Reply #7: There is a positive note to those numbers [View All]

McGavick has been campaigning full time for 5-6 months; making appearances, running newspaper and TV ads. During that same period Cantwell has been tied up in Washington, and has not run any ads until just recently. And McGavick is still behind, has been unable to pull ahead. Cantwell is definitely at risk, she needs to run a hard aggressive campaign, but if she does that she'll win. She has been stellar on the environment, and that plays well in Washington state, not only among the lefties, but with those who identify themselves as moderates and independents.

Yes, she has a single issue Green candidate to her left, who'll pull some anti-war votes from her; but there's also a Libertarian candidate to McGavicks right, and that'll pull some numbers from him. In the race in 2000 that Cantwell won by less than 2500 votes, the Libertarian drew 75,000 votes away from Gorton. Given the calculating way that Cantwell dealt with Wilson I would expect that she'll find a way to funnel some financing into the Libertarians. Which will make this a truly bizarre race: Republicans funding Greens, and Democrats funding Libertarians. Hey! We may get rid of the two party system yet!