By any measure, Washington state Dems have done well under Dwight Pelz’s chairmanship. Under his leadership WA Dems have won high-profile US Senate and gubernatorial races, taken back the Commissioner of Public Lands office in a closely contested race, and built near supermajorities in both house’s of the state legislature. Meanwhile, party coffers have been relatively flush, and voter registration rolls have swelled.
You can argue whether Pelz deserves much (or any) of the credit for his party’s success in recent years, but if you’re keeping score, you can’t argue that times have been pretty damn good for WA’s donkeys.
At the same time, the Washington State Republican Party has continued its decline under the chairmanship of Luke Esser. Sure, they managed to hold on to WA-08 (in a district that has never elected a Democrat) and they picked up a couple seats this year in the otherwise lopsided legislature, but they’ve had some awfully big losses, including a spanking in a governor’s race that just a couple years ago was widely considered to be a gimme for ex-party-savior Dino Rossi.
So how’d the two party chairs do in their respective bids for another term? Well, they both won, but…
Pelz won by 98-64 over former Snohomish County Democratic Chairman Mark Hintz. […] Esser was re-elected without opposition at a GOP meeting in Tukwila.
That’s right, Pelz is rewarded for his winning ways with a serious challenger, whereas Esser—Rob McKenna’s cabin boy—faces zero opposition in the wake of the losingest record in recent party history.
I think that tells you everything you need to know about the personality of the two parties… and perhaps, a bit about their relative success and failure.
The inclusiveness of the Republicans on display yet again: even pig fuckers are allowed in.
The GOP has to be a top-down party because their followers aren’t what you’d call independent thinkers.
Baaaa baaaaa baaaa …
Competition either kills you, or makes you stronger. It seems to be working for the democrats. Given that I don’t think that over the top corporate republican values help America and Washington, I don’t mind if the republicans keep re electing someone who seems to ineffective.
How about you conservatives, you like the guy?
Click here for WSRP group photo: http://tinyurl.com/6qb55h
This seems to say something to a definition of insanity that’s been bandied about of late.
The same thing appears to be the case all the way to top of the GOP. They’re a bunch of one-trick ponies, continuing to offer nothing but more doses of the medicine that’s already made America sick.
Luke Esser – the guy who called the primary for McCain without bothering to count the votes. Where is that idiot pudge when we need him – I love how he explains that republicans don’t actually vote in a primary. Maybe they simply gesticulate or possibly they wish a candidate to win…in either case, democracy is not a high priority for republicans
@4: I think you are overestimating them in that group photo – some of those guys (sheep) looked like that had some independent ideas….
The PI article, curiously enough, fails to mention the attendance at the Republican meeting. Was this another one of those “private” functions to which only “friendly” members of the Fourth Estate were welcome? Maybe Esser was the only one there, and simply voted for himself.
Republicans have a formidable marketing machine but it’s tough to sell pig shit to a country that’s already knee-deep in pig shit.
This is nothing but good news. The GOP proves that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result!
This just helps guarantee an even BIGGER Democratic landslide in our state come the next election.
Thanks stupes!
Always nice to start the day with some good news.
wacko@6:
You really believe what you write and that’s so sad.
He called the vote after 87% of the vote in. And he was right wacko@6. And you wanted McCain over Huckabee wacko@6 to ensure a Republican loss.
As I understand it, the state parties are organized differently. While both elect their state chairs by a vote of the members of the state committee, the compositions of the state committees are not at all alike.
The Democrats elect a state committeeman and committeewoman from each county (n=78), a state committeeman and committeewoman from each LD (n=98), and a few additional members from specified caucuses within the party. The full membership list (by organization represented, not individual names) can be found in the WA Dems bylaws. Each of the county and LD members is chosen by the PCOs in the constituency he or she represents, without approval or other interference from the county or state organizations.
Though I couldn’t find anything resembling bylaws or operational procedures on the WSRP website, I did observe that there was no mention of LDs on their state committee page. That’s because their state committee members represent counties. Garfield, Ferry, and other such tiny counties have as much say on their state committee as does King.
According to the bylaws of the King County GOP (they, at least, post their bylaws), their state committee members are chosen by their state executive board members, from their state executive board members. IOW, five people select which two of their small cadre will also be on the state committee. In addition, the county chair appoints the chairs of the LD organizations; we Dems have “reorganization” meetings at the start of the biennium, during which LD residents choose their full set of officers, whereas Republicans call “ratification” meetings to accept the leadership assigned to them by the county chair. It’s all top-down, with higher officeholders empowered to choose or remove the lower-downs whenever they want.
It’s no wonder, then, that Esser was ratified unanimously by a bunch of people who were placed in their positions either by him or by county-level officials who themselves met his approval. Dwight, on the other hand, has always had his admirers and his detractors within the WA Dems hierarchy; we squabble all the time, right out there in public.
Today’s GOP admires and rewards incompetence at all levels. Incompetence is a core Republican value, it seems.
It’s entirely possible that nobody else wanted the job of Republican State Party Chairman.
Which is funny, since lots of folks are looking for work these days.
@7 Nah, they’re just leering at each other.
“Incompetence is a core Republican value, it seems.”
To say nothing of narcissism.
Isn’t Pelz the boy-toy of Portland’s Mayor?
Too bad Fraudoire outlawed on-line gambling. I’d give 2-1 that Republicans recover in 2010 because of the arrogance of Democrat assholes.
@17 “To say nothing of narcissism”
That reminds me – I had planned an intervention for Cynical (narcissistic personality disorder) when he got back but later learned that none of the trolls he hangs with think of him as a friend worth saving. That’s so sad!
That vile party is hopelessly authoritarian and fascistic.
And they like it that way!
By the way, where’s Piper? Have we heard from him since the election?
Looks like the right wing retards realize this is a baaaaad move. Even they (who usually try to bullshit their way around everything) realize this is bad news for them – and good news for us.
Pooper is like the rest of the right – he’s a loudmouth coward.
Obama’s negatives are starting to rise a bit….it was inevitable with his actions regarding funding that goes to other Country abortions. While I personally am not a 1 issue person, abortion is a real problem for Obama.
You see, the entire Civil Rights Movement that Matin Luther King championed was based on the fact we are ALL created in God’s image. All of us. King’s speeches are laced with this fact. Part of the problem in America today is we have forgotten that.
The difficult question for Obama is how he can support the Civil Right’s Movement history on the basis that we are all created in God’s image….and then support Government Funded abortions in other Country’s.
Ask yourself this…what happen’s to human rights when God is thrown out.
Atheist Progressives have come up with some mumbo-jumbo about when an individual has “capacities” like thinking and reasoning,,,then they have rights.
If that’s the case, where do you draw the line…should newborns have rights, how about mentally ill and senile????
The fundamental question about determining Human Rights boils down to whether you believe, as MLK did, that we are ALL born in God’s Image…..or if you believe some nebulous convuluted thing about Human Capacity’s.
rhp is a Christian….what do you believe rhp.
Are we ALL created in God’s image??
I find it interesting that Atheist Progressives are always complaining that people are being treated like beasts….then go to some Atheist Progressive Scientific Meeting that proves we are beasts. A collection of atoms…like a rock.
The result of TIME & CHANCE….not God’s plan.
Let me tell all my friends on the Left & Right…I don’t care what your past is or how you were conceived or brought up, YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT! You are not the result of a coincidence based on Time & Chance.
We need to restore God’s image…it’s the only thing that will last thru all eternity.
Fool @ 23
Bill Clinton did the exact same thing and in spite of himself and with all the trouble wingnuts stirred up for him left office with approval ratings the chimp you voted for twice could only dream of having.
You lose.
Cynical says:
Hate to break it to you, but an idiot like you HAS NO Friends.
.
I guess you don’t understand the basic biology of life – the chance of a particular sperm penetrating and egg and leading to fertilization is about 1 in a billion. Each genetic combination is unique. then the chance of a particular egg at a particular time of the month makes those odds even smaller.
Yes, we are all unique and that is why – there is such a small chance of similar combinations. We are each the result of an infinitismally small chance of a very rare occurance for a single genetic event.
Well, Obama’s approval ratings are bound to go down, and his negatives are bound to rise, as they do with all Presidents after the “honeymoon period” is over. That’s a documented trend over the past several decades. Hey, if Cynical wants to grasp at straws, we could point out that in almost every off-year election, the President’s party tends to lose seats in Congress.
But this time around, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if voters who are dissapointed with Obama over one issue or another don’t look at each other, solomnly nod their heads, and say “Well, at least he’s not George W. Bush!”, and go ahead and vote Democratic anyway. The Republicans will be trying to get everyone to forget the Bush years, pretending that it is “ancient history”. But I’m betting that after the economic turmoil we are seeing this year, it might take them a long time to forget George W. Bush.
@26 “an idiot like you HAS NO Friends”
Indeed, see my post @19.
Um, Cynical, if a blastocyst is so special, why does God let so many of them die before the poor things even have the chance to grow gills? Why does God hate blastocysts?
“Are we ALL created in God’s image??”
Huh? Was God once blastocyst too? Hmm, did he go through the gill stage?
Why do the Atheist Progressives HATE Martin Luther Kings ideology so much??
Are you a bunch of racists…or are you using race as a pawn for your Atheist/Socialist agenda??
Cannot understand why you don’t study Martin’s speeches in detail. Heck, we have a special day honoring him.
MLK believed we are all created in God’s image…even you non-believers. And that we all have value in God’s eyes…even you non-believers.
Atheist Progressives have worked overtime bastardizing what MLK said and believed.
Cynical hated MLK as a man, loved him as a blastocyst.
Cynical
Please cite chapter and verse where the Bible (1) says life begins at conception; and (2) discusses abortion at all.
Hey cynical, you read what rhp6033 said about Iceland being brought down by Conservative economic policies. Do you disagree with his facts and if so, what’s your truth?
Deleted by the author – Didn’t further the discussion. (Wished more people would do that.)
Thanks to the GOP’s inability to find anything of value whatsoever to offer America – MORE GOOD NEWS!
Timothy Geithner was sworn in as the treasury secretary by Vice-President Joe Biden only moments ago, succeeding Henry Paulson!
READ THIS AND SUCK ON IT SHIT HEADS! PRESIDENT OBAMA GETS WHATEVER THE FUCK HE WANTS AND THERE’S NOT A THING YOU ASSWIPES CAN DO ABOUT IT!
LOL!
pudge wrote a moving plea for the lives of blastocysts recently.
Dwight lost a net two seats, would have been three except for the close Driscoll race. And he let one open seat go totally unchallenged.
Dwight also almost was “impeached” as delegation leader at the National Convention.
@36 so you’re happy with the performance of your party boss? Rossi getting blown out – failure to win back majority in Statehouse, loss of lands commissioner and loss of White House? Wow you’re bar for success is pretty fucking low!
byebeygop rants: “PRESIDENT OBAMA GETS WHATEVER THE FUCK HE WANTS AND THERE’S NOT A THING YOU ASSWIPES CAN DO ABOUT IT!”
Never thought I’d see black man in brownshirt and jackboots. Byebye and friends are meeting at the Mercer Island Park-n-Ride at 4PM today for a good old-fashioned Seig Heil.
WBOTGOP @37:
Gibney was showing his displeasure with his party boss. He’s a longtime activist with the Whitman County Democrats, and was their Democratic State Committeeman for quite a few years.
(Or was that 9th LD State Committeeman, Dave?)
My active WSDCC participation was County VC and then SCM. But, way back when (late 80’s?) I was briefly 9th LD SCM.
I wish Dwight luck. I think he may need it.