Postman on Politics

Chief political reporter David Postman explores state, regional and national politics.

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April 7, 2008 4:17 PM

Gregoire skips the coffee klatch on way to announcing re-election

I went to Auburn this morning hear Gov. Chris Gregoire kick off her re-election campaign. That’s her hometown. If you didn’t know that, you’d find out on the way into town: it’s proudly proclaimed on the city limit signs.

Her first stop was the Rainbow Cafe, where Gregoire’s mother worked when the governor-to-be was growing up as the only child of a single mom.

The Rainbow is made for these sorts of events. It’s on Main Street, which hasn’t been the main street for decades. The paint behind the neon sign is tired. The diner has been here for 75, 80 or more years, depending on which of the old-timers holding up an the diner counter you choose to believe. You know those guys - complaining about the coffee as they drink their sixth cup, proposing marriage to the waitress and telling Rainbow owner Mike Fawcett to get a real job. (He already has two. He's a Seattle fireman and owns the restaurant with his wife, Shelley.)

“This used to be the only place to come. On Friday nights you couldn’t get in the door,” said Hoppy, the 78-year-old at the counter who figured if that name was good enough to be embroidered on his Auburn Chevrolet windbreaker, it was good enough for The Seattle Times.

The Rainbow has such good diner-cred that a videographer for the Gregoire campaign patrolled through the morning regulars, getting close-ups of Hoppy and his pals Dick Kammeyel and Ken Bradford, the Fawcetts and their daughter, Morgyn, as well as of the milkshake machine and a plate full of hot bacon and eggs.

Kammeyel was there because he’s there every morning. He knew Gregoire’s mother when she cooked at the Rainbow and was excited to see the governor come in.

“You’ll see, she’ll not only recognize me she’ll give me a big, old hug,” he said.

Clearly, this was a perfect place for Gregoire to begin her second campaign for governor and steer away from what she thought she did wrong in 2004 that put her in a dead-heat with Republican Dino Rossi.

“I don't think in the end voters ever really got to know Chris Gregoire,” Gregoire said about herself after the record-close ’04 election.

“People want to know that they can have a governor who is good on policy and is competent. But they also want to know that they can have a governor that they can relate to. I’m a mom. I’m a spouse. I’m a breast-cancer survivor. I came from very humble beginnings. I’m the first in my family to have gone to college. And I’ll bet most people don’t know much of any of that today.”

In the Rainbow this morning, we all turned as the windows of the diner were suddenly filled by the huge, bio-diesel Gregoire for Governor bus lumbering down Main Street. But it didn’t stop out front. Gregoire didn’t get out and jog into the diner to shake hands and hug old-timers.

The bus pulled around back. Gregoire came in a back door into a room filled with her staffers, campaign supporters and reporters. There were no plans to make an appearance in the Rainbow proper.

That seemed like a lost opportunity. And not just a photo opportunity, either. Gregoire needed to make her kickoff about her, about her character and personality and family and sense of community. Those are all the things she said voters didn’t get from her last time.

Yes, she has to talk about her accomplishments as governor. Certainly, after four years that’s part of the campaign launch. But maybe day two, or the second half of her first speech. But in the back room of the cafe, and later at an Auburn business where the audience was heavily seeded with union members, Gregoire seemed almost uncomfortable talking about herself, and over eager to get into the hard shots at Rossi.

Here’s how she opened her speech - and her re-election - at Zones Inc.

“This is a very, very important election for us here in this state and across the nation. As we begin to think about our country, we’re at a real crossroads and we’ve got a real choice to make. The fact of the matter is, if you want a governor in this Washington who will be an echo chamber for the federal policies and the Bush administration in the other Washington, I am not your candidate.”

“I am not your candidate” doesn’t strike me as a great opener. She did mention that she was raised by a single mom and talked about sitting on a stool in the kitchen of the Rainbow and watching her mother work.

She said they faced hard times. But she didn’t describe what that meant. Did it mean she didn’t get new clothes for school when other kids did? Was the house heated? Did they put water in the soup and Hamburger Helper into the ground beef?

God knows I don’t want to start thinking like an editor. But I can imagine what one of them would say: Don’t just tell us you had hard times, describe what life was like. This isn't to be maudlin or overly-dramatic. But to flesh out a life that too few voters know.

My favorite part of the speech was where Gregoire said she went to college thinking she’d be a pharmacist because the local Auburn druggist - impressed by the young Christine O’Grady - had convinced her that even that lofty perch could be hers. And that was the path, she said, “until I met science.”

That sounds all so real.

Gregoire said she tells her daughters, “We don’t just live in any old state, we live in the great state of Washington.” That to me sounded more like a proposed state slogan rejected right before “Say WA” more than it does something you’d say to your kids. (Of course I may be jaded on this by having two boys who have been merciless about any attempt by me to tell them anything inspirational.)

Gregoire delivered the speech well. She appeared committed to her agenda, and the quickness with which she drew a target on Rossi showed she would have her dukes up for any Republican shots. She showed a mastery of issues.

She played on Barack Obama’s message of hope by saying that she was the optimistic candidate who could bring hope to Washington while Rossi was all about being negative. (Meanwhile, Rossi has played on Obama’s message of change, saying that he would represent a sea-change after six terms of Democratic governors.)

But as her kick-off tour continues and the campaign unfolds, I think Gregoire needs to look for more Rainbow Diners. And next time she should come in the front door and sit a spell.

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Posted by bluneck

4:40 PM, Apr 07, 2008

Excellent report, David. Sounds like your political instincts about her and the event are spot-on. I know a couple well-regarded political gurus who have been making ghte pitch about the governor's need to tell – and hear -- personal stories as a way to connect with ewveryday citizens. Here's hoping she read your post.

Posted by Turbine

4:46 PM, Apr 07, 2008

Kind of a Tax break recipients for Gregiore tone to this article don't you think.

Posted by SP Fan

4:48 PM, Apr 07, 2008

I for the candidate of CHANGE!

Not the candidate that doesn't care Hoppy is at the counter waiting. Perfect depiction of our Queen and how she really feels about the little guy.

Posted by Will in Seattle

5:40 PM, Apr 07, 2008

Looking forward to seeing her at the King County Democratic Convention this coming Sunday ... hope we get some of the few remaining Times reporters at that, since you all missed the Caucus this past Saturday where Clinton lost more delegates to Obama.

And, David, I hope your job is still there, what with these cuts - you're one of the few I read.

Hope you nattering nabobs of Republicant negativity are busy doing your federal taxes to pay for GWB's massive war debt ...

Posted by JimD

6:34 PM, Apr 07, 2008

"Hope you nattering nabobs of Republicant negativity are busy doing your federal taxes to pay for GWB's massive war debt ..."
-
We can only wish.

Posted by Turbine

6:42 PM, Apr 07, 2008

Heck we can't even afford the Governors upcoming deficit. It's not 2.5 BILLION next Bienium it's 3.3 at the latest count. The State is Trying to get out of paying teachers more under the Equalization decision they lost, they are appealing to the WSSC.

Posted by Particle Man

7:49 PM, Apr 07, 2008

Well, I for one would rather be reading a more positive review but all I can say is thank you David for the reporting you have done here. When the governor reads your blog I am sure she will be devistated by the perspective of those in the dinner and when the campaign reads it I hope these well intended people take note. Note that in campaigns it often is the small things that set the tone and give life to a campaign.
One thing I would not do is be to quick to suggest that this is what we will see as things ramp up. This is a different campaign this time around. How fitting for instance that Ron Sims gave the introductions. I did not see you at the Tacoma event and I did not make it to the Vancouver event but what struck me about the Auburn and Tacoma events was how different they were from one another. What you will not see this time around is an over managed governor. Rather I expect that the campaign will give people a real chance to get to know more about her and this would be a good thing.

Posted by loyal reader, not yet laid off like your colleagues

7:56 PM, Apr 07, 2008

could you link to a copy of the speech

Posted by Postman

8:12 PM, Apr 07, 2008

I'm afraid I don't see a copy of the speech to link to. It was webcast live but doesn't seem to be archived at the governor's campaign site. If it is posted later I hope someone will e-mail me a link.

Particle Man, I appreciate your comments here. I did only Auburn today. I thought that would be the best pick of the day. Sorry I missed Tacoma. I think you hit the nail with the prediction that we won't see an over-managed candidate this time. I understand security might not have wanted her to come in by the front door today, and one has to listen to those guys I realize. But why bill it at that place, with that important history, without being a little less managed at that stop?

And Will, no, I will not be laid off. But I'm very unhappy by today's turn of events at the paper. Some very good reporters will lose jobs, including some dynamite young people who I'm afraid may decide this business isn't for them. I meant to catch up on caucus business today but our own news sort of took over the day I'm afraid.

Posted by Brian

10:04 PM, Apr 07, 2008

Very interesting read. Thanks for the report.

Posted by Bill

4:12 AM, Apr 08, 2008

",,,hear Gov. Chris Gregoire kick off her re-election campaign. "

She wasn't elected the first time. Nor the second. The third time, King County couldn't explain why they had more ballots than voters.

Posted by Bill

4:14 AM, Apr 08, 2008

"Hope you nattering nabobs of Republicant negativity are busy doing your federal taxes to pay for GWB's massive war debt ..."

Better than some non0sensical, handout, 'I am a victim' social program that does nothing....

Posted by GagMeWithASpoon

9:45 AM, Apr 08, 2008

WEll I see that tax break the governor gave to newspapers is paying off for her in spades.

Posted by Bothsides

11:25 AM, Apr 08, 2008

Of course Chris is for the ordinary / little people, why just look at what she did for the Indian Tribes, or how she helped a bunch of lawyers make gobs of money in the tobacco lawsuit, only to have the money be paid on the backs of the ordinary / little people who smoke, yes, she's the real deal.....

And spending is up over 30%, HELLO PEOPLE...

Posted by desulliv

8:40 PM, Apr 08, 2008

According to your own newspaper's story, she DID go to the Rainbow Cafe. What's the real story?

Posted by Particle Man

10:16 AM, Apr 09, 2008

David, it is now my understanding that all of the customers in the cafe were invited into the reception room at the request of Governor Gregoire and that each had a chance to meet her and talk with her.
When the bus went by to park in back, did you depart for the Zones stop and miss this all together?
It is now my impression that your blog here and its title give a very inaccurate account of the events of that morning. Pretty sloppy.
The story should have been that the Gov started her campaign, not with a big amped up stadium (which she could easily have filled) but at a modest gathering paying respect to her roots.

Posted by P

11:51 AM, Apr 09, 2008

Hi David, that was a good piece of reporting. As a voter, I am not as interested in the governor's personal history as I am about her wrecking havoc on our state's economy.

Is it too much to ask the Times to do a real, honest, unbiased report on how this governor and her party blew through a $2 billion surplus and is going to start burdening the taxpayers with a $2.4 billion deficit starting in 2010?

Further, is it considered bad taste to ask why the Times, as well as other news outlets in this state, have ignored the governor's apparent corruption, collecting campaign contributions while waiting to sign favorable legislation that would benefit those that contributed to her campaign?

Posted by Particle Man

12:54 PM, Apr 09, 2008

Oh give me a break P.
"apparent corruption" my back side.
If corruption is really a concern of yours then you should be repelled by the business, campaign and elected background of Dino Rossi.
Dino, who was happy to earn his pay from the illegal scams of his felon mentor in the real estate business.
Dino who when last in office used his position to rake in hundreds of thousands from an unethical partnership with powerful lobbyists.

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