Icarus' Political Picks for Western WA
Oct. 30th, 2004 06:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusSo we've all chosen whether or not we'll vote for Bush or Kerry.
We've probably decided whether we like the arch-conservative, crawled-from-the-slime-of-timber-money Nethercutt, or the Democratic salute-the-party-line milquetoast, Patty Murray, for Senator.
No doubt we all have a opinions about tough-and-mean Christine 'blame it on the secretary' Gregoire (Democrat) and slick-and-bought Dino 'I have a plan sort of' Rossi (Republican) for Governor.
But what about all those other positions on the Ballot? What about them?
Welllll, I've been doing a little homework. My picks are in bold.
My favorite race is between Brian Sonntag (D) and Will Baker (R) for State Auditor. Brian Sonntag is a fixture in the State Auditor's office, his campaign is well-funded, he's done nothing wrong, and his job has little to do with party politics.
The Republicans found no one to run against Sonntag, until, lucky them, a man who sells flowers by the roadside put himself on the ticket. See the Seattle Times article here.
Because of the new primary system (VOTE YES on Initiative 872 to kill that awful Primary system that caused this!) Baker received 400,000 don't-think-just-pick-the-Republican votes. Republican party activist Richard Pope calls his candidacy "incredibly embarrassing."
Baker is mostly known for his court case regarding the statement he wished to make claiming a government conspiracy in the infamous police chief murder-suicide case [where the chief-in-question was accused of spousal abuse then shot his wife and himself]. Baker wished to publicly name in his statement for candidacy two FBI agents who refused to interview him [Baker] regarding the case. According to him, this is proof there was a government conspiracy and cover-up. ???!
Um. Yeah. Sonntag it is.
Superintendent of Public Instruction - Judith Billings. Deciding issue: how do you feel about the new standardized tests in WA? Judith hates them, and so do I.
Here we have a real fight over fundamental education philosophies. Judith Billings is the previous Superintent of Public Instruction who tells us that the new WPLA standardized tests take only a snapshot of a student's performance at a given moment in time. They're also out of synch with the goals of the WA State Education system. The incumbant Terry Bergeson thinks they're a great idea and is responsible for these myopic tests. Both candidates are qualified and well-supported, so this fight is a matter of voting on the issues. They're both rather iffy about the Charter Schools initiative, but Judith points out that the government hasn't fully funded the previous public education initiatives, so taking still more money out of the public schools on top of the lack of funding probably isn't a good idea. Compare them on the issues.
Lieutenant Governor - Brad Owen. Here's a situation where the good guy is winning, and everyone wants him to.
Brad Owen (D) has proved to be fair-minded and non-partisan despite his party affiliation and he is supported by both parties. He's delivered on his campaign promises, bringing reps from 30+ countries to the area to support WA exports. He's proved to be a skilled mediator during legislative sessions. Not only that, in his spare time he's a musician who tours schools convincing kids that music is an alternative to drugs. The guy's legit, and so clean-cut he squeaks.
His opponent (bwahahaha!) Wiest-something-or-other (R) barely even shows up on the radar. He's tried to blame Brad Owen for the loss of WA jobs (huh?), has no-showed for interviews, showing a lack of serious committment to the race. Even the conservative press calls Wiest's attacks 'opportunistic', blaming a Lt. Governor for a national problem; they say at best Wiest is a 'Republican option' and call the race no contest.
Commissioner of Public Lands - Mike Cooper. Do you want the guy who supports protecting old growth forest, or the guy who wants to mow them down?
This is a straight party-line race. The Democrat Mike Cooper is acting like a Democrat and protecting the environment, while the Republican Doug Sutherland is acting like a Republican and focusing on how we can make money off the environment.
Lots of State Supreme Court challenges. I say Mary Kay Becker (by a hair), Barbara Madsen, and Richard B. Sanders. The challenge to these justices is being driven by a legal decision unpopular with prosecutors.
I'm still looking up the decision, but bottom line, the State Supreme Court ruled on the basis of law rather than politics, and now they're facing a political backlash.
I support all the incumbants except the one Mary Kay Becker is challenging, Jim Johnson, because Justice Jim Johnson helped draft some of Tim Eyeman's initiatives. If I didn't dislike Eyeman so much, I'd stick by Jim Johnson.
Justice Barbara Madsen faces no challenger. Good. She shouldn't because of her unpopular legal decision.
The call between Justice Richard B. Sanders and his opponent Terry Sebring is extremely close -- they're both outstanding by all accounts. In Sanders' case, I support his long-standing history of unbiased decisions and stand on Civil Liberties. I also just in principle hate this backlash - judges should not face political consequences for the tough decisions they have to make.
Attorney General - Deborah Senn. I'm running out of steam here...
Okay, Deborah Senn (D) has taken a lot of negative campaign attacks from the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. They've side-stepped their responsibility by creating a "separate organization" (ha-ha) to engage in these attack ads. "Oh no, it wasn't us..." they say. Senn supports the BHP, Basic Health Plan which is low-cost insurance for the working poor. It's been a successful program since the mid-1990's. It costs the taxpayers less money because it makes it keeps the cheaply-run community clinics afloat and focuses on preventative health care. Without it, people end up in the very expensive emergency rooms.
But the ugly big-money campaign against says it all. This woman is on the side of the underdog.
Superior Court - Andrea Darvas. Though I'm not excited about her. Judge Position 42 - Well, Catherine Moore only rates an 'adequate' by from the Bar Association, while her opponent Chris Washington is rated 'very qualified. No contest.
Superior Court - Andrea Darvas. Though I'm not excited about her.
Judge Position 42 - Well, Catherine Moore only rates an 'adequate' from the Bar Association, while her opponent Chris Washington is rated 'very qualified. No contest. This is another situation where I lean towards the incumbant, just because of the political flack.
We've probably decided whether we like the arch-conservative, crawled-from-the-slime-of-timber-money Nethercutt, or the Democratic salute-the-party-line milquetoast, Patty Murray, for Senator.
No doubt we all have a opinions about tough-and-mean Christine 'blame it on the secretary' Gregoire (Democrat) and slick-and-bought Dino 'I have a plan sort of' Rossi (Republican) for Governor.
But what about all those other positions on the Ballot? What about them?
Welllll, I've been doing a little homework. My picks are in bold.
My favorite race is between Brian Sonntag (D) and Will Baker (R) for State Auditor. Brian Sonntag is a fixture in the State Auditor's office, his campaign is well-funded, he's done nothing wrong, and his job has little to do with party politics.
The Republicans found no one to run against Sonntag, until, lucky them, a man who sells flowers by the roadside put himself on the ticket. See the Seattle Times article here.
Because of the new primary system (VOTE YES on Initiative 872 to kill that awful Primary system that caused this!) Baker received 400,000 don't-think-just-pick-the-Republican votes. Republican party activist Richard Pope calls his candidacy "incredibly embarrassing."
Baker is mostly known for his court case regarding the statement he wished to make claiming a government conspiracy in the infamous police chief murder-suicide case [where the chief-in-question was accused of spousal abuse then shot his wife and himself]. Baker wished to publicly name in his statement for candidacy two FBI agents who refused to interview him [Baker] regarding the case. According to him, this is proof there was a government conspiracy and cover-up. ???!
Um. Yeah. Sonntag it is.
Superintendent of Public Instruction - Judith Billings. Deciding issue: how do you feel about the new standardized tests in WA? Judith hates them, and so do I.
Here we have a real fight over fundamental education philosophies. Judith Billings is the previous Superintent of Public Instruction who tells us that the new WPLA standardized tests take only a snapshot of a student's performance at a given moment in time. They're also out of synch with the goals of the WA State Education system. The incumbant Terry Bergeson thinks they're a great idea and is responsible for these myopic tests. Both candidates are qualified and well-supported, so this fight is a matter of voting on the issues. They're both rather iffy about the Charter Schools initiative, but Judith points out that the government hasn't fully funded the previous public education initiatives, so taking still more money out of the public schools on top of the lack of funding probably isn't a good idea. Compare them on the issues.
Lieutenant Governor - Brad Owen. Here's a situation where the good guy is winning, and everyone wants him to.
Brad Owen (D) has proved to be fair-minded and non-partisan despite his party affiliation and he is supported by both parties. He's delivered on his campaign promises, bringing reps from 30+ countries to the area to support WA exports. He's proved to be a skilled mediator during legislative sessions. Not only that, in his spare time he's a musician who tours schools convincing kids that music is an alternative to drugs. The guy's legit, and so clean-cut he squeaks.
His opponent (bwahahaha!) Wiest-something-or-other (R) barely even shows up on the radar. He's tried to blame Brad Owen for the loss of WA jobs (huh?), has no-showed for interviews, showing a lack of serious committment to the race. Even the conservative press calls Wiest's attacks 'opportunistic', blaming a Lt. Governor for a national problem; they say at best Wiest is a 'Republican option' and call the race no contest.
Commissioner of Public Lands - Mike Cooper. Do you want the guy who supports protecting old growth forest, or the guy who wants to mow them down?
This is a straight party-line race. The Democrat Mike Cooper is acting like a Democrat and protecting the environment, while the Republican Doug Sutherland is acting like a Republican and focusing on how we can make money off the environment.
Lots of State Supreme Court challenges. I say Mary Kay Becker (by a hair), Barbara Madsen, and Richard B. Sanders. The challenge to these justices is being driven by a legal decision unpopular with prosecutors.
I'm still looking up the decision, but bottom line, the State Supreme Court ruled on the basis of law rather than politics, and now they're facing a political backlash.
I support all the incumbants except the one Mary Kay Becker is challenging, Jim Johnson, because Justice Jim Johnson helped draft some of Tim Eyeman's initiatives. If I didn't dislike Eyeman so much, I'd stick by Jim Johnson.
Justice Barbara Madsen faces no challenger. Good. She shouldn't because of her unpopular legal decision.
The call between Justice Richard B. Sanders and his opponent Terry Sebring is extremely close -- they're both outstanding by all accounts. In Sanders' case, I support his long-standing history of unbiased decisions and stand on Civil Liberties. I also just in principle hate this backlash - judges should not face political consequences for the tough decisions they have to make.
Attorney General - Deborah Senn. I'm running out of steam here...
Okay, Deborah Senn (D) has taken a lot of negative campaign attacks from the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. They've side-stepped their responsibility by creating a "separate organization" (ha-ha) to engage in these attack ads. "Oh no, it wasn't us..." they say. Senn supports the BHP, Basic Health Plan which is low-cost insurance for the working poor. It's been a successful program since the mid-1990's. It costs the taxpayers less money because it makes it keeps the cheaply-run community clinics afloat and focuses on preventative health care. Without it, people end up in the very expensive emergency rooms.
But the ugly big-money campaign against says it all. This woman is on the side of the underdog.
Superior Court - Andrea Darvas. Though I'm not excited about her. Judge Position 42 - Well, Catherine Moore only rates an 'adequate' by from the Bar Association, while her opponent Chris Washington is rated 'very qualified. No contest.
Superior Court - Andrea Darvas. Though I'm not excited about her.
Judge Position 42 - Well, Catherine Moore only rates an 'adequate' from the Bar Association, while her opponent Chris Washington is rated 'very qualified. No contest. This is another situation where I lean towards the incumbant, just because of the political flack.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-31 02:01 pm (UTC)Even though about half the electorate would prefer a Democrat. Or at least the choice of a Democrat.
The parties will respond by trying to anoint a candidate before the primary, so they don't have to worry about losing both candidates because a primary was actually contested. Which means we'll lose all choice; the primary will become just a practice run for the general election.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-31 07:09 pm (UTC)Eep.
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2004-11-01 05:40 pm (UTC)