Change the rules -- for next time (Washington Governor race)

[Ruffhowse]

Although I am a registered Democrat, I voted for Dino Rossi for governor. I did so for four reasons. Good friends of mine, who had observed Rossi and his work close up, gave him a thumbs up. Second, he seemed to me the closest thing to a moderate Republican we had seen around here in a long time. I wanted to encourage that direction of the GOP, one that had played a valuable role in Washington in the past but in more recent years had become nearly extinct. Moreover, after 20 years, I figured Democrats had been in the governor's mansion long enough. And, finally, each time I listened to Christine Gregoire speak on major issues facing our state, I walked away scratching my head and mumbling to myself, "I don't think she said anything."

So I voted for Rossi. But we lost. And now I say to my candidate, "Give it up." In public discussions of this particular never-ending story I find that many seem to hold the view that we have had three counts and Rossi won two of the three, so he should be governor.

No, that's not how the system works. That's not the process we signed on for before we got into this. The process in place called for an automatic machine recount in the event of a vote with as narrow a winning margin as Rossi received Nov. 2. That process further provided that a second, hand recount could be held by request of one of the parties if it were willing to foot the bill. According to this process, that third count would be the final and the deciding one. It's not the best two of three. It is No. 3. That's the one that counts.

Gregoire won that count. She is the governor. Congratulations, Gov. Gregoire.

You play the game by the rules set up beforehand. You don't change the rules during the game, which is why I opposed the Democrats' efforts to do so in December and why I now oppose the Republicans' attempt to get a new election. You can change the rules, but for the next time, not this one.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/207432_tony12.html

[Cha]

1. Would dino rossi have made a better

governor of Washington than Christine Gregoire?

Somehow..anyone who is behind bush and I suspect he was is not who I would want as my governor if I had a choice..which I don't.

[Ruffhowse]

2. It's refreshing to see some reasoned discourse from a Republican supporter

That's why I posted this editorial. We are lucky enough in Washington to still have a large group of reasonable moderate Republicans around to dilute the effect of the radical right.