Wednesday, November 4, 2015

It's the Sexism, Stupid - OR - It's the Stupid Sexism

Let us assume that, as of this point, Mark Ozias has indeed defeated Dim King Jim to become the next Clallam County Commissioner.

Let us assume that this makes people of a moderate to liberal outlook happy. Especially if we also assume that many of those people think it's difficult for moderate to liberal candidates to win elections in Clallam County.

Ah, but let us remember that Obama has carried Clallam County. In recent years, other clearly liberal candidates - Larry Little, Max Mania, Sissi Bruch - have won elections in Port Angeles.

And Port Angeles is the population center in Clallam County.

So, why has it been so difficult for the Democrats to win County Commissioner elections in Clallam County?

Because of the Democratic Party in Clallam County, and the sexism (among other ills) that is so pervasive within it.

Remember: Linda Barnfather, a qualified and connected candidate, ran for County Commissioner - and had people within her own party sabotage her campaign. Dale Holiday, a highly qualified candidate, ran for County Commissioner - and had people within her own party sabotage her campaign. Sissi Bruch, yet another highly qualified candidate, ran for County Commissioner - and had, at best, tepid support from within her own party.

All three of these educated, connected, skilled women ran, and lost, thanks in no small part to the poisonous plotting against them from inside their own political party.

Now, nice guy novice, political nobody, Mark Ozias runs - and defeats a well-fortified incumbent.

Of course, Mark Ozias is almost certainly bearing a penis, while the three women mentioned above lacked that item. So clearly, the advantage must go to Mr. Ozias. Which is not to knock his passion or abilities. But, really, given the past three elections for County Commissioner, I have to ask the question: How big a role does sexism play in local politics in Clallam County? Does anyone else see a pattern here?

17 comments:

  1. Ck, I think you are on the right track, but not entirely correct. I think you are absolutely right about the Clallam Democratic Party being a toxic wasteland, but I'm not convinced about the sexism part.

    On second thought, you may be right on both counts. I was thinking of vote results, instead of the campaign efforts mustered,

    But, even the campaign for Mark was so lame and light weight. With so much at stake, and still it was hard to see that there was even a campaign underway.

    And that is where I get stuck. Yes, the campaign help from the Clallam Democratic Party was virtually non existent for Linda B, and Dale H.. Sissi was only slightly more visible, but I don't know that it was because of the Clallam Democrats.

    Point being, looking at all of the recent election campaigns, can you point to ANY that were exciting, engaging, interesting or.. memorable, that the Clallam Democrats have been responsible for? Anything?

    As you so correctly point out, it isn't that Port Angeles residents are not interested in voting for progressive candidates. But, it appears, progressives are not being served well by the Clallam Democratic organization.

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    1. The last candidate that I can think of that the Democrats actively sought out and supported before the election season even got underway was...Mike Chapman. The rest have had to fend for themselves.

      And per your last point...When the Democrats are consistently behaving in the same way that a sexist idiot like Dick Pilling would...The person most likely to be pleased with that is...Dick Pilling.

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    2. I don't disagree.

      As I said, I'm not so sure it is about sexism, per se, but that the current Clallam Democratic Party leadership (and past, it appears) are not much help for candidates. In fact, as there is plenty of evidence of, they are a significant hindrance.

      Is it worth putting effort into replacing them?

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  2. Other than the odious and slimy Matthew Randazzo being gone, the Clallam County Democratic Party still has essentially the same crew of tired old (sexist) men involved with it, and running it. The same people who put Randazzo in charge are still there. They are still in charge. So has anything really changed? I don't think so.

    Congrats to Mark. Now the first thing he needs to do is use his newfound clout to clean house at his own Party headquarters. Otherwise, the same sick dynamic will continue to prevail.

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  3. Keep in mind there are only a dozen or so "bigwigs" in the local democratic party. Several other "hangers on" show up and do as they are told. Brash, loud mouthed bullies talk down anyone who attempts to promote an idea not endorsed by these dozen or so blowhards. In sum, we have no democratic party. We have the illusion of a democratic party which gets in the way of one ever developing. We are not going to elect the people we need in leadership by depending on the democratic party. Let's let them play their silly ass games and go around them--directly to the people and let them rebuild a proper party apparatus or dissolve into irrelevancy. One more item. The dems have a weekly meeting where they read and discuss lofty matters that have absolutely no relevance to the local concerns. Turn these weekly meetings into voter registration drives, voter information gathering, writing news releases about local political intrigue. In other words "Get local" or get gone.

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  4. The quotes in the PDN from McEntire are typical. Congratulate the winner? No. Just the sour grapes of "probably won't run for public office again".

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  5. You may be over simplifying your analysis of recent county elections. First of all, McEntire is a very unpopular figure - it is possible that all of the women could have defeated him in this election cycle - much the same way that Max defeated Edna for City Council after she chased the Farmer's Market out of downtown. Virturally, anyone who ran against her , with the exception of Peter Ripley, was going to beat her. I agree there were problems with the Democratic Commitee, especially when it came to Dale. However, each of these women were not without flaws that got in the way of running effective campaigns.

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    1. I don't see any campaigns, to speak of. What do they do, besides ask for money?

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    2. They rent a storefront for "visibility." Too bad, as noted, their support of their own candidates isn't more visible. Lord knows their dysfunction has been.

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  6. I'm off for a couple of days in the wilderness. Sorry to leave when the next round of ballot results will be coming in, but...I'll be back soon enough.

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  7. Sayeth Dim (Soon to be Ex) King Jim, "After 46 and 1/2 years of public service blah blah blah..." I thought only children in single digits counted half years. Ah, but I guess Dim (Soon to be Ex) King Jim is a child at heart, eh?

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    1. I thought his " It will be a cold day in the netherworld before I run for public office again" was telling.

      Awww, Jim, it must be so bad to to think everyone loves you, adores you, and follows everything you do with adoring stars in their eyes.

      Vindictive response? You bet! Look at how he approached governance.

      I also would like to give acknowledgement to Dale Wilson and Port O Call for all the coverage and exposure he gave to help people in the area know what Jim McEntire was doing for the year leading up to this vote.

      And, the other big story is Cherie Kidd being so effectively challenged by a complete no-name new comer who barely ran any kind of a campaign. Had Bareham actually run any kind of coherent campaign, Cherie would have lost.

      So, Cherie, sit in your chair at council knowing that.

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    2. "Big Jim" is a petty little man. Good riddance to fat rubbish.

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    3. ya right...thank mr. wilson...next he'll want us all to send him a "thank you" check and collect more donations. he needs a REAL job to ya'know

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    4. @ 8:18 am

      Who else created a newspaper to counter the crap we've been fed for all these years, that reaches 10,000 households in the county every month? You? Should we be thanking you for.. what, exactly?

      Who else exposed what McEntire was doing, month after month, and sent those expose's to 10,000 voters houses in the county for the years or more prior to the election? You?

      Exactly. You did shit for nothing, while Mr. Wilson worked his ass off.

      You may not like the guy, but you should have enough guts and integrity to give credit where credit is due.

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  8. Turning to the puzzling story of missing cyclist Harold Backer-why can't officials be more than 85% certain that he debarked in Port Angeles? Passports and identities are checked at both ends of the journey, so why the uncertainty?

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