Post by Carl Ballard
I guess now that we have a top 2 primary, there may be times when you have to vote for someone who you don’t like in a primary for political reasons. If there’s a crowded field on the Democratic side and only 2 Republicans for something, I might vote for a Democrat who is more likely to win than one I like so there aren’t 2 Republicans in a race. Nothing like that is the case in the Senate race, so I don’t see why it’s an issue. But I guess it’s an issue for Red County blogger Chris Widener.
Kathryn Serkes, Clint Didier’s paid consultant said this today about Dino Rossi’s campaign: “I find it particularly odd that somebody who lost his last two statewide elections wants to pretend he is the front-runnner…”
Did she say the ellipses at the end too? Also, zing.
This begs the question and I ask it of the readers of Red County: What IS a front-runner? What would make you consider someone the front-runner?
Why would you care who’s the front runner in a race that will almost certainly be Patty Murray and a Republican? HOW would your vote be different if someone else was the front-runner? Vote for who you want to win the primary. Seriously, I don’t understand why this is an issue.
As you answer this question with your answers in the comment section below, ask yourself which of the two, Didier or Rossi (poor Paul Akers, the forgotten candidate) is the front-runner according to that criteria.
“As you answer this question with your answers” is my favorite phrase ever. I’m still trying to get my head around why front-runnership matters. I guess if you mean most likely to beat Patty Murray in a general election, then that’s a thing. But they’re both more likely to lose than win, so that can’t mean too much.
Of course I have my opinion. I’m trying to think of one area that Didier might be ahead in. Probably support from the furthest right wing of our party. Other than that, Rossi is far ahead after just three weeks in the campaign. Which begs another question: Has Didier become just another politician, allowing his handlers to do anything, say anything in order to score political points and achieve political gain? Has he just become another horse to ride for political consultants like Serkes?
Der, name recognition among DC area football fans.
Look, of course Rossi is probably going to get through to the general. But it’s not a crazy strategy to point out that he’s 0-2 in statewide elections.
Widener has been hanging out in the comment threads of The Reagan Wing, and if that keeps up, people would be wise to buy stock in Orville Reddenbacher for the rest of this primary battle.
As for who’s the front-runner, maybe we should let polls determine that. I’d love to see Didier come back and win this thing, but it ain’t likely.
I keep overlooking the comment threads as a source of amusement.
I’ll give Mr. Rossi this much: he’s smart enough to ignore the teabaggers as irrelevant. That alone qualifies him to advance to the general election. (For those playing along at home, this is “the soft bigotry of low expectations.”)
Why does it matter? For a couple reasons:
1. Didier has said countless times that we need to get out of the way if a front-runner emerges. Now he isn’t taking his own advice. That puts a dent is his image as a truth-telling non-politician.
2. Since we have a clear front runner, a conservative named Dino Rossi, it is time for everyone else to get on board and push him over the top. Didier staying in this race, when he has no chance whatsoever, and bashing Rossi all the way, hurts our chances of actually replacing Murray come November. If Didier is so concerned about our country, how about he gets out and spends the next few months traveling the east side of the state helping shore up support for Rossi?
Chris, thanks for coming by.
Well, I think that’s what the primary is for – to establish the party’s front-runner.
And the true test for Doug and his loony compatriots is whether or not they’ll support Rossi after the primary. I suspect he will because his irrational fear of the Democratic Party will always outweigh his anger at Republicans who want to have a chance to win elections.
And the goal of Murray supporters will be to damage Rossi by pointing out his associations to people on the radical fringe.
I prefer the batshit crazy type Republican (Didler) over the sleazy self serving in the pocket of corporate interests type BPublcian (Rossi).
I prefer the batshit crazy type Republican (Didler) over the sleazy self serving in the pocket of corporate interests type BPublcian (Rossi).
Especially if you’re a Democrat trying to win re-election. :)