Blame hard right for GOP's inability to be competitive
Wednesday, August 13, 2003 9:15 AM PDT
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E-mail this articleThe man who some in the state Republican Party thought had the best chance to be the state's first Republican governor in 20 years has pulled out of the race, leaving his party in a pickle.
Former Microsoft Corp. executive Bob Herbold shouldn't feel guilty, though. The problem is not of his making. The problem is his party's.
Washington has become so solidly Democratic because the Republican Party veered to the hard right years ago and hasn't budged since, leaving moderates no place to turn but to the Democrats.
Like clockwork every four years, Washington voters reject the GOP gubernatorial candidates as too conservative, especially on social issues. Yet the state Republican Party perseveres, content to lose election after election as long as "right-thinking" Republicans continue to control the party.
In backing out of the gubernatorial nominating race, Herbold said, "There's an awful lot of people who are operating independently, with their first priority being themselves." We think he's talking about the far right people who dominate his party.
With more than 15 months before the 2004 elections, the Republicans have already conceded, in essence, the governor's office. They also have done considerable damage to U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt, a Spokane Republican, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. Without a strong gubernatorial candidate to help the ticket, Nethercutt is going to have an even bigger challenge.
Some naive Republicans think President Bush will have coattails in Washington state, but don't count on it. Bush campaigned in Washington several times in 2000 and lost this state soundly. It's no accident that Bush has not visited Washington in his more than 2 1/2 years in office. This state is not in play in the 2004 presidential election, and he knows it.
Only state GOP Chairman Chris Vance among Republican leaders seems to understand the value of getting candidates who can appeal to moderates and swing voters. His voice alone is not enough.
Until the state Republican Party softens its message, it doesn't have to worry about controlling the governor's mansion. It should worry, though, about the milestones it has planted around the necks of President Bush and Rep. Nethercutt.
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