RSSDino Rossi; The State of WA is your Oyster
Even with the recent loss stolen victory by Dino Rossi in the Governors race in Washington state, the sky is the limit and its Rossi’s call as what he wants for his future. The Democrats can claim all they want that Rossi is “damaged goods” after the long extended drawn out court battle with Christine Gregoire, but honest thinking people know better. Democrats in WA have a lot to fear from a potential backlash at the polls the next time that Rossi runs for any political position after having seen him lose in less than non-fraudulent fashion. Its your call Rossi, you are on the clock.
The conservative Republican who challenged the 2004 governor’s election in court ended up losing the race by 133 votes and has decided to give up the fight. But his future remains bright, with speculation focusing on a possible Senate bid next year or a rematch with Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire in 2008.
Secretary of State Sam Reed had another intriguing suggestion Tuesday: Rossi should run for King County executive this fall on a platform of cleaning up the county’s much-maligned election system.
Democrats said Tuesday that Rossi was damaged by dragging out the election and getting slapped down by a judge who said his lawyers hadn’t offered proof of fraud or ballot-stuffing.
But Republicans said the sky’s the limit for Rossi.
Dino Rossi is a hot commodity in the Republican ranks with an electorate knowing that he was wronged. Will it be Senate in 2006? Or a rematch for Governor in 2008. The choice is his to make. Let’s just hope nothing needs to be decided again by King county.
“Dino comes out of this stronger than ever,” state GOP Chairman Chris Vance said. “Democrats are scared to death of him. Dino Rossi is the 800-pound gorilla of Washington state politics right now. His (poll) numbers are far stronger than anyone’s.
“Dino’s future is bright. You can’t lose an election and come out of it much stronger than he has. I would be shocked not to see him in a statewide political race in the next few years.”
The immediate speculation turned to the possibility of a Senate race against freshman Democrat Maria Cantwell. Rossi aides said Tuesday that Rossi hasn’t backed away from his often-expressed reluctance to run. Rossi and his wife, Terry, have four school-age children.
Hat Tip: JJ from PoliPundit
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One Response to “Dino Rossi; The State of WA is your Oyster”
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Dino Rossi is a good man and would serve his state well in elective office. But (uh oh), that said, I think he’s going to have a tougher row to hoe that most people expect. Here is why, and it’s JMO:
1. Run against CantDoWell. Rossi himself has said it isn’t going to happen, and has stated very good reasons why, reasons which would be hard to go back on if he were to change his mind. He was an impressive candidate because he demonstrated he has his priorities straight (devotion to family) and has a vision as to where he wants to go in serving in government (helping his state, by heading the state government). His stature as a candidate would be diminished if he were to go back on his word.
2. King Co. executive. That one is (or shoud be) a non-starter. The Republicans already have a stated candidate (Irons), and Rossi would appear a usurper if he were to muddy the waters of the party by jumping into the race. The biggest reason why Rossi should stay out of it is that this race was suggested by none other than Sam Reed. Probably the LAST person Dino Rossi should be taking political advice from is Sam Reed, after what Reed did (or didn’t do) in the governor’s race. Having Reed suggest Rossi try for this third-rate consolation prize is just too much of a slap in the face.
3. Rematch with Fraudoire in 2008. Probably the best fit for Rossi as a candidate, but there are problems here as well. First and foremost, rematches seldom live up to their billing. Usually the challenger in the rematch gets clobbered by a wide margin, as the incumbent has had a full term to patch things up with the electorate. The race in 2004 was for an open seat, as Gary Locke was stepping down. Rossi would face an incumbent Gregoire in 2008, and that is a completely different dynamic. A second reason is that the race is 3 1/2 years away. Rossi will be out of the public eye for that time. The memory of this robbery will have long faded by then. No doubt the Republicans will wave the bloody shirt and try to make it an issue, but it will be a distant memory at best.
Anyway, just a pessimistic look at the downside. I hope Dino Rossi does well in whatever his future holds. Many think he has a statewide or a national office in his future. I am more inclined to think he has reached his high-water mark. But the GOP bench in WA state seems thin (almost non-existent), so Rossi may still be their go-to guy.