Disclosure: In 2000 and 2002, I was elected as a Republican precinct committee officer, so of course I voted for Dino Rossi. In fact, I voted a straight Republican ticket this year, despite my misgivings about most of the Republicans on the ticket. Dino Rossi was the only Republican for whom I felt much enthusiasm. (I hear good things about Rob McKenna, the Attorney General-elect, but I’ve never seen him speak, unlike Rossi, who really impressed me at a 48th District GOP meeting a while back.)
Christine Gregoire, having lost the gubernatorial election twice now, is expected to call for either a partial or complete manual recount, which might well take us past January 10, 2005, when a new governor is scheduled to be sworn into office.
Ms. Gregoire, give it up. The race is essentially a tie, but you’ve come out on the losing end twice. It’s going to cost perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars for you to find out that the race is still essentially a tie. You ran a lousy campaign which any Democrat should have won easily:
- John Kerry (another lousy candidate) beat George Bush in Washington state by 7 points.
- Patty Murray beat George Nethercutt by twelve.
- Of the other seven statewide partisan races, your party won four of them.
- The Republicans haven’t won a gubernatorial campaign in this state in 24 years.
This race was yours to lose, and you did. Now, give it a rest.
Well, I had hoped to go into as much depth with the other parties as I did with those rascally Constitutionists, but the time before the election has evaporated. So here’s a brief overview of the other candidates on the Washington state ballot.
The Libertarians have my sympathy because they, like the Constitutionalists and (at least in years past) the Republicans, want to reduce the size of government. But things are getting a little wacky in Libertarian land.
- They want to legalize many drugs, because they think the War on Drugs has been a spectacular failure, filling our jails and doing little to reduce the demand for drugs. I can see some merit in their argument, though I haven’t concluded that they’re right.
- They want to end federal welfare and anti-poverty programs, and instead have a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for charitable contributions. I support this idea fully.
- They want to allow you to opt-out of Social Security. I’m on board here, too. I’ve felt since the 1980s that my generation should just bite the bullet and give up Social Security — keep paying in for those already in the system, but end the program before we reach retirement age. More people in my age bracket believe in UFOs than believe they’ll ever get a dime out of Social Security.
- They want to pull out of Iraq as soon as possible. Here’s where they lose me. Having invaded Iraq, I believe we have a responsibility to stay until Iraq has a stable government.
Not much here for which I can vote. The Greens think “The unjust, illegal and immoral war in Iraq must be brought to an end now.” They also support single-payer, universal health care, proportional representation, a “living wage” (increasing the minimum wage to $10.00 an hour, with adjustments for inflation), an end to discrimination against “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer” persons (I don’t know what Intersex means, and I don’t know what the distinction is between Queers and “Lesbians” and “Gays”.) There’s more, but you get the point. About the only thing I can really stand with the Greens on is some restrictions on the political activites of corporations, though I would restrict all political spending by all corporations, including labor unions and non-profit advocacy groups. (More on this another time.)
Ralph thinks the US can give way to a UN peacekeeping force (for which the US will pay) who can ensure stability while Iraq builds its own democracy. (I think Ralph’s nuts.) He’s also running on universal health care and against corporate crime and greed. His tax program taxes wealth instead of wages. He has a seven point plan to end poverty. In short, Ralph is running a 1960s idealism campaign for the 2000s.
The usual group of cranks and nut jobs, who haven’t figured out the meaning of the fall of communism. The Worker’s World Party web site carries slogans like “People’s Needs Before Profits – For Socialism, Against Capitalism.” All three groups are concerned with the rights of unions to organize. The WWP wants a minimum wage of $15/hour. The SEP calls for a 30-hour work week (at a 40-hour pay scale). All of these groups call for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
The purpose of voting for one of these groups is not so much to actually elect them, as to help ensure ballot access for them in future. If you live in a state where the outcome is pretty much already determined (like Washington), and you find one of these to be to your liking, go ahead and vote for one of these groups. If you don’t find one to your liking, feel free to write me in. That’s M-C-P-H-E-E-T-E-R-S. Happy Election Day.
As I write this, it is the 9th inning in St. Louis, and the Boston Red Sox have a 3-0 lead, both in the World Series and in this game four. Jason Varitek just hit a two-out single as the Sox try to add some insurance on what looks like a sweep.
It wasn’t supposed to go this way. Last Friday, I reveled in the Sox’ improbable come-from-behind victory in the ALCS. I’ve no particular emotional investment in the Sox; but I am a diehard Yankee-hater. I watched those damn Yankees beat the Dodgers (whom I loved) in the Series in ‘77 and ‘78. I had a minor role as a Washington Senator in a college production of Damn Yankees. And what about the times the Mariners have been beaten in the postseason by those damn Yankees? I’ll cheer for anyone who plays against the Yanks, any time, any place. And so, when the Sox did what no baseball team had ever done before, come back from a 3-0 deficit in a seven game series, I was delighted.
But there is no better storyline in Major League Baseball than the Curse of the Bambino. Bringing the Red Sox to the brink of success, then dashing them to the depths of despair is such great drama; it’s the best sports soap opera going. It’s good for the sport. (Bill Mueller grounded into a force out, and we head for the bottom of the ninth.)
[MY DISCLAIMER: I've had a vested interest in Major League Baseball, having designed two computer games based on the sport. And I know the value of having a great dramatic storyline in baseball to draw in the fans. The first baseball game I designed hit the shelves on the day the players went on strike in 1994. Our sales were awful. (Albert Pujols singles to center.)]
And now, it looks like the Curse might really be over. I hate to see it go. The perfect ending to this World Series, now that the Cards are down 3-0, would be for them to stage the same kind of comeback that the Sox just managed.(Scott Rolen flies out to right.)
I worry about these things. If Boston breaks the curse, what happens to Red Sox Nation? It takes powerful mojo to keep a fan base like that so intensely loyal to their team. These are not the Bleacher Bums at Wrigley Field, faithful as much to the Friendly Confines experience as to their hapless Cubs. These are people bound by suffering. Bill Buckner. Bucky F****** Dent. This is the strong glue of a unique kind of fan base. What keeps them together once those wounds have been healed? (Jim Edmonds strikes out, and Pujols advances to second.)
On the other hand, if the curse is to be broken, let it be a sweep. After all they’ve been through, 86 seasons of futility and misery, an eight game journey from the near-death to triumph is the best ending for such a magnificent story. (Renteria grounds out and the game is over.)
And now that we live in a Curse-free world? What’s next?
(Can I get a bet on the Cubs winning the Series next year?)
