I've sent in my absentee ballot. Here's how I voted, in some of the higher-profile contests.
President: Bush. The best defense against terrorism is a good offense. Kerry's worries about what's called "world opinion" are code for a gelded America beset with crippling self-analysis, of the sort that has tortured Kerry his entire adult life. Kerry is the wrong candidate, with the wrong approach, at the wrong time. Bush is a leader; Kerry a skittish follower.
U.S. Senate, WA. Spokane Congressman George Nethercutt, R., who took out House speaker Tom Foley several moons ago, is my pick, not incumbent D Patty Murray. Nethercutt strongly backs President Bush on Iraq, and on aggressively fighting terrorism, while Murray makes excuses for Osama bin Laden's popularity among Islamic terrorist sympathizers. Case closed!
R-55. YES, to keep a new WA state law passed last spring, which allows an exceedingly modest experiment with charter schools. These are PUBLIC charters: the money follows the child. Don't buy the flimsy lie from the teachers union that this measure "takes" money from public schools. It takes money from the teachers union, because charter teachers quite reasonably can't unionize for several years at the outset. The horror!
WA Gov. Republican Dino Rossi, for change. Career politician and bureaucrat Christine Gregoire is a go-along-to-get-along insider, a keening careerist who should be forcibly retired from public life. Realtor and former State Senate Ways and Means Committee chair Dino will breathe some life into Olympia's moribund, union-dominated bureaucracy. Additionally, he supports charter schools; while Gregoire, in thrall to the state teachers union, does not.
WA Supt. of Public Instruction, non-partisan. Re-elect incumbent Terry Bergeson. Not because I was state media coordinator for her campaign when she won office in '96, but because she wants to stay the course on state student assessment tests and ed reform, and supports charter schools. Her opponent, former SPI Judith Billings, is aligned with the state teachers union against charter schools, and also seeks to weaken student assessment tests key to ed reform.
I-884. Raises WA state sales tax to spend more money on public schools. Some goes for colleges and universities, which I have less of a problem with than K-12. In Seattle, K-12 public schools, are on balance, and sadly, a rathole of political correctness, low expectations, and unaccountability. The core plea on I-884 is for higher teacher salaries and smaller class sizes. My plea is for more parental choice in public education, which the teachers union is fighting tooth and nail by urging voters to rescind WA's new charter school law with a "No" on R-55 (see above). NO on I-884.
I-872. YES, vote for the person, not the party. Top two finishers in WA primaries would advance to the general election regardless of party. Addresses the court excission of WA's long-standing "blanket primary," which had allowed voters to pick favorites in various races regardless of party. That was replaced with a new strait-jacket system that debuted this Sept., requiring primary voters to declare a party and vote only for candidates of that party in the primaries. Dumb, de dumb, dumb.
I-892. YES. Why should WA Indian reservations have a legislated monopoly on slot machines? Make it easier for fools and their money to be parted, and cut taxes a bit with the extra loot, as provided for by I-892. The issue is hardly "the spread of gambling facilities," as opponents claim. There are already numerous casinos and other gaming-friendly venues off the reservations, in suburban Seattle. If Indian casinos can have electronic slots, it's ethically suspect to bar them at other facilities.
I-83. NO on recalling the planned 14-mile Seattle monorail Green Line. It has already been approved by voters, and upon completion, will comprise one valuable part of a still-evolving, multi-jurisdictional urban mass transit system. Public policy utopians bridle at that last phrase. Silly - that's just how it goes most places. Moreover, Seattle's buses too often run late, don't show at all, or get stuck in traffic. "Bus rapid transit" is a pipe dream. The Green Line is funded and nearing the beginning of construction. Monorail opponents are sore losers with their heads in the sand, bankrolled by monied downtown property owners with a bad case of NIMBY-itis.
WA State Auditor. Brain Sonntag, Democrat. An outstanding fiscal watchdog who fully deserves re-election.
WA Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, Democrat. Smart, highly capable public servant. A charter member of Democrats for Bush in WA State. Cantankerous independence irritates D party hacks: makes me like him even more.
WA Atty. Gen. Rob McKenna, R. Very bright guy, does his homework as King County Council member. D opponent Deborah Senn missed her true calling as shouting head on cable TV political panel show.
Posted by Matt Rosenberg at October 31, 2004 09:55 PM
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Matt, I really don't understand your vote on 872. Sure, you'll have more choices during the primary--but you'll have much, much fewer choices during the real election. Is that really what you want?
Posted by: Timothy at October 31, 2004 10:19 PMTim, in Seattle, where I have a choice between Far Left head case Jim McDermott (D) for Congress versus an R with no chance whatever, I'd love instead to have a choice between him and a more sane, moderate D. I'd likely get that with I-872.
Similarly, my local State Rep. races and that for County Council give me a stark and crappy choice every time around: either a dyed-in-the-wool 34th District Democrat (lockstep Seattle "progressive" D positions across the board) versus an R with no chance whatever.
Again, a more moderate D, more attuned to issues such as school choice, gun rights, parental notice legislation on abortion for minors, etc...could finish in the top two in the primary under I-872, then advance to the general, keep running to the center and force some real dialog with the Lefty Ds in a bubble - here and in other such Seattle districts.
Seattle's political monoculture isn't a healthy thing - shaking it up is smart. Likewise, in strong R districts, centrists would gain clout. I'm all for that, too.
All in all, I don't think there's anything sacrosanct about a two-party system, or either of the two parties that comprise it.
Posted by: Matt R. at October 31, 2004 11:10 PMOverall outstanding ballot choices Matt. We could argue over the monorail, but I don't live in Seattle. If you want the monorail, go for it.
I didn't see any mention of Patty Murray. This brain dead political hack needs to be sent packing. She is Jim McDermott without the charm, another broad caricature of Seattle politics you so accurately deflate.
I believe Patty condemns charter schools, supports the huge sales taxes increase destined for the black hole of public schools and opposes the property tax relief of 892.
The Grange efforts to change the primary system will not rid you of McDermott. This guy returns again and again to Congress with 70% of the vote. He is clearly just the representative his District wants in Congress.
Posted by: Gary B at November 1, 2004 09:34 AMThanks for the reminder about Nethercutt-Murray, Gary. I've added a graf on that. Alas, I fear Nethercutt's chances may be slim by now.
Posted by: Matt R. at November 1, 2004 11:55 AM"D opponent Deborah Senn missed her true calling as shouting head on cable TV political panel show."
Maybe not... What about her and Anne-Marie Lake (both air-heads to a certain extent) duking it out every week? Why not???
Posted by: Josef at November 9, 2004 09:09 PMi hope you realize now that bush is about as good a leader as a chunk of 2X4. if by leader you mean leading our country into the depths of a war that was started with a lie and continues to sprout new ones daily, then you are correct. granted, kerry wasn't the best man for the job, but he was a far better man. at least he was able to recognize and ADMIT that our country is able to make mistakes like anyone else, and be willing to correct those mistakes rather than "stay the course" that is sinking our nation.
Posted by: jt at December 16, 2005 12:14 AM