Seattle Weekly: Armageddon for the GOP

With seven days left, Dino Rossi and other Washington Republicans need a miracle.

by George Howland Jr.

As the election campaigns enter the final week, GOP consultant Dave Mortenson echoes the sentiments of candidates, operatives, and voters alike: "One woman compared it to childbirth. When you get to the end, you just want it to be over with."

While momentum can shift in as little as a week, Nov. 2 still, as it has for months, looks good for state Democrats. Last week, the GOP received bad news from some of its own. First, on Tuesday, Oct. 19, Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed predicted a staggering turnout of 84 percent of the state's voters in the general election—the highest in 60 years. Says fellow Republican Randy Pepple, CEO of Rockey Hill & Knowlton: "When you get above 80 percent, that's dangerous for any Republican." That's because as turnout increases, the electorate becomes more inclusive, with more low-income and minority voters—two groups that favor the Democrats.

Then on Wednesday, Oct. 20, the GOP firm Strategic Vision released a poll of state voters that showed Democratic Sen. John Kerry leading President George W. Bush in Washington 50 percent to 45 percent; Democratic Sen. Patty Murray was ahead of her challenger, GOP U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt of Spokane, 49-41; and Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Christine Gregoire was besting her Republican opponent, former state Sen. Dino Rossi of Sammamish, 48-42. All the leads were outside the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. In fact, all the polls released publicly by any campaign or independent group in the past two months have shown Kerry, Murray, and Gregoire ahead, although not always beyond the polls' margins of error.

Many Republicans were left hoping that Bush would have such a decisive victory elsewhere in the country that the TV networks would declare the president the victor before the polls close in Washington. "Bush is going to win a lot of states back East," says GOP consultant Mortenson. "What ramifications will that have on voting in Washington state?"

Democratic consultant Christian Sinderman responds: "If that's their talking point, they must be worried about Armageddon."

http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0443/041027_news_governor.php

I know Kerry will win Washington handily, and Murray can defeat Nethercutt, but I had been a little worried about Rossi. I know the Repugs learned their lesson from previous wingnut failures like Ellen Craswell and John Carlson and tried to run a supposed "moderate" like Rossi. Looks like we'll keep the governorship in Democratic hands here as well.

You and me both.

I was VERY worried about Rossi. Luckily, the state Dems ran a great, disciplined campaign against him (which is unusual in and of itself for Democrats.)

Nethercutt was NEVER gonna win. Very weak selection by the GOP to run him.

Any word how Deb Senn is doing?

Her campaign got so much publicity out of those "mystery" creepy ads against her, it might actually do her some good, I hope.

I saw a Rob McKenna banner flying over my house today, though. Ugh. Of course, I wonder how effective it was. He had to circle about 26 times before I could read the sign. ;)

At the end of my street there is a large billboard that reads:

"Kerry Voted For Partial (at) Birth Abortion"

Every night for the last two weeks it has taken a Herculean effort to resist setting fire to that fucking thing.

I'm feeling the rage along with you.

I've seen one Rossi sign and one lone (ha ha) Carol Cassidy sign. Now *there's* a pathetic joke for the GOP. :D

Yippie eye aye!

n/t

love it.

That would be fantastic. Like "the voice of the people", man.

thanks for posting this...

I don't want Rossi to win - he gives me the creeps.

he just gives off a very shady, creepy vibe. almost the same feeling as having a close encounter with a spider or web, I must be Rossi phobic too, for good reason. Creepy, yes, that's what I thought the first time i saw his pic and everytime since. a weird feeling in my stomach that I usually only feel upon meeting certain people when my antenna goes up and get a physically ill feeling, the toxic energy is so tangible, and for me to feel that through a tv ad must mean that he is one of the creepiest people ever(aaaagh! speak of the devil, his ad was on just as I wrote, during Law & Order SVU, appropiately enough. now it's a Patty Murray ad, that's better, much better.


I too have been worried about WA, and try not to pay much attention to the polls, not that I even have time to read the papers or Weekly anymore, and watch the Daily Show instead of late local "news". these are such promising numbers though that I am feeling very uplifted and always add a couple points to reflect probable reality more.

why is Kerry only leading by 5%? Gore won WA by only 5%, but then again polls are not all that reliable, so Kerry's probably ahead by 8-10%.

maybe I should take a trip to Whatcom or E WA this weekend just to be safe...