowd.
“First rule of political campaigning: … define your opponent.”
Dino Rossi is an arrogant little dipshit.
Rossi won’t win in November because the Republicans’ brand is so tarnished byt this Iraq mess. Plus King County Elections stands ready to make sure Gregoire wins, just in case the voting doesn’t go her way in the rest of the state.
Roger Rabbit says:
“First rule of political campaigning: … define your opponent.”
Dino Rossi is an arrogant little dipshit.
Sounds like he’s a relative of yours, Roger!
What’s Dino’s resume? What are his accomplishments? He should stay home and raise his children.
@6 When you post a logical fallacy, why should we bother to respond?
@9 “Transportation—Lots of Motion, little Action, 9-1/2 cent gas tax increase”
Bullshit. Everywhere I hop in this state, I see construction. Why don’t you wingnut retros be honest and run on a platform of no roads, no freight mobility, more congestion, more expensive gas wasted idling in stalled traffic, and businesses leaving the state? Because that’s what your platform, in fact, is.
“DSHS—Nothing”
Why don’t you give us a detailed analysis of what you think isn’t happening in DSHS. When–if–you put out some substance instead of meaningless hot air, I’ll respond.
“Retirement Fund–$5 BILLION+ Underfunded”
That’s actually an improvement over when she took office but the governor really doesn’t have very much to do with the retirement funds’ balance vis-a-vis future obligations. That’s because the state retirement sytem isn’t a pay-as-we-go system but rather gets money to pay retirees from the income on investments. The value of those investments fluctuate with the economy and financial markets. ALL INVESTMENTS ARE DOWN RIGHT NOW. Do you wish to argue that Dino Rossi possesses some magical power to suspend the laws of financial gravity, to make the stock market and commercial real estate values not apply to the state’s invested funds? Please explain how. On the other hand, if you’d like to fully fund the retirement funds right now, and want to raise taxes by $5 billion to do it, please feel free to go ahead and do it! While you’re at it, can I please have a pension COLA? To help offset the money you Republicans have stolen from my monthly pension checks with your inflationary economic policies? It seems only fair you do that for me.
“GOvernment Spending—up 27%”
About half of this increased spending is for K-12 schools. Well, we already know you and your ilk are anti-education. We know you’re against roads, environmental protection, and just about everything else state government does for the citizens of our state. We know you Repubs believe state bridge engineers, child welfare caseworkers, prison guards, etc., should work for minimum wage with no benefits. Why don’t you guys just be honest and run on a “Dr. No” platform and see what happens? Go ahead, I dare you.
“More State Employees”
Well duh, more population demands more services which requires more employees. The state is growing, not shrinking, dumbass!
“Pending $2.4 billion budget deficit”
This is very directly a function of the shitty economy the Bush administration has created. No regulation = economic collapse. This is Gregoire’s fault? C’mon, Cynical — even you don’t believe this tripe.
It’s also your party that’s against state tax reform that would smooth out the budgetary bumps caused by Washington’s overreliance on the sales tax, which fluctuates with the economy.
I blame this deficit on Republicans, because that’s where the fault for it really lies. If you were honest, you would too.
@10 What political career? Rossi was an obscure single-term state senator of no notable accomplishments whose only claim to fame is having a big mouth.
@12 Rossi won’t win in November because he’s an inferior candidate running a platform that’s woefully out of touch with the needs and desire of Washington citizens, the majority of whom will see through his bullshit.
“a meaner, angrier Rossi”
Sounds like either Rossi’s come to realize the only “base” he has to play to are a bunch of total whack jobs, or else he’s fallen into the neocon trap of starting to believe his own bullshit.
9 MC
You sound like a guy who has done no research at all about anything you talk about.
Completed WSDOT projects: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/completed.htm
Current WSDOT projects under construction: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/
DSHS Accountability Reports: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/strategic/gmap.html
You can come back when you’re done reading, and then maybe we can talk.
BTW, Re: “Pending $2.4 billion budget deficit.” When is the last time you saw a ten-year projection that was accurate over ten years? And the assumptions, of course, are “if nothing changes over ten years.” The projection assumes no new taxes (which would eliminate the deficit), no spending changes, no new revenue from greater-than-expected population growth, economic growth, or increased trade. The likelihood that none of these things will occur is near zero.
That’s like the “SS is running out of money” bullshit.
Washington state jumped from 12th to 5th place in Forbes magazine’s “best states to do business” ranking for 2007, and was the only state in the top five in the labor, regulatory environment and growth categories. (www.forbes.com)
Washington ranks 8th best among all states for its pro-business policies, and best among all Western states except for Wyoming, according to Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc., a Chicago-based business site-selection consulting firm that counts Xerox, Caterpillar and many other Fortune 500 companies among its clients. (www.pollina.com)
Washington is ranked 11th best in the nation in terms of “business-friendliness” by the Tax Foundation, a conservative Washington D.C.-based think tank. Its annual report compares the states’ tax environments by measuring their sales and gross receipts taxes, unemployment insurance taxes, corporate and individual income taxes, and something called the “Fiscal Balance Index.” (www.taxfoundation.org/sbtci.html)
Washington ranks 5th best in the nation in the 2006 Small Business Survival Index of the Small Business & Entrepreneur Council, a business lobbying group that advocates for tax relief and regulatory reform that benefits small businesses. Washington’s West Coast competitors, Oregon ranked 39th and California ranked 49th. (www.sbecouncil.org)
Rossi depends on telling Washingtonians how shitty things are in this state. I don’t think that’s a winning strategy.
Daddy Love:
Especially when we observe that the stuff that’s shitty is the doing of his own heroes in the Dubya malAdministration in the other Washington.
@13 Nope. I descended from different evolutionary stock. Rossi doesn’t resemble me at all. He doesn’t have my long pink ears or cute cottontail, and I don’t have his greasy black hair or slit eyes.
@20 I think #19 explained it.
Mark @6:
No, Mr. Rossi will not receive credit for Gov. Gregoire’s work. (Although we can easily understand why he would want it. “I wasted four years whining,” does not a winning campaign slogan make.)
HOW ABOUT THE GOVERNOR IS A FLAT OUT LIAR.I WONT RAISE YOUR TAXES WHAT A POS SHE IS.I KNOW OF 5 VOTES FOR ROSSI IN THIS FAMILY.
When Rossi wins in November, would this be considered his
second term?
04/12/2008 at 10:45 am
Actually his third term. He won two times then KC pulled out their “bag-O-ballots” and stole it. It will be great having a legitimate governor running this state again.
@7&8 No fraud? What did those acorn workers go to prison
for? What a shame that this shit goes on. King Co cheated
for Cantwell, Murray, and Gregoire. No question. Hope all
involved die from ass cancer.
“First rule of political campaigning: Define your opponent.”
Dino Rossi, a meaner, younger Lou Guzzo with hair.
29 – It must really take brains to make shit up like this.
Mark @ 29,
You’re mentally ill. Seek help.
Oh…and the Acorn workers were not convicted of election fraud, ya fucking moron.
@27 Yes, I can see where your kin would vote for Rossi.
http://www.yelderman.com/pictu.....Family.JPG
@29 You’re chronologically challenged, in addition to your other challenges.
@29 (continued) “King Co cheated for Cantwell, Murray, and Gregoire. No question.”
$2 million of attorney fees later, you pukes are still all hat, no cattle.
@29 (continued) “No fraud? What did those acorn workers go to prison for?”
They went to prison for defrauding acorn.
“What a shame that this shit goes on.”
Yeah, what a shame Eyman’s signature gatherers do the same thing, and it’s an even bigger shame that Eyman hasn’t gone to prison for it. What’s the percentage of his signatures that get tossed, a third? Half?
Sadly for Rossi – CH has a record to promote
Washington has taxes that are lower than roughly 2/3rds of the states. Our economy has outperformed almost every economy in any state run by the cowardly republicans. We’re rated as business friendly by independent groups. And our crime rates are down – are school attendance up and our quality of life greatly improved under Democratic leadership.
The problems we do have – chiefly transportation are only problems because of the obstructionist republicans. When we increase our majority in the next election, we’ll overcome them to the point that there will no need for any of them to show up. We’ll TELL the motherfuckers what we’re doing next whether or not they like it.
The problems we have like transportation are from growth. another problem is high cost of real estate.
these are good problems to have….people voting with their feet still move here…..
republicans would rather have people leaving? that we should be more like detroit??????
25 You’re welcome.
22 Actually, Rossi may well be planning on using a campaign tool that the Bush Gang is handing him on a silver platter, if the real-estate collapse that’s happening elsewhere in the country hits the Northwest like a tsunami in the last few months before the election.
“Actually his third term. He won two times then KC pulled out their “bag-O-ballots” and stole it.”
Um, there was only one election. Therefore, no one could possibly have won it twice. You can’t even count to one properly, and you’re claiming to count better than election workers?
“It will be great having a legitimate governor running this state again.”
Mr. Rossi had the state Republican Party spend millions of dollars on a lawsuit which proved the exact opposite of what they had been claiming. Do you want such a person deciding how to spend your tax money?
@34 In other words its been going on for years and years.
Come on pull your head out. You tards would have trouble
punching out a chad. Its genetic.
Pointing out how unqualified Rossi is for the job he seeks will work.
Pointing out just where Rossi really is on the issues will harm him.
Pointing out how all of his complaints are backed by no ideas or solutions at all, will harm him.
And all of this even before his corrupt business practices and how he traded upon his position for huge piles of cash when he was last in office will sink him.