Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Getting to 51% from 37%

At long last, the finally primary results are in for the Clallam County Commissioner's race. In the general election this fall, it'll be returning retiree Ron Richards, Democrat, versus really a Republican Randy Johnson. Yes, it's the old man partisan smackdown you've been waiting for. Or not.


Now, in the primary, which had 40% voter turnout (in the district in question), Ron Richards handily won with 37.8% of the vote, or roughly a third of votes cast. Randy Johnson came in second with just 25.7% of the vote. Looking at those numbers, you'd think this was a slam dunk for Ron Richards.

But...Foolish Republican fat boy Gabe Rygaard also got 22.5% of the vote, and the ever-present Republican Maggie Roth got 14%. Being that we all know, and the voters all know, that RANDY JOHNSON IS REALLY A REPUBLICAN, TOO, it's clear that the collective Republican votes in the primary swamped Ron Richards almost two-to-one.

Of course, Republicans don't like anything that's collective, so some of those votes may peel off or outright vanish in the general, but, as a trend, I'd say this is worrisome for Ron Richards. Especially given the dismal track record the local Democratic Party has with their County Commissioner candidates. (On the other hand, Ron Richards is not a woman, so the local Democratic bigwigs may be less inclined to mess with or sabotage his campaign, as they have with the last three Democratic women who ran for that office.)

The wild card in all this may be Republican excitement and/or foreboding feelings of doom due to the Cheeto Jesus at the top of their ticket. He's looking like a real drag for down ticket candidates in a lot of places. But in rural and rednecky Clallam County? He may be generating more energy than lethargy.

We shall see...But what say you? Are any of you feeling particularly hopeful about this race? Are any of you feeling particularly hopeful even at the thought of a Ron Richards victory? Is it really going forward to dredge up a candidate from so far back?

19 comments:

  1. Simple question to ask oneself: Who, in this election, has done the most for the county in the recent past. Johnson has sat on his ass at the EDC for several years keeping competition out of the local marketplace and freezing jobs at minimum wage. Ron Richard successfully rejected Jim McEntire's attempt to throttle the Opportunity Fund by turning this fund over to the EDC completely. If you liked McEntire you will love Johnson. If you like someone who is looking out for the future of the county, Ron Richards is the easy pick.

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    1. Let me reframe part of my question(s):

      What does it say about Clallam County that the "best" candidate is one who is so old, dredged up from so long ago, and who misrepresents himself in public? I agree that Ron Richards is likely to do less damage than slimy, creepy, icky, sleazy Randy Johnson, but that's not saying much. (I hate Clinton, but yes, she'd probably be better than Cheeto Jesus, for instance.)

      In other words, forget asking where are the forward-thinking candidates of tomorrow - where are the younger, have-more-future-than-past leaders of today? Ron Richards can hold the seat for a term...Then what?

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    2. Then we spend the next few years raising the level of rhetoric. Dare I say inform and energize the voting public. Speak truth to power. Progressive minded people have to get off their asses and vote.

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    3. Yes, but these are two separate questions, and issues.

      One is the current options and slate on the November ballot. Of THOSE choices, the choice is very clear. Ron Richards is, without any doubt, the best and most qualified candidate.

      Now, what will it take to get "younger blood" to participate in all aspects of local governance? Including the County Board of County Commissioners?

      CK asks: "Ron Richards can hold the seat for a term...Then what?" From what has been said here, our more immediate concern is the Mayor of Port Angeles, who isn't expected to make it to the end of this year. "Then what?"

      It isn't that there are not "younger" people who are involved and concerned. Eulalia, who writes so beautifully for the Port o Call, clearly demonstrates her concerns, understanding, and compassion. I'd support her candidacy.

      Just think of the options if Ron didn't decide to run. No one else (that isn't a Repub idiot) made the effort. Give credit where it is due.

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    4. As much as Richards is definitely the least evil, according to an earlier thread on this site, the EDC mafia gave a gross amount of "Opportunity" Funding to the Composite Recycling Technology Center, a bunch of hardcore white-collar-crime perps. The same CRTC that abuses its nonprofit status, being a front for the Port. I'll bet if you follow the money, somehow McEntire got his cut.
      Damn these bastards.

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    5. Where are the younger, have more future than past leaders of today? They have left the peninsula.

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    6. Yes, and some of us older folks are right behind them. This is no place to live your life.

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  2. Yes, a lot of thinking people have left Port Angeles. Was talking to someone who moved here more than 10 years ago, built their home, and now sees themselves as "stuck here". " People who move here for the beauty only find out a couple years later what a mistake they made", this person said.

    So, when thoughtful people see the cronyism and corruption, as we witness with Cherie Kidd and her friends, and leave, what do we end up with? People who can't see they're being abused, and people who think the abuse is okay. And, people who just don't care.

    It will be an interesting next 4 or 5 months.

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  3. Seize the moment--vote appropriately--remind your friends and neighbors what is in the balance, make sure they vote too.

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  4. Cherie Kidd and Pat Downie, in their doddering foolishness, exemplify the sort of senior citizen death spiral we're in here. I don't know how a community breaks out of something like this, because the more they dither, the more the young people flee. It's self-reinforcing self-destruction.

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  5. Golly, what's with you people? All the time it's complain, complain, complain. Nothing is ever good enough, is it?

    I mean, you've got an under-50-year-old on the County Commissioners already. And you were all lauding him about how dynamic, fresh, thoughtful, fresh, young, fresh, young and fresh he was. Now he's simple, wet behind the ears, green, too young and generally icky.

    When will you ever be satisfied?

    And what happened to all these "candidates" you were "vetting"?

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    1. someone gave the new commish a big payola of "campaign donations". Too bad you have to report how much, but not how much you spent. Seems to be how local politicos are bribed around here.
      Peer pressure. Social pressure, and spinelessness are a real issue.

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    2. For Fucks sake, get a clue.

      Are you for the future, or just an idiot?

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    3. Let's break this down into small, teeny-tiny, bitty-bits, shall we?

      Anon 11:39PM - First of all, do you suffer from intense insomnia? Are you killing time before your shift starts at Nippon?

      Secondly, I have no idea whom you are addressing, me or 8:36 PM?

      Thirdly, using profanity is the mark of a low intellect, but capitalizing "fuck" and then not adding the apostrophe (i.e. "fuck's") is troglodyte low. Even a Neanderthal would know better.

      So who is the idiot, Future Boy?

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    4. 11:39 I'm not "for the future" if it looks just like the past.

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  6. There was a time when just being old was proof enough you were wise.
    Imbeciles like Kidd and Downie would have fallen off a cliff or been eaten by bears long before they attained positions of authority within the group.
    The issue is not that our leaders are elder...
    The issue is that Our Elders Are Not Wise.
    I wonder about the wisdom of recruiting younger talent - here in PA, the young ones seem to be just as stupid and greedy as the old ones .
    Maybe we should just start feeding them to the bears.

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    1. Maybe it's because the young ones who are still here are NOT the smart ones. The smart ones left a long time ago.

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  7. Who is "Cheeto Jesus"? Is he our latest down town homeless personality?

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    1. Cheeto Jesus is a nickname/title that was bestowed upon on one Donald J. Trump.

      By a REPUBLICAN, mind you.

      I like it, and I use it.

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