Category: Uncategorized (Page 9 of 49)

Maybe there are some things, like the post 9-11 flag craze, getting all excited about the Yankees that just don’t travel all the way out West. One of these things could be overall dislike for George W. Bush, and maybe that is why Darcy Burner lost.

(Though, I like the grassroots argument that if there had been a couple of candidates in the 5th LD that it would have provided more room for Darcy. But, I digress.)

According to SurveyUSA, the top three “blue” states in terms of not hating Bush so much are Hawaii, New Hampshire and Oregon. Fourth is Washington State where Bush has a 37 percent approval rating, right around the national average.

New Hampshire is the last of the New England States that could be considered Republican, when there used to be those of Republicans. But, the other three states can only be explained because they’re the last states you hit before you land in Japan (aside from Alaska).

Essentially, I’m arguing that folks in the 8th CD just didn’t really buy into the anti-Bush mantra of of the on-air Burner campaign. Because of where we are, three hours behind all the jibber-jabber back east, things happening back there don’t seem to have the impact they would have in say New Hampshire (whose two sitting congressmen got booted).

Also, I’m wondering about Alex Alben.

At least if Tom McCabe listens to his wife he will:

…I have asked my husband the next time he feels the urge to get involved in a political campaign if he could please think of his family and instead get drunk, have sex with a female subordinate in a stall in the women’s restroom at a large public arena and, when the police are called in, resist arrest.

I’m urging this course of action since history shows he will receive more generous treatment on the editorial page of our hometown newspaper than if he pursued his interest in politics. He has kindly promised to consider this.

Susan McCabe, Olympia

Of course, she’s referring to this incident, which was a local fascination for about a day or two. But, still makes it a very strange letter to the editor. Almost like an internal thought that never should have been put down on paper.

UPDATE: I would kindly suggest to the McCabes that when they choose a local arena for which to arrange sex between Tom and a female subordinate, they should choose Husky Stadium. At least one person should be enjoying themselves during a game.

Yesterday I wondered whether they’d fight to name their own chair, now it looks like it might actually happen. Though in very slow motion.

Here are my efforts today on Kos and Redstate to attempt to get things going.

Here are some posts on their utter outrage (lets see if it translates into action):

Michelle Malkin remembers that the RNC chair is elected, not appointed
The Blogosphere is Quiet on RNC Chair Mel
An Underwhelming Choice For RNC
Whose party? Whose chairman?
Stupid is as stupid does… (updated)
Why it Should Have Been Steele
Mel Martinez, immigration, and hot blooded conservatives
The Blogosphere is Quiet on RNC Chair Mel
More Good News for Dems
Mel Martinez – RNC Chairman

Maybe I’m old timey (like 2005 old timey), but don’t they hold elections for these kinds of things?

From the point of view of CNN the chair of the RNC is an appointed position. From the view of one who read’s the RNC’s rules, it is an elected position and the President does not have a vote.

So, I ask Kos and I ask Redstate (and here).

Ironically, Kos is happier than Redstate about all of this.

From the WDFW.

I think this needs no explanation, but the introduction from Jeff Koenings, director of WDFW is pretty telling:

Quite clearly Puget Sound is at a tipping point. Above the surface, things appear calm and peaceful and beautiful. And, Puget Sound remains the crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest. But, below the surface, as you’re about to see, things are quite different.

I didn’t follow the Peter Goldmark campaign as close as I did other races, but it surprises me that he faired worse than the “no” campaigns on two right wing ballot initiatives in the 5th Congressional District.

Both No on 920 and No on 933 had better returns in the several east side counties that make up the WA 5 than Peter Goldmark. While Goldmark failed to win a single county, No on 933 won in four counties, while no on 920 won in every single county in Goldmark’s district.

Actually, if Goldmark had been either of these campaigns, he would be the congressman-elect.

I did up a quick and dirty spreed sheet comparing the votes that Goldmark got county by county, and the votes No on 933 got county by county, and estimated how Goldmark would have done. He would have won with 54 percent of the vote.

Voters in eastern Washington apparently liked the idea of keeping the state estate tax and defending growth management laws than electing a congressman who would fight for similar values in DC.

A couple of year ago the Thurston County Democrats became a “membership organization,” but not really. We started accepting “members” to our organization, but we never really gave them a role. We let them talk at meetings, but not actually vote. So, what’s the point?

Well, apparently there was some fear that there would be a take over of the party, that just by paying dues, you could get in and make decisions. This put fear in the hears of duly elected PCOs, who felt it was there role to run things. There are though only a few roles for PCOs as outlined in state law, all other local party stuff is open.

So, I have a compromise for this year’s reorganization of the party. Members still can’t vote, but if they do enough for the party, organize a group of fellow Dems, work on a committee, etc… They can.

I outlined my proposal here at a moreperfect wiki under Article 2.

My rational is basically that the PCO position itself is archaic. People don’t organize themselves by geography anymore, but rather socially. This is true in politics as much as it is true in economics or religion. We are more mobile than we were one hundred years ago, we shouldn’t limit our local part organizations by a neighborhood based system that was developed before the telephone, television, internet or interstate highway.

Andy over at Thurston Pundits has some thoughts on the 2006 elections. He mispells Bob Macleod’s name and grouses over I-920, 933, Cantwell and other stuff that in the end doesn’t make sense. But, his 933 rundown is priceless:

On 933 losing- my family will get screwed on this. However in Thurston especially this will mean the fruit loop land takers have license to extend CAO’s by 10,000%. Don’t think they won’t try. Short of armed revolt (which I say as metaphor) nothing is stopping them now. Sucks to own land. There is a reason that Jews would not own land in the old world…the governments kept taking it! That is the same reason I won’t own a big plot of land either. Sucks to be my neighbor today though.

“Nothing short of armed revolt?” From what? The overwhelming majority of voters in Washington State. At the minimum folks like Andy simply failed to make their case, at most, they were wrong from the very start and got shown the door.

And, what is that a metaphor for? Andy: I actually accept comments over here, so please, make your case.

That he would imply armed revolt, rather than engagement in local government is troubling. But for a small government kind of guy, why even both using government to make your case.

The right step now for local governments in the post 933 world isn’t, I think, ironically the status quo. The right thing to do is the reconnect local landowners with the local land use process. If they own most of the land, they should be the most engaged in how it is managed for the common good.

An open engaged public process is the right way to move from this.

A long post over at Western Democrat. I think he’ll win in two years.

Transition NY, a site launched by governor elect Spitzer. What a great idea.

PDF:

The system for submitting ideas is fairly simple–and it appears that submissions are being screened before being posted and Spitzer is collecting names and zipcodes in the process (handy, huh?). His team has already posted a healthy number of submitted ideas, and they range the gamut from fixes to the state’s Economic Development department to establishing an Office of Lesbian and Gay Concerns to requiring cabs and buses to run on natural gases.

I’d like to see Spitzer expand on this and involve visitors to his site in helping filter the suggestions that people are making, and then display the most highly rated ideas on his transition home page (a la Digg.com, if you will). It would also be cool if he, or one of his top transition aides, periodically checked in on the conversation and engaged in some back and forth with what people are saying.

Spitzer is coming into office with a huge mandate, having beaten his opponent by about 2-1, but he’s still going to be dealing with entrenched bureaucracies and powerful interests. By involving ordinary citizens in a genuine multi-way dialogue thru his web site, he could build a large independent base to help push some useful reforms through.