Washington state megathread

[CultureKing]

Wow... the Republican in that race (that managed to advance) is going to get OWNED.

[CultureKing]

Real winner of the primary: The Stranger.

[CultureKing]

So has Baumgartner's campaign for senate actually hurt his chances for future aspirations then?


That was the only reason he was running right? Getting his name out there?

[CultureKing]

Considering how awesome Cantwell is I wouldn't mind seeing her break 60%.

[CultureKing]

God bless the Washington State GOP.

Speaking of which anyone know what Pam Roach has been up to lately? I feel like its time for her to smack a staffer or something.

[CultureKing]

Just watched this debate about gay marriage:
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2012/08/22/dinner-with-dan-savage-topics-gay-marriage-the-bible-lgbt-children/

between Dan Savage and Brian Brown (NOM). Savage is one awesome debater (that or Brown just sucks at life, which very well could be the case).

[CultureKing]

Personally I plan on simply not voting for that position. Although that effectively becomes a vote for Finkbeiner (not that he's gonna win)..

[CultureKing]

It's pretty amusing that any of you think that Brad Owen isn't going to win 60 percent of the popular vote or more.

Oh, no, he'll landslide (although maybe not 60%.)  I doubt anyone here thinks otherwise

Agreed. While I may not like him I will acknowledge that he'll likely get somewhere around 56-58% of the vote.

[CultureKing]

Is Owen from Grays Harbor? I just noticed that his best result in the primary was from there (weird).

He also did better in Jefferson (no surprise), Thurston (meh) and Mason (!!!), than he did in King county.

[CultureKing]

Anyone else get the feeling that R-74 is going to pass by an unexpectedly large margin? The TV ads in favor have started hitting the airways and I think the pro-equality side has done a great job in selecting people to go on air (Pflug, olds, ect).

I am starting to think that something along the lines of 55-45 in favor could be realistic..

[CultureKing]

True, although I feel like NOM is busy elsewhere (Maryland, Maine and Minnesota) and I am not sure if they are going to get anywhere close to matching their counterparts fundraising.

Are the Catholics really collecting at Mass to fight gay marriage? ...and they wonder why their congregations in places like Washington are losing young adherents right and left.

[CultureKing]

And Baumgartner likely will only get owned even harder in the general given his recent actions.

I like that he challenged Cantwell, a sitting senator, to 38 debates.

[CultureKing]

I also voted for Pridemore.. Though now I am bitter that he pissed away an opportunity to give Herrera-Beutler a real challenge (even if he still would have lost).

[CultureKing]

Prediction time!

What are the chances of the following happening:
Inslee winning by greater than 2% (having a clear win, not requiring days to wait for results)
WA-01 held by the dems
Democrats hold both the state house and senate
Pot legalization passes
Gay Marriage upheld by voters

-----
Lately I have become rather optimistic that all of the above will occur come November. Perhaps more important though - how will the national view Washington State if such a result comes true? Would we enter the running to be deemed (whether deserved or not) the most 'liberal' state in the union?

[CultureKing]

SUSA results, with good news for Dems, and great news for pot and gay marriage:

Governor
Inslee 49%
McKenna 44%

U.S. Senate
Cantwell 54%
Baumgartner 38%

Referendum 74 (Right to marriage for gay and lesbian couples)
Approved 56%
Rejected 38%

Charter schools
Yes 52%
No 26%

Two-thirds tax increase
Yes 58%
No 21%

Marijuana legalization
Yes 57%
No 34%

Attorney General
Ferguson 42%
Dunn 33%

WA tends to be a great state ...

Did you not notice the charter schools?

Or Tim Eyeman's 2/3 tax increase initiative?

[CultureKing]

Washington doesn't have an income tax. Eyeman's initiative is a repeat of his past efforts to require the Washington legislature to have a 2/3 majority to increase any taxes. Basically it constricts their ability to do anything.

[CultureKing]

The Eyman initiative was declared unconstitutional a few months ago. Passage is kind of irrelevant.

Thank God/FSM

[CultureKing]

Whelp today I officially moved to the Bay Area... It is with sadness that I renounce my Washington citizenship (although I am waiting until after the election to officially register in Cali). I will be wishing you well in the greatest state of the US. God bless Cascadia!!

-CultureKing

[CultureKing]

Whelp today I officially moved to the Bay Area... It is with sadness that I renounce my Washington citizenship (although I am waiting until after the election to officially register in Cali). I will be wishing you well in the greatest state of the US. God bless Cascadia!!

-CultureKing

Did you decide grad school was the solution to your quarter-life crisis?

Or did you actually get a job down there?

Somehow I managed to blunder my way into my dream job. Quite honestly its one of those situations where I am terrified that some horrible (wonderful) mistake has been made. Although it should be noted that I am working for a non-profit, which means that I won't be getting rich anytime soon.

[CultureKing]

Fine, I'll give you a bit more.
I'll be working in the Fair Trade arena. I completed an Americorps position in July and then realized just how hard it is to find a permanent job as a recent college graduate. Luckily the job in the Bay Area required a bizarrely specific set of qualifications, which I met but only just barely. Luckily with non-profits if you are often given the benefit of the doubt if you can demonstrate a drive/commitment to the movement (and since I lived/breathed social justice while in Central America I definitely did well in that category). Anyways I am just happy to have an awesome opportunity ahead of me!

....also Berkeley is a darn cool place.

also also I worked a job in Seattle for one day and then immediately quit upon receiving the offer from the Bay Area = awkward.

[CultureKing]

Yeah, poor Robby. Things were honestly looking really good for him a few months ago. But now..
This may be one of those places where Romney's poor campaign organization really hurts other candidates (not that Romney would win the state but at least keep enough Republican energized to give Rob a chance).

That being said:

[CultureKing]

Even with all of their "lol lol hipster" stuff in the last article, I liked it much better.  Viewing Washington's political leanings almost entirely through the lens of women's rights and abortion is pretty lazy

Agreed. And considering that the author is on the faculty at UW just makes it seem all the worse. Very poor job.

[CultureKing]

So when you predict the Senate will be 26-23, does that mean it would likely become 25-24 when the Rs win the special for Kilmer's seat next year?

Yes, sadly. With Tim Sheldon holding the balance of power.

That is a rather terrifying prospect.

[CultureKing]

Yeah, no one watches those debates..

[CultureKing]

http://socialistalternative.org/news/article22.php?id=1972
Good result.

I could see (with time) a serious third party dynamic begin in Washington:

Urban cores (Seattle, downtown Tacoma): Dems vs Greens/socialists
Middlings (70-80% of districts): Dems versus Republicans
Super conservative/rural areas: Republicans vs tea party offshoots/constitution party

..or maybe I am simply dreaming.