Q: What makes it so easy to become disenchanted with politics and assume that all politicians are playing the "public servant" game just for a power rush?
A: The fact that political bosses and politicians so routinely push an agenda in the name of upholding an unbending principle that, in reality, is subject to change at a moment's notice.
Case in point: The Washington state Republican and Democratic parties are asking for every vote to be legitimately counted in the governor's race (Democratic party chairman Paul Berendt: the governor must be "elected legally and legitimately, and with a majority of the votes.").
So that means a second recount if necessary -- or, rather, only if their candidate is trailing after the first recount.
Berendt says Democrats will likely ask for a second recount presumably because there are "so many (recount) anomalies across the state," he told The Seattle Times. As a principle, the governor should be elected "legally and legitimately."
That sounds fair enough. Berendt is for democracy and voter rights, right?
But his principles, it turns out, are only based on scenarios: If Gregoire is behind after the first recount, the Dems will call for a recount on the recount. If Gregoire happens to take the lead after the first recount, then the rules change: "Obviously, if we're ahead, we won't be asking for a recount. The experts tell me that's a standard rule," Berendt said.
The experts tell Berendt that's a standard rule? I guess expert advice trump principles.
Now let's look at state Republican party chairman Chris Vance's principles. If Gregoire loses in the recount, she "do the decent thing, the honorable thing, and concede the election." That means no second recount.
But... Vance is not ruling out the possibility that the Republicans may call for a second recount if Rossi trails after the first recount. Besides, Vance says, Rossi is in a "fundamentally different position" than Gregoire because he won the initial count.
Explain how Rossi is in such a fundamentally different position that Vance's principle of letting the recount stand and not dragging out the election only applies only to Gregoire and not Rossi? The phrase "double standard" comes to mind.
It's hard to trust politicians who appeal to "decency" and voter rights as reasons for their agendas when these principles can be easily overruled by expert advice or who happens to win the next recount.
Respond to Chris
Back to top