We all remember the feeding frenzy of candidates in the 18th District last go-round: in fact, I can categorically state for sure that I was the only person in the 18th who actually did NOT run for the vacant House seat left open by the horrific ascension of Ridgefield Barbie to the US Congress of all things.
The democrats ran their typical downtown Vancouver leftist union hack, an abysmal failure doomed to political destruction because the 18 was, perhaps, the most conservative district in SW Washington... so, running a pro-huge government, pro-union rip-off bridger/looter who never stopped lying about "20,000 jobs" (The number seemed to go up with every speech) on the unneeded, unwanted and unaffordable I-5 Bridge/loot rail extortion project scam... which, of course, pre-destined the poor sap's slaughter at the polls. (Ultimately, he was massacred, on the losing end of a 60-40 vote, the political equivalent of Oregon playing Hockinson Middle School in the Rose Bowl, with an outcome just as predictable.)
It's not that the democrat didn't TRY.... it's just that he lacked any cards to play with.
That left a very large GOP field that no one in political leadership did anything about... stupidly... because that leadership of the Clark and Cowlitz county GOP was entirely focused on getting the Camas Manikin into Congress.
In Clark, the county chair was bought off with a job offer: Ryan Hart is now the District Director for our occasionally resident idiot in Congress; that was the deal and she bought him with it like the 13th Amendment was, in fact, the 13th Suggestion. We've been suffering with monumentally poor representation ever since.
In Cowlitz, Shannon Barnett was hamstrung both with his enamoration of Barbie and the fact that he was such a poor candidate that his employer maxed out... just not to him. In fact, he didn't give Barnett, an almost 20 year employee, a dime.
So, we woke up and found ourselves with candidates like Barnett, Anthony Bittner (who was arrested and convicted of so many crimes.... and got away with so much… that he was, in a way, a caricature of a politician in his own personal corruption) Richard Carson, (who announced one day only to find his pet reason for doing so (Allegedly, none of the legislators listened to his concerns over the proposed BPA routing through Hockinson of a power line.... the same Hockinson I live in, I might add) get yanked out from underneath him THE NEXT DAY when the BPA announced that Hockinson was off the table)….
Robert Dean (Who could be a solid representative, and under other circumstances, I likely would have supported him.)
Jon Haugen, (who has filed as a democrat, a Republican and, if memory serves, an independent, supports/opposes many of the same issues most GOP'ers do; he was/is/rightfully and militantly opposed to the bridge scam... but his presentation is kind of Ron Paulish...)
Then there was Brandon Vick, who was hamstrung by a lack of experience AND time; as a part of a family business in the landscaping arena, he was fighting for financial survival while running a campaign…
Then, of course, we had to deal with failed Congressional Candidate Jon Russell... who is such a poor candidate... and a poor human being as far as that goes, that I've developed an entire blog devoted to his idiocy.
And, the ultimate winner, of course, was Ann Rivers.
But that was then, as they say. And things will be different, logistically. All candidates and incumbents must research their new district configurations. In the 18, as we face the upcoming election, we're struck by three issues: the first is that it's likely that Rob McKenna will get elected Governor. Out here, where the rubber meets the road, we won't notice any difference, of course, because McKenna is a King County Republican, which means he's kind of a democrat-light. Referring to McKenna as a Republican is kind of like confusing Lou Brancaccio and his Pit Yorkie with a "journalist." Any resemblance is purely accidental.
But in the event the planets align, and Rob becomes the Captain of the state Titanic, the buzz is that Joe Zarelli MIGHT get an appointment of some sort... baggage from collecting unemployment while a sitting state senator notwithstanding.
That, of course, is out there: but the dominoes have to fall in the right direction for that to happen... and if it happens, it will, of course, be post election in 2012.
So, we are likely to see Zarelli running for re-election in 2012 for the Senate, along with Ann Rivers in the House.
In the election, that leaves the open seat, currently held by Rep. Ed Orcutt.
Immediately after the election that leaves the possibly open seat held by Ann Rivers, who would likely be appointed to the Senate seat if Zarelli DOES get the gig from Rob.
Thus, the second issue: we're going to have, likely, not ONE, but TWO feeding frenzies: first for Orcutt's seat and then the likely appointment for River's seat, shortly thereafter. Presuming Ann gets the prospective senatorial appointment, she’ll find herself in the unenviable position of having to campaign, almost full time, for two straight years.
There isn’t a job in politics alive that’s worth it.
Now, I'm much more concerned about this seat than most because this is MY district. That is, I live in it...
Even after redistricting.
Which leads us to the third issue: who are those going to run for these positions? There are a few people that I simply will not abide being elevated to the state House to represent ME. Some were, thankfully, re-districted out of contention. Some, unfortunately, were not.
Jon Russell is one such person. I will do everything I can legally to keep him out of my House of Representatives.
He is a miserable candidate, a miserable politician, completely without honor or integrity, and he has proven that time and again over the 7 years I've known him.
The likelihood that such a narcissistic career politician isn't going to run is equal to the likelihood that our local excuse for a paper will ever tell the truth about either their agenda... OR the democrats... and do so on purpose, instead of accidentally.
So, expect Russell to both announce for election, and when I kick his ass in that, expect him to announce or make yet another effort (having failed the first time) for the likely appointment for the open seat.
Other names I've heard include Brandon Vick, Chris Boyd (Former WA-03 congressional candidate), Washougal Councilwoman Jennifer McDaniel, and... and... Brian Peck (if he was redistricted into the 18th) as well as, no doubt, a host of others.
Political leadership calls for tough decisions. Those running this next time ought to remember they will not be running in the ultra-conservative 18th. Those foolish enough to buy into Russell's faux Christianity, which amounts to nothing more than one of his many empty political props, will not be enough to overcome the more moderate, less rural aspects of a much geographically smaller district.
Will the House Republicans and local political leadership have the sense and courage to cull the herd to strengthen our chances in the 18th to keep this seat? Will they send the same mixed and muddled and confused messages they did last time, dividing the party and the electorate?
With the same people calling the shots this time as last time.... what do YOU think?
Cross posted at Clark County Politics.
