Excellent News in Washington State
By It looks as if the hideous Nethercutt attack ads on Patty Murray have backfired:
Two weeks ago, Republican opponent George Nethercutt went nuclear on Murray, doing the “Murray supports OBL” bit that sunk Max Cleland. Everyone waited with baited breath to see how the ads would shake up the race.
They did — in Murray’s favor. SUSA tracked Nethercutt’s collapse. Before the ads, 9/22, Murray was leading 41-38. After the Osama ads, on 10/5, Murray’s lead increased to 57-38. An internal Murray poll gave her a similar 53-38 lead after the ads.
That is wonderful news. I’ve never been that concerned about Murray’s survival, but her renewed strength bodes well for the governor’s race and the race for Jeniffer Dunn’s old seat. Even better news in today’s PI:
An unpublished statewide poll by Evans/McDonough, completed Sept. 30, came up with an almost identical 51-40 Gregoire lead. The Seattle firm is polling for foes of a gambling initiative on the November ballot.
It looks as if the RNC is pulling out of Washington, and won’t be giving much money at all to either Rossi or Nethercutt. This is a very good thing; while I was never worried about Murray, I have been extremely concerned about Gregoire. Neither the Republican nor the Democratic parties in Washington have been exemplars of competence. The Republicans typically nominate some half-mad Easterner for governor, predictably getting crushed, while the Democrats get by with milquetoast nominees like Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire. This year, the Republicans figured out that presentation matters, and nominated Dino Rossi, an attractive candidate from the metropolitan eastside. Rossi believes all the things that the crazy Eastern Washington crew believes, but he’s much better at packaging for suburbanites.
Thus, it’s good to hear that Gregoire is maintaining a lead, and that the RNC is giving up on Washington.