From an email sent by Sanders to supporters
How bad do the numbers look for incumbent Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders? Well, he just sent out an email to supporters accusing his opponent, Charlie Wiggins, of trying to steal the election… which these days has kinda-sorta become the Republican equivalent of a concession speech.
Huh. I wonder if this contest ultimately gets settle in court, if Sanders will follow Dino Rossi’s lead, and decline to appeal due to the partisan makeup of the State Supreme Court?
Of course, the absurd thing about this accusation is that Wiggins is not black, and as Justice Sanders will tell you, only black people steal things.
That said, Wiggins supporters should pay close attention, and not let Sanders’ efforts at post-election GOTV go unchallenged. Sanders’ email claims that 17,000 ballots have not been counted due to signature issues, “many of them” for Sanders, and no doubt his goal is to canvass signatures from presumed Sanders voters. Sound familiar? That may have been the Democrats’ pivotal tactic in Gov. Chris Gregoire’s whisker thin victory over Dino Rossi in 2004.
So if Sanders and his supporters are out there canvassing signatures from pro-Sanders voters, the Wiggins folks better start planning to do the same, just in case his margin of victory isn’t as big as some project. After all this, we wouldn’t want Wiggins to lose the election simply by being out-hustled.
Of course, only the Democratic machine in King County is capable of dragging out the counting process so as to turn an apparant Republican victory into a Democratic one! But they are apparantly teaching other voting officials to do so as well:
Take, for example, the N.Y. 1st Congressional District, where an apparant victory by by incumbent Tim Bishop has been mysteriously upset by Suffolk County voting officials, who now claim a “tabulation error” in previous reports. It appears that the opposing candidate, Randy Altschuler, is now winning by a narrow margin, but with still more ballots to be counted.
Such skullduggery! Such evil trickery! Only in the evil confines of socialist King County and New York will you find such election rigging!
Oh, wait… Tim Bishop is a Democrat, and Randy Altschuler is a Republican????
Never mind….
Sanders never told anybody “only black people steal things” — or anything like it. That’s blatantly false.
And “Don’t let [whoever] steal this election” is routine fundraising hype, for D’s, R’s or anybody.
Sanders once again acts in a manner that is not very judicial.
@3 When he was a lawyer, he acted in a manner that isn’t very lawyerly, so what do you expect? Too bad, too, because he really is a bright guy.
Stolen race? They stole Sanders whiteness from him?
Sanders never told anybody “only black people steal things” — or anything like it. That’s blatantly false.
goldy should host a fried chicken and watermelon dinner for the wiggins supporters as the reward for a full day of canvassing.
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RonK @ 2,
‘And “Don’t let [whoever] steal this election” is routine fundraising hype, for D’s, R’s or anybody.’
Bullshit. Accusing one’s opponent of stealing an election is not “routine.” It is over-the-top rhetoric that is unacceptable for political candidates. It is elevated to a new level of “unacceptable” when it comes from a judicial candidate.
Coming from a sitting Supreme Court Justice, making self-interested unsubstantiated claims that your opponent has engaged in felonious behavior would seem to border on judicial misconduct.
Sanders’ statement wasn’t “racially insensitive”, it was racist. That blacks incarcerated for drug crimes are substantially over represented in prisons relative to their contribution to the drug trade is indisputable. That, all things being equal, blacks are more likely to be investigated, searched, charged, held over for trial, convicted, and get harsher sentences is established from empirical data. Systemic racial bias in our criminal justice isn’t speculation, it is an established fact. If Sanders’ has some evidence to the contrary, I’d love to see it.
It is an unfortunate choice of words, especially for a judicial election. A more proper analogy would be to the “stolen base” in baseball — which is done according to the rules. If 17,000 ballots have not been counted due to signature issues, either candidate can pick up votes by clever canvassing.
Scenario:
Knock, knock. Are you a Sanders supporter?
1. Yes. — Okay, can you please sign this form to make sure your vote gets counted?
2. No. — Thank you, ma’am, and have a nice day.
This worked for Gregoire in 2004, where she probably picked up a net of at least 400 to 500 votes this way over Rossi.
# 9: Sanders argued that over-representation of minorities in prison was simply a fact that more minorities commit crimes.
This was wrong for him to say because (a) blacks and other minorities don’t get treated the same in the justice system as whites, and (b) coming from a justice who would ultimately have to decide the fate of many of those present and future defendants, it reveals a bias which is unworthy of a justice on the state’s highest court. How can he render impartial justice to blacks before him if he’s publically stated that he believes blacks to be more likely to commit crimes than whites?
The problem, as many know, is that there is that there are a multitude of “judgement calls” which police, prosecutors, and judges make throughout the system. At the most common level, police are far more likely to stop and search a car containing young black men than they are whites. As one police officer said to me, “I can always find ‘probable cause’ to make a stop, if I want to.” So while he is stopping, querstioning, and searching twenty cars with young black men, and finding drugs in several of them, he believes his “random” searches confirm his bias – that more blacks are engaged in crimes than whites.
Moreover, a young white teenager who is caught is far more likely to not be booked (or charged) for minor offenses, and instead taken to the station and a call is put in for their parents to pick them up. Black teenagers, on the other hand, are far more likely to be charged and booked, and the call their parents get is to raise bail money.
Darryl — It’s absolutely routine, year after year, state after state, race after race, red party or blue party or green party … and not just in close races.
You may think it unacceptable, and you are entitled to your opinion, and even if your opinion is right it does not change the facts — this is routine pre- and post-election fundraising verbiage.
@11: Very well said. You identify exactly the things that two University of Washington studies confirm.
I might add that allocation of resources is another problem. The drug enforcement resources are concentrated on the inner city street trade. Relatively little is directed at the suburban drug trade that is predominately white. If they changed that allocation, and directed resources in proportion to the volume of illegal drug trade overall, many more whites, and fewer blacks and latinos, would be convicted of drug crimes.
“Make sure and donate to ensure his re-election”
So, what’s he going to do with the money if he didn’t get enough votes?
Two points:
1. Darryl and RonK are both correct. This sort of appeal is (all too) common. There doesn’t appear to me to be anything extraordinary about it, except…
2. As a sitting justice of the state supreme court, Sanders has a responsibility, absent clear evidence to the contrary, to defend the integrity of our elections, and this e-mail does the opposite.
While the circumstances are different (the counting has been more or less completed), Tom Levenson has an example of how this should be done.
RonK @ 12
“It’s absolutely routine, year after year, state after state, race after race, red party or blue party or green party … and not just in close races.”
Bullshit. It is NOT routine for a candidate to claim his or her opponent is trying to steal the election. That is outside the bounds even for non-Judicial elections.
What IS true is that pundits, bloggers, blog commenters, talking heads, party spokespersons, special interest groups, etc. will make such accusations. But that is not the situation we are discussing.
“You may think it unacceptable, and you are entitled to your opinion, and even if your opinion is right it does not change the facts — this is routine pre- and post-election fundraising verbiage.”
If it is routine, I suppose you could provide evidence? (Seriously, it is too bad the state PDC and FEC don’t have mandatory collection, archival, and online access of all candidate mailings–that would be of great help for many purposes.)
There are some notable cases. Sharron Angle made the accusation against Harry Reid, but that is the exception that supports my generalization. The media was all over Angle’s accusation, as it supported and contributed to their narrative that Angle is a nutjob.
Hell, in 2008, even Dino Rossi ran away from billboards claiming Seattle was stealing the election (and that wasn’t even about Gregoire).
Darryl — As Richard Pope notes above, doorbelling in a Wiggins T-shirt would tend to select Wiggins voters for signature rehabilitation. So does a party logo atop your clipboard or other paperwork. Generally, voters with ballots in limbo will be targeted by the respective campaigns based on geography, demography and any other clues to political sentiment.
I shagged sig’s for Cantwell in 2000, and Gregoire in 2004, and I have six-week old email from Rick Larsen imploring me not to let shadowy right-wing forces “steal this election” … but I don’t think he’ll need the extra help.
Both sides in a very close race will do it, or they’re not trying hard enough.
Another TJ @ 15,
“This sort of appeal is (all too) common. There doesn’t appear to me to be anything extraordinary about it…”
As I pointed out to RonK, the sort of appeal may be common coming from everyone else, I have rarely seen direct accusations of election fraud come from a candidate about his/her opponent.
Actually, we are regularly treated to candidates accusing their opponents of stealing election signs (sometimes with video evidence), but stealing the election? Not so much.
The case we are considering here is not rhetoric coming from a shadowy interest group, it comes from the candidate (who also happens to be a sitting state Supreme Court Justice).
Ron, you know as well as I do that the Larsen mailing referred to the Koch brothers, Karl Rove, the US Chamber of Commerce, and other such evil spawn of Citizens United. In no way was it referring to election fraud or voter fraud.
RonK,
“I have six-week old email from Rick Larsen imploring me not to let shadowy right-wing forces “steal this election” …”
Right, but that is not a candidate accusing his opponent of stealing the election.
I’ve seen more that a few appeals for funding recounts/contests, in part because I’ve donated money to several high-profile election contests (starting with Gore 2000), and I used to set up Act Blue fundraising pages for, what I perceived to be, close congressional races. Hence, I’ve made it onto a few mail/email lists. I cannot recall receiving an email or direct mail appeal from a candidate in a close election or election contest where the opponent has been accused of stealing the election.
Darryl — If you think Sanders accused Wiggins of stealing an election, that would be up to you (or Wiggins) to demonstrate.
If Goldy thinks Sanders ever said anything to the effect that only black people steal things, that would be up to him to demonstrate.
You have both demonstrated soem of the reasons plain folk tend to find self-righteous progressives distinctly unlikeable and “unlike us”, and and we’re all paying for that.
Have a nice day.
@21 The only thing that’s going on is election officials are counting the remaining ballots. From that Sanders insinuates that Wiggins is scheming to (in Sanders’ words) “steal the election.” Even if it’s (in your words) “acceptable fundraising rhetoric,” it’s too illogical for the state supreme court. If Sanders can’t do any better than that, in the logic department, he shouldn’t be on the court.
My web filter would not allow me to see the page where Goldy alleges Sanders said “only black people steal things”.
If Sanders said precisely that, it is abhorent and he should not be elected.
If he did not, why would Mr. Goldstein say he did?
Doesn’t Mr. Goldstein know what goes around comes around?
Doesn’t he have a young daughter?
Seems like he would want to teach her to be a good person. Kids will follow the parents lead.
David will find this out soon enough.
Darryl, I agree that this doesn’t typically come directly from the candidate, but it’s far from unheard of. For instance, here’s an example from Norm Coleman 2 years ago.
Would someone please explain what you mean by canvassing signatures? Thanks.
RonK,
“If you think Sanders accused Wiggins of stealing an election, that would be up to you (or Wiggins) to demonstrate.”
His fundraising email stated: “Don’t let Wiggins steal this election” Stated another way, give me money or Wighins will steal this election.
Is there context (perhaps in the some later text of the email) that I’ve not seen? You know, like a footnote:
*By “stealing” we don’t literally mean that Wiggins will be engaging in illegal acts that would fraudulently change the outcome. Rather, we mean raising more money than us and/or engaging in perfectly legal strategies to ensure all his votes are included in the final tally.
Ronk,
“You have both demonstrated soem of the reasons plain folk tend to find self-righteous progressives distinctly unlikeable and “unlike us”, and and we’re all paying for that.”
What. You’ve taken up listening to right wing talk radio, now?!?
Another TJ,
“Darryl, I agree that this doesn’t typically come directly from the candidate, but it’s far from unheard of. For instance, here’s an example from Norm Coleman 2 years ago.”
In this pristine example of a heated election contest, Coleman certainly nudged up toward the line, but he did not accuse Franken of doing anything illegal. And Franken doesn’t come close to accusing Coleman of election fraud.
From Coleman’s letter:
And from Franken’s letter:
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And with the 4:30 King County votes included from today, the election is very close.
We’ll see what happens when Spokane County adds in its votes at 6 p.m. My vote’s likely to get included today (postmarked on Election Day). Wiggins is getting two votes out of this eastern WA household.
@30 Yeah, Sanders’ lead has shrunk to 4,300. Looks like Goldy correctly called this race for Wiggins.
Meanwhile, in other races, Dawn Morrell has expanded her lead over wingbat Hans Zeiger to 185 votes, and Kelli Linville of Bellingham might still have a fighting chance.
rhp6033 sez:
Hmmm different things come to mind as a black person who was DWB’d driving a European foreign exotic by a white policeman with both of Puddy’s young sons in car seats…
1) Why hasn’t this changed with liberals in charge of WA State?
2) Why does a liberal city like Seattle not provide equal justice?
3) Where are the proposed laws from the leftists in WA State?
4) Where are the proposed laws from the leftist in Seattle?
5) Why is this only a problem when a conservative mentions this?
6) Would all this brouhaha be apparent if Charles Wiggins said this?
7) Puddy agrees if the data demonstrates my people do most of the inner city crime then they should be doing the time.
In 2008 per the FBI statistics Seattle was ranked 11th in total property crime.
In 2008 per the FBI statistics Seattle was ranked 5th in Larceny – Theft. Maybe Sanders has seen data breakouts.
Darryl @ 28,
Your reading is a fair one, and I understand the distinction you’re making. I just think it’s a distinction without a difference (or perhaps not as big a difference as you see). At the end of the day, the message Coleman wants his readers to receive is clear: “Al Franken’s lead exists because some votes were counted twice, while others weren’t counted at all. Franken’s coordinated attempt to silence voices must not stand” and “Franken’s outrageous power grab” and “Al Franken had to change the rules of the game to overturn our victory.”
Coleman is clearly saying that a Franken victory would be illegitmate. He’s not claiming that the election contest is needed to ensure a proper counting of the votes; he’s saying that if Coleman’s not declared the winner, it’s because of an outrageous power grab using double-counted votes and the suppression of legitimate votes. He’s describing a stolen election, but without using the word.
All that said, when a sitting state supreme court justice describes the process of counting votes in accordance with state law as stealing an election, it’s clearly over the line.
Roger Rabbit @ 31
Kelli Linville of Bellingham might still have a fighting chance.
Probably not. Her opponent is ahead by 470, and there are only 3,800 ballots left to count in the whole of Whatcom county. Also, the 42nd LD covers only 2/3 of the county. So Linville would need a margin of over 15% in the remaining ballots to close the gap.
Although you never know. The last batch of ballots from Whatcom County at 7:24 p.m. may have actually narrowed Sanders lead, even though Sanders is still ahead in the county as a whole. If there was a MASSIVE shift to Linville, she could mathematically pull this one off.
Another TJ @ 33,
Hmmm…I think we are in near perfect agreement then. Yeah…Coleman comes very close to accusing Franken of doing something illegal, but not quite. The “silencing votes” thing referred illegally cast ballots that were disqualified by elections officials. The Courts were not persuaded to follow Coleman’s reasoning.
“All that said, when a sitting state supreme court justice describes the process of counting votes in accordance with state law as stealing an election, it’s clearly over the line.”
Exactly!
Roger Rabbit @31:
Unfortunately, I have to agree with Richard’s analysis of the 42nd. And I also have to note that Dawn Morrell’s lead in the 25th actually decreased today … to 85, not 185.
A race that’s beginning to interest me is House Position 2 in the 30th, where Carol Gregory trails Katrina Asay by 463 after today’s update. That’s down from a 663-vote deficit yesterday. This district is in King County, which still has lots and lots of votes to count. Were Gregory to sneak ahead, this would actually be a Democratic pickup of what had been Skip Priest’s seat.
Ronk – SANDERS now admits that the working of the email you so eloquently defended was wrong…is that enough fro you to admit that it did in fact accuse wiggins of “stealing” the election?
@32: Thanks for invalidating your own arguments – if you were DWB’d then you should realize that more stops for no reason translates into higher numbers of arrests period – if a person is not stopped for no reason – then the likelihood of an arrest is less.
Whatamoron@39:
Nope you dope. The issue is the governments you jockstrap do this. Since Liberals control these NW cities why are they into racially profiling.
Seems to Puddy you always miss the point!