Time to change that tune
Posted by: John Barnes | 08/04/2008 10:53 AM
While I'll concede it's odd to blog about someone's letter-to-the-editor, I couldn't resist this one.
It's no secret that the Democrats in Washington face a real conundrum this year. They're trying to peddle "change" at the top of the ticket with Barack Obama, but they're in trouble if that trickles too far downballot because Governor Christine Gregoire's message is the opposite: things are great, so don't change me.
So when I took a look at this letter in the Tri-City Herald, I shook my head in dismay. In encouraging fellow Eastern Washingtonians to get out and vote in the primary (lest only Republicans advance to the general election), Sharon Briggs of Kennewick says:
"'Change' is George Fearing over Doc Hastings; 'change' is Chris Gregoire over Dino Rossi; 'change' is Barack Obama over John McCain..."
She doesn't explain how it is that re-electing the incumbant represents "change" over Dino Rossi. But I'll overlook that because the real kicker is her letter's closing line:
"...and 'change' is a Democrat over a Republican every time."
There are some slogans that will help the Democrats buffet against the "change" downballot trickle. I have a hunch that's not one of them.
It may be ill advised, but it is apparently not "fraudulent" and certainly not election fraud. Forbes has...
John;
Typically, conservatives are conservative because "change" usually means developing a government agency for something, and that costs money. I'd like a change right now, in fact: I want my Speaker of the House to stop promoting her book and get her ass back to DC to do the job she is well-paid for. I want my President to demand that Congress reconvene. I want Jim McDermott to yank his head out of his ass and stop coming up with preposterous suggestions like gas stamps. I want Dave Reichert to start acting like a Republican.
Those are all changes, but I am definitely not following the Obaminable concept of "we must have change and hope!"
I have to admit that I don't like the Dino Rossi commercials about Barack Obama and "change." While they do underscore the fact that Gregoire has been blundering about in government for 39 years, they also give the appearance of embracing the Obamination's philosophy that we need "change" on a national level.
We do. We need democrats out of office. A gubernatorial advertisement that even gives the APPEARANCE of endorsing a democrat for the nation's highest office is not the impression Rossi needs to put forward.
He needs to start getting specific. He needs to make an ad that says, "Traffic has done THIS on Gregoire's watch. I intend to do THIS to fix it." He does not need to act like he is joining the slavering ranks of mouth-breathing schoolgirls in Obama's camp of followers. He needs to say, "Gregoire approved the largest gas taxes in the history of this state during a time when you were already paying through the nose at the pump. I will do THIS to fix it." (Repeal the taxes, freeze the rate so there will be no new increases, etc.)
Frankly, Dino Rossi strikes me as just a tad bit on the wishy-washy side. I intend to vote for him because I'm sick of what Gregoire has turned my home state into, but he is never going to be a strong conservative candidate until he takes a strongly conservative stance. His latest ad that was posted here last week literally made me go "Meh." We conservatives crave strong leadership. We can get waffling stances and "change" from the democrats in power. From Republican leadership we demand more.
Angry D.
http://angryd.livejournal.com