Dino Rossi’s Road to Olympia Runs Through a Fog of Ignorance
by Zachary Frazier
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
In a year when the Democrats stand poised to crush the Republican’s on the national level, normally left-leaning Washington State threatens to go right. The rematch between gubernatorial candidates Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi is sliding Dino’s way. This slip is not accidental. It relies on a carefully crafted campaign of doublespeak, innuendo, and rhetorical constructs aimed at confusing voters more than a butterfly ballot in Florida.
For those of you who don’t remember (and memory and knowledge is key) four years ago, Gregoire defeated republican Rossi by 129 votes after three recounts to become Governor, and has kept up a proud tradition of Democratic Governors in Washington (generally pushing moderate to progressive politics, and definitely not leaders.) Despite her narrow win, this year’s race should by all rights be Gregoire’s. Gregoire claims her leadership has largely helped Washington avoid the economic downturn, and in looking at her generally pro-business stance her claims are most likely true. She has satisfied her base by helping push through some progressive laws, like the Permanent Partner Benefit Bill, that have been viewed favorably by the west side of the state. So why is she having such a hard time clinching this election?
The answer is that Rossi is running a shrewd campaign. Rossi and his supporters learned valuable lessons last election, and as a result have created a cloak of ignorance to exploit voters using the same Republican messages that have been successful on the national stage. The number one lesson that Rossi learned last time is Washington State is largely Democratic. As a result, this year’s Rossi has stayed away from almost all substantive policy discussion with two exceptions: transit and fiscal discipline. When asked about abortion rights, reproductive rights, and gay rights, Rossi’s stock answer is that he’s not running on those issues. This statement allows Rossi to duck out of his voting record. But rather than not having opinions on these issues, Rossi’s history shows him leaning very far to the right. The creation of vagaries is one reason why Rossi has the support of 37% of the states pro-choice voters according to an August Survey USA poll.
The second strategy that the Rossi Campaign has employed is changing the ballot annotation. The (R) normally associated with the republican candidate has been changed to a (Prefers GOP) label. Despite a law suit that was widely covered in the papers over how Rossi will appear on the ballot this November, the change in how his party appears gives Rossi a three point boost according to a September Ellway Poll. The reason why Rossi can get away with exploiting this system is that his right flank is effectively protected by the Top Two Primary System. Before the Top Two system, the move away from the tarnished Republican brand and into the gray zone of “Prefers GOP” would have made the Rossi campaign vulnerable to a threat from an opportunistic right wing politician. Such a threat would chip at Rossi’s base by out righting him, and also would use the (R) label on the ballot to draw support out of the 25% of Washington State voters who doesn’t know what GOP means. This protection allows Rossi to exploit and expand any ignorance about his candidacy using it to his advantage. This strategy really shows just how much of a typical Republican Rossi is.
Recently, the Rossi campaign and associated 527’s (today’s versions of the PAC’s that Swift Boated Kerry) have used this cloud of ignorance in an extremely interesting way. The video below demonstrates Rossi’s exploitation and, in some ways, fostering of ignorance. It marks a recent campaign strategy to run Rossi as a Democrat (of sorts), against the Republican brand (and to some measure projecting that brand on to the incumbent.)
The ad utilizes fears of the current economic crisis to boost his campaign. A key moment aiding Rossi’s obfuscation of the candidate’s platforms comes at the end when the ad claims that Gregoire has “done to Washington State, what they’ve done to the rest of the country.” At the same time a Wall Street sign is imposed on a national map with a red Washington State with Gergiore’s picture over it. This particular set of images creates confusion and ignorance by tying Gregiore to the national economic system created by big deregulators like the Bush Administration and the pre-2006 Congress. The image of the red and Gergiore serves two purposes. The first is obvious: the state is in the red. But the second more subtle feature is to further connect her to the Republican brand by tying her image to the Republican color red. When we see Rossi in this ad, he appears in a green nature background wearing a blue shirt, creating contrast in viewers mind from the same brand implications that Gregiore is subjected too.
Rossi’s ad uses the contrast and subtle branding to position his campaign to a place in the public consciousness where it can adopt the change brand that’s being used successfully by Democrats all over the country. It’s implied that Rossi will adopt the “safe” and sometimes even the anti-market positions (if we extend the full meaning of the change brand to Rossi.) The really sly part about such an ad is that it functions best at a symbolic and emotional level. We have to break the ad down, and ask what messages it imposes and what we impose on it, before we can fully understand it, and what it means for this election. Most of us aren’t willing to partake in this level of analysis and introspection, which is one of the things that make this ad and the ads like it extremely effective. Yet, this is only a sample of what Rossi and associated 537’s are running this election season.
Unfortunately, Dino Rossi’s ads are hard to counter, making it easy for him to create the ignorance which will allow for victory in a state which is becoming more progressive every election cycle. Countering such a system isn’t easy. It’s the apathy so present in our current system that will let Rossi succeed.
In Give Me Liberty, Washington State native and author Naomi Wolf pushes home the point that positive political change requires sacrifice. Easy solutions aren’t going to win this time, which means Democrats have to get off the couch now. Blogging is great, donations are better, but boots on the ground, voices on the phone, and neighbors talking to neighbors, are how Gregiore will win. If anything we should know that when Democrats sit around, they lose. Democrats are faced with a candidate who, like the Bush administration is willing to create and exploit ignorance, it behooves us all to get involved. Not tomorrow, not on the 4th of November, but today.
October 16th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Child Protective Services has failed to protect another child. We could criticize that agency for this tragedy and for not correcting itself after a history of incompetence and many such tragedies, but ultimately the fault lies with Governor Gregoire who has failed to govern. Since being in office she has done little or nothing to correct the incompetence of CPS. Neither has she done anything significant to change the ways of many state agencies.
CPS’ parent agency, the Department of Social And Health Services continues as a bloated, inefficient bureaucracy. The Department of Transportation acts like it is staffed with social engineers concerned with HOV lanes instead of civil engineers concerned with roads and bridges. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction continues to support an ineffective mode of teaching mathematics (See Ted Nutting’s Seattle Times article 10/12/08) and can’t figure out how to effectively test students’ progress. The ferry system is so outmoded several of its ferries were good only for scrap. I could go on.
We need a governor who will take charge of our state government agencies and make them do correctly and effeciently what they are supposed to do. In short, we need a governor who will govern. It’s time to let Rossi to govern.
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Zachary Frazier Reply:
October 17th, 2008 at 12:34 am
@Hjalmar Petersen,
I am sure Dino Rossi and his supporters have answers to the points I could make against your regurgitated talking points. I’m sure he can justify his past positions, like cutting teacher salaries. But really, if these solutions are right, why not propose them? Why run the last part of his campaign as a democrat challenging a republican? In ads like the one I reference in the article Rossi almost seems like he’s willing to spend more money. But then in the social worker, and sex offender ads he’s never really mentioned. But if we define Rossi in opposition to the image of Gregoire portrayed in those ads then isn’t the implication that Rossi will spend more and fix the problem to provide more resources? If Rossi is running against Gregoire as essentially to the left Gregoire, why should trust him with my vote? Looking at his record and statements in the past is he to the left of Gregoire, or is there deceit, or worse, the deliberate creation of Unknowing?
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October 16th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Gregoire is Chagrined
The differences couldn’t be more stark. The candidates have laid out their intentions for our future. It’s all over ‘cept for the choosin’, as they say. I was fortunate enough to attend last night’s debate at KING 5 studios in Seattle. This was the final time that Dino Rossi and Christine Gregoire would be on the same stage before votes are taken in the 2008 election. Gregoire is desperately trying to hold on to her position for another four-year reign. Rossi is trying to appeal to the more independent “middle” to join his quest in “changing the culture of state government for a generation.” Last night, quite simply, Rossi was successful in doing that.
The substance of this final debate was largely unchanged from the previous four. However, there were a couple of shining moments for Rossi, who at one point turned directly at Gregoire and told her that he did not appreciate the way in which her false accusations and shifty statements were demeaning the office of which they both seek. That was probably the biggest “moment” of the entire debate series.
Since the debate followed the final presidential debate last night where John McCain effectively told Barack Obama that he was not George Bush, it was painfully obvious that Gregoire was trying hard not to use Bush’s name during the debate, instead going with “chagrined” three times. This included attempts to describe negative campaign ads from Rossi. Rossi, however, rightly pointed out that all of his campaign’s ads have been positive in nature, focusing on his vision for the future. You can find all of Rossi’s ads on http://www.dinorossi.com and judge for yourself. What Gregoire was referring to obviously, were the ads produced independently by the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW), which has spent well over a couple million in support of Rossi for Governor.
Negative Advertising Claims
In Washington State, the law provides for independent organizations to spend money in support of candidates as long as the candidates do not have prior knowledge of the expenditures. Candidates are also forbidden from coordinating with any independent groups regarding their expenditure efforts. To this date, there has been no evidence that Dino Rossi has violated any laws, despite anything Gregoire and her supporters may purport. What we have is simply one group (the building industry) getting involved in the democratic process of elections – something to which they have the right to do, just like any other private organization. They are far outnumbered and outfunded by the multiple groups behind Gregoire which are expending funds in support of her. In fact, the BIAW represents small businesses, employers, and employees around the state and all of its dollars come from their voluntary donations.
On the other hand, pro-Gregoire groups are laregly union-based, receiving most of their funds from employees of government, which ultimately means that you – the taxpayer – are forced to fund a campaign against yourself if you happen to be in support of Dino Rossi. Where does the real controversy lay here? This is exactly the broken system that Dino Rossi intends to fix when he is elected – the chokehold that state government has over the people of our state.
The Case for Voting Republican in 2008
To all of my Democrat and Independent friends: Whomever you prefer for President, Dino Rossi has more than made the case that he deserves your vote for Governor. As he said last night and as we know from his experience in the Senate, he is the candidate who stands for postive change in Olympia. By re-electing Christine Gregoire, we would be voting to uphold the status quo, which all sides can agree has failed us big time for many years. This election is not about stem-cell research or abortion. It’s not about casinos or construction. We can all agree that no doubt we need a new direction in America, especially here in our State Capitol where it will affect our pocket books even more everyday. We are pinched by traffic congestion, high taxes, an astronomical failure rate for small businesses, and a general climate that is not conducive to a progressive state if it is to move forward prosperously. The current financial crisis and the looming $3.2 billion deficit caused by the incumbent Governor will only be exacerbated should she be given another four years. We can’t wait that long for this ship to be righted, nor can we afford it.
Take a Moment, Contemplate, and Choose
Between now and when you cast your all-important ballot, I urge you to visit the Black Diamond Museum in South King County. Get a glimpse of the two-man saw that hangs on the wall there, which was used by Dino Rossi’s grandfather Silvino Rossi – a coal miner at the turn of the last century. He came to America from Italy to provide a better life for his family. And he chose Washington as the place to do it. This is a story that many of us can relate to if we go back and examine our own family’s history. For what we have here in America and Washington, we are blessed. But as with all good things, what we have must be protected. And we must ensure that our future and the future of our children is protected now. Runaway government spending, overly-burdensom taxes, and erosion of a healthy private sector does not serve us well, to say the least. I will be visiting the museum in the coming days. There is no place more different than Olympia than the small town of Black Diamond, and that is where I will fill out my ballot in support of Dino Rossi as our next Governor of Washington.
Pierce County Ballots on the Way
The County Auditor’s office will mail absentee ballots to registered voters tomorrow, October 17. That essentially means that voting will begin this weekend at kitchen tables all around the county. We will be out in the neighborhoods throughout the weekend and into next week continuing to spread Dino’s message of fiscal conservatism and social conscience. Please join us by donating just an hour or two of your time. Your volunteerism could help change the mind of one voter this weekend. And with a difference of only 129 votes statewide in 2004, the one vote that you recruit in 2008 could be all the difference in this election of a lifetime. If you’d like to join other citizens during these final days and hours until November 4, please contact me at 253-381-0037 or alexander286@gmail.com right away. Thank you for your time, and thank you for supporting Dino Rossi for Governor. For details on Dino’s plans for Washington, visit http://www.dinorossi.com .
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Zachary Frazier Reply:
October 17th, 2008 at 12:12 am
@Alex, To all of my Democrat and Independent friends: Whomever you prefer for President, Dino Rossi has more than made the case that he deserves your vote for Governor. As he said last night and as we know from his experience in the Senate, he is the candidate who stands for postive change in Olympia. By re-electing Christine Gregoire, we would be voting to uphold the status quo, which all sides can agree has failed us big time for many years. This election is not about stem-cell research or abortion. It’s not about casinos or construction. We can all agree that no doubt we need a new direction in America, especially here in our State Capitol where it will affect our pocket books even more everyday. We are pinched by traffic congestion, high taxes, an astronomical failure rate for small businesses, and a general climate that is not conducive to a progressive state if it is to move forward prosperously. The current financial crisis and the looming $3.2 billion deficit caused by the incumbent Governor will only be exacerbated should she be given another four years. We can’t wait that long for this ship to be righted, nor can we afford it. This section perfectly illustrates my point. I would refer people to two excellent features that stranger’s run. The first is from this weeks issue: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=696772 The second was published about 4 weeks ago: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=684699&c=hp Rossi has very definite positions and these positions matter to Washington Voters. The tactic of brushing them aside should really be looked down upon. I’m not saying we have to have a culture war, but Rossi should have to stand by his record. He should be proud of it, not hide it like a dark secret. If Rossi is qualified to lead why can’t he stand by his position to lower the minimum wage, and his actions cutting teacher salaries? I think its important to understand that the reason why Rossi is performing so well, is because he is hiding who he is. For her part it’s Gregoire and her allies job to make up the difference and that is something they haven’t been able to do that. For disclosure’s sake I am voting for Gregoire. I’m pretty much a Democrat. But it’s been interesting to watch this election close in the last few weeks as Rossi and associated 527′s run anti-establishment ads that seem almost to directly contradict what Rossi would do as Governor and that was the point of my article. To explore the shift in the race.
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October 16th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
If Rossi wins will Washington run out of hair gel?
In all seriousness, while Gregoire has managed a very stable Washington she hasn’t done all that much. I wouldn’t say that’s indication that she needs to be pushed out. You might even say “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”, but I wouldn’t ever say that.
If Zach, what you are suggesting about Rossi’s campaign is true, then that’s really too bad. I don’t think Rossi needs to be negative of create a fog in order to win this. He is more charismatic and perhaps a better leader. Saying such, I do disagree where he stands fundamentally. I don’t think his ideas on higher standards for schools (sounds like No Child Left Behind) is a good idea, nor $15 billion on transportation issues. I don’t think more spending is the answer but instead real conservatism.
With Gregoire’s centrist record, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was more fit to lead in today’s economy but at the same time, what has she done for Washington lately?
On the other hand, Dino is a risk that I don’t know if Washington can take.
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October 17th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Die Die Rossi!
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RR Anderson Reply:
October 17th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
just kidding. here’s my Rossi cartoon!
http://www.feedtacoma.com/tacomic/?tid=8931
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October 18th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
If Rossi gets elected, Children will lose health coverage and the public education system will undergo further privitization.
If Gregoire gets elected, you will lose your constitutional rights to freedom from unwarranted search and seizures, tole roads will be establish (though Rossi would probably do this too) and we’ll continue to forge ties with China and Tibet.
Take your pick.
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