I am starting a new Friday column, titled 'Worst'. If you have any worst items you'd like to hear please let me know! Next week will be 'Worst Fears', just as a little teaser...
This comes straight from a great and grand Western state. Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi ran for Governor in this state and one of them won. Too bad we can't tell which one won. There are been three counts, on the third count Christine Gregoire said she was 'confident' she would win the count even though she had lost the other two. Of course it gets worse when she does win because the county where she held the most sway 'finds' 700 'misplaced and previously disqualified' ballots. She wins by just over 150 votes. Just before the recount is certified she says she hopes that Dino Rossi will graciously concede the election. Which is not what she did when she lost the first two times.
Outside of being completely ungracious and a poor loser about the election, there is talk of voter fraud. When the winners are separated by less than 200 votes out of 3 million the dead and felons voting seems to be more of a problem. Because absentee ballots were mailed out only 2 and a half weeks out from the election some military has been disenfranchised, though probably not as many as one party would have us believe.
The Rossi supporters call for a revote because it seems to be the only thing that will clear up, this will be ruled on January 20, 2005. Everybody I have personally spoken with about this election believes in a revote, whether they are Democrat, Republican or don't vote.
But here's the worst move: Gregoire, newly installed as the new governor, had discussed with 'the people' the possibility of adding a new state income tax. Our state does not currently have an state income tax, but is still one of the highest taxed states in the nation because of our obscene sales and property taxes. Word of advice to the new governor: no matter how confident you may be about no revote, I'd keep this kind of plan under wraps until you are definitely our elected official.
If there is a revote, I can guarantee Rossi would win and not because of his political beliefs, which is perhaps disappointing, but because of his attitude. He has been gracious in winning and in losing and has let his party do his talking instead of railing against the other party himself. It is one of the oldest political moves, stay gracious under fire, let your party do your dirty talking, and let your opponent disgrace herself. Some of you may feel that this is a poor reason for anyone to win an election, and you would be right, but this has always been the way politics has been played.