Newspaper tells Rossi to concede

The media spin on the WA governor race is beginning to turn. The Oregonian is now urging Dino Rossi (R) to concede after "probably the closest vote in U.S. history for an office of such magnitude".

They also debunk any allegation from republicans of voter fraud or comparisons with the situation in the Ukraine.

Here's the link: http://www.oregonlive.com/editorials/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1103806679248030.xml

the text of the editorial after the jump

"And the winner is . . . Gregoire?

If her incredibly narrow lead holds up today, Dino Rossi should concede in the Washington state governor's race

Thursday, December 23, 2004

For three chaotic weeks in Washington state, Dino Rossi has held the title of Washington state governor-elect and has battled hard to hang onto it.

Today, though, he's plain old Dino Rossi again, the 45-year-old Republican real estate agent from Issaquah. Washington now has a new governor-elect, Democrat Christine Gregoire, the state's 57-year-old attorney general.

In the second and presumably final recount of Washington's Nov. 2 gubernatorial election, Gregoire came from 49 votes behind and edged ahead of Rossi Wednesday by just 10 votes in the statewide tally.

That's an astoundingly narrow margin for an election in which 2.9 million votes were cast. Her microscopic winning edge, though, could grow a bit as a result of a big boost she received Wednesday afternoon from the Washington Supreme Court. It ruled that King County must count several hundred ballots that had been wrongly disqualified back in the initial November vote because of administrative errors.

That ruling probably cinches it for Gregoire. Since King County, home of Seattle and its suburbs, is an overwhelming Democratic stronghold, she is considered a sure bet to pick up most of those 700-plus votes.

They'll be tallied today. If the secretary of state's office then certifies Gregoire as the winner, the state will have to reimburse the Democratic Party for the $730,000 it had to pony up to pay for the second recount.

While the state Supreme Court was hearing arguments Wednesday on the ballot dispute in Olympia, a few hundred protesters rallied in front of the courthouse to show support for Rossi. Some held signs saying "Welcome to Ukraine" and "No more fraud."

But no fraud has been evident in this election. The only thing irregular about it is that it's probably the closest vote in U.S. history for an office of such magnitude, according to research done by State Elections Director Nick Handy.

The first recount, by machine, and the second recount, by hand, were closely monitored by both major political parties. The entire process was guided precisely by state law and overseen by Secretary of State Sam Reed, a Republican.

Nevertheless, Rossi supporters vowed to go back to county canvassing boards with demands that they reconsider Rossi ballots that were disqualified. Republican leaders also said they're prepared to go to court to challenge the election results.

That's Rossi's legal right, just as it was Gregoire's legal right to ask for the second recount. But it's hard to imagine Rossi being able to turn the tide back in his favor.

He led by only 261 votes after the Nov. 2 election. He led by only 42 votes after the first recount. He trailed by 10 votes after the second recount. And he's almost certain to trail by more than that after those 700-plus King County ballots get belatedly counted today.

In the absence of any convincing evidence of election fraud or procedural error, it's time for someone in this amazing election to concede. Right now, it looks like that someone should be Dino Rossi."

•  when the shoe's on the other foot...

  The Repugs called us tinfoil hatters and conspiracy theorists, but now that an elections tilting the other way, suddenly they're using the "f" word? What a bunch of hypocrites!

  by chantedor on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:43:33 AM PDT

•  thanks for the update

  The Republican call for reports of uncounted military votes is not mentioned as a factor in the editorial.

  Are the rethugs still trying to make it [uncounted military ballots] an issue?

  peace

  by peace voter on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:43:56 AM PDT

•  Go Oregonian! n/t

  by Justess on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:47:00 AM PDT

  •  Amazing...

    ...considering how conservative the Oregonian is.

    by BuckMulligan on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 09:19:23 AM PDT

•  asdf

  If he doesn't concede we'll just soften him up for Sen. Cantwell in 2006. I think Cantwell is almost a shoe in dispite what most of you might think. She was a no name, women (big issue in 2000) who slayed a well known incumbant Repug. So what! she used her own money. Now she must do like Schumer and start talking to her constituents and spearhead an issue, the money will then flow. Ask Dean...

  by FLS on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:51:08 AM PDT

  •  She's very vulnerable.

    Two words : donor base.  She doesn't have one and Rossi does.  Odds are she will lose in 2006 but it will be close again.

    by alexm on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:54:50 AM PDT

    •  Merry Christmas to you too

      by Genf on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:59:46 AM PDT

      •  She's going to need a MONUMENTAL. field effort.

        not just money.

        by alexm on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 01:50:15 PM PDT

    •  I disagree

      There's going to be a tonne of fighting over that seat.  The lessons learned this cycle will make us faster, smarter and stronger for such a non-presidential election.

      by changingamerica on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 10:06:23 AM PDT

      •  Majority of Dems in WA don't like her.

        For all the wrong, stupid and trivial reasons of course but she is in real trouble.

        by alexm on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 01:51:12 PM PDT

•  How did the paper phrase it exactly

  Did it use the either the term "sore loser" or "quit whining"?  

  Impeach Cheney now.

  by Tug on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:52:26 AM PDT

•  Get used to saying "Governor Gregoire!"

  Gotta love them Washingtonians...!  Seems they think Dems shouldn't automatically concede in a tight race.  What country are they living in?  Surely not the US of A, wherein John Kerry throws in the towel 12 hours, if that long after sending out John Edwards to say he won't throw in the towel!  FIGHT THE POWER.

  by Spindizzy on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:54:09 AM PDT

•  Congratulations, Governor Gregoire!

  And many thanks, kudos, and best wishes to the SOS and WASC!

  by a2jean on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:54:16 AM PDT

•  A few hundred protestors...

  ... at this stage, and in race for Governor.

  It will likely be futile, because there is no "there" there .... but I wish we had an organization - and candidates - with this much spine.

  I'm not sure how big any of the Ohio protests have been ... and we certainly haven't had anybody close to the Kerry campaign say the "f" word or mention Ukraine.

  by Timoteo on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 08:55:47 AM PDT

•  But but but

  Rossi already won twice. Thats the best 2 of three. Isn't that good enough?

  by white blitz on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 09:19:29 AM PDT

•  Did you read?

  The comments from a couple of the Dems in Washington St?

  "It's time for Democrats somewhere to draw a line in the sand and say we are not going to let bully Republican tactics determine who our governor is or how an election is going to be determined," he (Paul Berendt, chairman of the state Democratic Party) said.

  Mr. Berendt said Washington Democrats had decided from the start that what he described as Al Gore's "nice guy" approach was not to be the tactic here.

  "I don't think there's any doubt that people are empowered by this whole thing," said Representative Jim McDermott, one of the state's most prominent Democrats. "The feeling of many of us is they quit too soon in Ohio. We don't know what happened there, but we said, 'By God, they're not going to do that in Washington.' "
  

  by EastFallowfield on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 09:22:46 AM PDT

•  These machines are just

  not good when a race is this close.

  Think about: He led by only 261 votes after the Nov. 2 election. He led by only 42 votes after the first recount. He trailed by 10 votes after the second recount.  That's in a state where the election process was about as clean as it gets these days.

  IIRC GWB's lead in FL 2000 after the mandatory machine recount was reduced by a factor larger than Rossi's was.  (And there were counties that never even did the machine recount.)  No way could GWB have survived a full manual recount which is why they went to federal court immediately to stop it.

  by Marie on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 09:26:50 AM PDT

•  Closest race?

  Everyone has forgotten the 1974 New Hampshire U.S. Senate election (Louis Wyman vs. John Durkin).  After a recount, it was a tie, and a new election had to be held.

  by bdbd on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 09:58:31 AM PDT

  •  not quite

    I figure the US Senate website might know whereof it speaks:

    Unusual Facts

    Representative John A. Durkin disputed the results of the 1974 Senate election under which the New Hampshire Ballot Commission declared Representative Louis C. Wyman victorious by two votes. After two months of considering the case, the Senate declared the seat vacant, and the state held a new election, which Durkin won.  

    For more details, look here.  So it was a 2-vote margin after the final recount.  That's out of something under 250,000 votes (I haven't found 11/5/74 results, but the "recordbreaking" special election drew 253,277 votes).  A margin of 10 out of 2.884 million is, in the sense of percentages, closer.  Of course, we anticipate that Gregoire's will widen, perhaps into triple digits(!), when the disputed King County ballots are tallied.  Which would, indeed, place the crown back on Louis Wyman's and John Durkin's heads.

    Thanks for the info!

    by N in Seattle on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 10:57:06 AM PDT

•  So did the

  Seattle PI
  Tacoma News Tribune (endorsed Rossi)

  by changingamerica on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 10:03:13 AM PDT

  •  where?

    Found the tribune article:

    http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/4370892p-4136814c.html

    But I couldn't find anything in the PI about it.  Can you link to it?  Thanks!

    by joe on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 10:34:20 AM PDT

    •  PI

      PI Editorial
      "We commend Republican Dino Rossi for a strong, honest effort..."
      No mention of Evans' efforts though.

      by Lahdee on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 11:28:25 AM PDT

•  Just think. . .

  Kerry would have conceded ages ago.

  by Lords on Thu Dec 23, 2004 at 10:33:49 AM PDT