mckenna3el2012.jpg
Republicans were confident they had a winner in Rob McKenna, but Jay Inslee leads in the ballot count. (AP Photo/file)

Initiatives block GOP path to governor's mansion

BY Tim Haeck  on November 9, 2012 @ 7:11 am (Updated: 11:34 am - 11/9/12 )

The re-election of the president has Republicans across the country re-examining their philosophy and strategy. The GOP in Washington state has a special challenge that could help explain its failure to break through in the race for governor.

Republicans were confident they had a winner in Rob McKenna. They did a good job getting out the vote, claiming staffers and volunteers made 1.5 million phone calls between August and Election Day.

"I know they've done a great job of turning out Republicans, but there aren't enough Republicans," argued former state GOP chair Chris Vance.

He contends Republicans in Washington have an image problem in that they're victims of the party's national brand on policies that make it hard for Republicans in some states to swim against the blue tide.

"This has now got to be about messaging, beginning with having a sane immigration policy," said Vance. "We've got to be able to talk to Latino voters and you can't even talk to them if they're convinced that your policy is to round up their relatives and deport them."

Vance said Republicans in blue states must work to move the party on key issues.

"It doesn't mean the Republican Party has to sell its soul and all of a sudden start advocating for socialism and higher taxes [...] but on some of these issues, there is room, I think, for the party to move and change its image."

But image change, alone, might not be enough.

"The Republicans have what I call an initiative problem," said Paul Guppy, Vice President for Research at the non-partisan Washington Policy Center. He said Tim Eyman and others promote initiatives that steal the Republicans thunder and bleed support on such issues as tax limits.

"People vote for Eyman initiatives and it gives them less reason to vote for the Republicans," said Guppy.

In other states, he argued, moderate Democrats and independents who want to lower their taxes have to vote for a Republican candidate to achieve that. Here, they can vote for the initiative and stay with the Democrat.

"Because the voter finds, I can affect certain policy changes by voting for an initiative and then separately I make a vote for the state Legislature or for the governor," explained Guppy.

At the non-partisan Freedom Foundation, in Olympia, CEO Jonathan Bechtle said the Republicans don't need wholesale changes in philosophy. He pointed out that voters did split their ticket, voting for Republican McKenna for governor and for President Obama. He argued that moderate Democrats and independents need a compelling reason to vote Republican.

"In the governor's race, you had to go down a layer to find enough differentiation between the candidates," said Bechtle, particularly on taxes. And, he added, Democrat Jay Inslee didn't do or say anything to drive away moderates in his party, or independents.

In 2008, Vance said Democrats had a 10 percent advantage in party identification in Washington, and this year, it was a 13 point advantage.

Bechtle said Republicans must be more targeted toward moderate Democrats, women voters and Hispanics, needing just a couple of percentage points more to make the governor's race more competitive.

Vance said the white vote in Washington fell from 83 percent four years ago to 76 percent this year. He added the GOP has gotten as much support as it can from white, conservative voters.

"The Republican Party has got to start crafting messages and running candidates who can appeal to the new electorate, which is less white, younger, more progressive and if not, it will not survive."

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Tim Haeck, KIRO Radio Reporter
Tim Haeck is a news reporter with KIRO Radio. While Tim is one of our go-to, no-nonsense reporters, he also has a sensationally dry sense of humor and it will surprise some to learn he is a weekend warrior.
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Comments (35)


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  • Lonestar wrote...
    Washington voters did elect Rossi
    November 9, 2012 8:05 am
    If you count the boxes of Rossi ballots Gregoire has in her trunk.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Moondoggie wrote...
    A the Republicans need to do is,
    November 9, 2012 8:46 am
    give away more stuff than the Democrats. AMERICA, Land of the Free Stuff!!!!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    The sour grapes of wrath.
    November 9, 2012 9:04 am
    You guys should take a page from that leftie loon Sean Hannity. Fox News’ Sean Hannity told his radio listeners Thursday that he’s “evolved” on immigration and thinks undocumented immigrants without criminal records should have a “pathway to citizenship.” Or maybe that other liberal ahole, Dick Morris. “I think that the reason that the prediction that I made was wrong, is that I was criticizing the polling. It reflected the same turnout model as there was in 2008. And I said that I thought that was a one-off affair, that it would not continue, and that it was not going to be the permanent turnout model of the United States. And I was wrong.” Morris outlined how African-American, Latino, female and youth voters represent a larger percentage of the whole than in 2008, which he failed to take into account. “Unless the Republican Party fundamentally changes its appeal to those voters, it can never win an election,” Morris predicted of the future. “If this candidate, in this economy, against this opponent, couldn’t win an election with this electorate, nobody ever can,” Morris later said of Romney and the election process in general. The same holds here in Washington. Republicans are relying on a shrinking electorate (white older voters) and ignoring the new electorate which looks much less white, much less male and much less old. I for one hope Republicans keep ignoring the changing demographics. Works for me!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mpgunner wrote...
    Why does the GOP need to change?
    November 9, 2012 9:16 am
    What are the dem's going to "change" to fix the mess? I'm amazed at the Dem's always voting for nothing. Job performance means nothing. King County has the best zombie voters in the state. "Long live state debt"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Padre wrote...
    Zombie voters =
    November 9, 2012 12:02 pm
    a perfect description of King and Snohomish county voters.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SoundDesigner wrote...
    Republicans
    November 9, 2012 9:19 am
    The problem people like me have, is that they can't come to terms separating their ideological dogma from the real world. For example, signing a pledge vowing to never raise taxes - which most Republican candidates must do to receive party support, while admirable, cuts off many possible tactical solutions for complex problems, where agreeing to add a tax over here in return for getting a tax cut or eliminated over there is what is actually needed to make the state work. Most of us think Republicans aren't about good governance but about getting their way at any cost. Also, something Vance said in this interview shows both insight, but how little he understands Latino voters. It isn't the Latino voter, it is when the state harasses that voters friends and family in comments here in media forums, at school, along side the road and in the workplace. Democrats welcome people, and do not assume that non-whites are "illegal" however I don't get the same impression from republicans. For example, If I was approached out in front of my house, I could not prove my citizenship on the spot. But nobody will ever do that to me because I am white. I know several Latino citizens who have had to go through hoops to prove their "status" while doing normal every day things. Why ANY citizen of the United States thinks it is acceptable to infringe upon the liberty of another citizen, because of skin color is beyond me. That's why I, a small business owning white guy won't vote republican. Fix those things, and we can talk.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Agreed with Mr. Vance / It's hard to get Hispanic votes when you want to deport their cousins.
    November 9, 2012 9:31 am
    How many times do I have to say it? .... A group of people religious, family orientated and hard working should be a natural for the Republican Party. So should most Blacks and Asian looking for the American Dream.

    The Big Tent of Ronald Reagan worked. How did we ever get away from it?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DonVigo wrote...
    Personally...
    November 9, 2012 10:08 am
    ... I'm very hesitant to vote Republican due to the attitude of most of the Republican supporters in the way they choose to voice their opinions. The incindiary rhetoric, the condesention... It's all destructive, and realistically only making things worse in a constantly deviding time for our society. People like Lonestar, Moondoggie, and so many negativity spewing conservatives are doing their party, if not the entire a country with all their asinine borderline hate speech towards our president. The Republican members of congress presented this same attitude when they state that their primary focus would be sabotaging the president rather than perform their civic duty. Plain and simple, moderates such as myself are growing more and more alienated by the Fox News-eqsue presentation of so many Republicans. You guys want to drum up some support, pick a new angle to play. Simply saying terible things about the current president makes you look worse, not nessicarily him.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    DonVigo
    November 9, 2012 10:19 am
    Apparently you didn't pay any attention the Obama's TV Ads???. i"ncindiary rhetoric, the condesention"..LOL!!! But yeah, thanks for hipping us to your personall wisdom. Obama ran the dirtiest campaign in history. And YES I know he won, but calling Romney a Felon, a Murderer and Anti- Women? And that's not "incindiary rhetoric" in your book? Obama could run on his record so he attacked, lied, distracted and then attacked some more. It seems to me that Republicans need to come up with a dirtier and more dishonest stratedgy to beat the Lying Left...LOL!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Obama Couldnt Run On His Record
    November 9, 2012 10:31 am
    Because he has been a huge failure, but people in this country are too busy watching the Kardasians to pay attention. They think Barry is "Cool". He's not a Leader. He's a Celebrity. And why is it that any opposition from the right is considered incindiary condescending rhetoric? HELLO? Pot, meet Kettle...Oh well Good luck America. We're gonna need it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DonVigo wrote...
    Point proven, but...
    November 9, 2012 12:11 pm
    ... Sure wasn't yours. Thanks. To restate, as long as people like you choose to voice your opinions in the manor you do, people like me will be far more likey to root against your candidate than support them. I'm not talking about the media, I'm talking about the PEOPLE who support the Republican party. I mean, claiming people only voted for Obama because they're too busy watching the Kardashians?! It's this very kind of discourse I was pointing out. Thank you again for providing such a great example. Please enjoy the sunset of the era of you and your like-minded sort being numerous enough to make a difference, as if this recent election proved nothing, it's that there's more of us than there are of you. Keep it up, see how many more blue states pop up in the next election.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Ok, DonVigo
    November 9, 2012 1:36 pm
    I don't know if that's anything to brag about. Pretty scarey to think that there are that many srupid people out there. LOL! I'll be watching. As the country falls further and further in debt and as the Blue minded people continue the Class Warfare rhetoic. That'll solve everything. Just remember, Socialism works great until you run out of other peoples money...Hoping for the best...Good Luck America
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DonVigo wrote...
    Is "srupid" anything like "stupid?"
    November 9, 2012 3:01 pm
    To dumb it down: Many people are sick of conservatives acting arrogent. Calling me stupid in a passive agressive way, again serves as a great example of that arrogance. Continuing the false sense of superiority you clearly haven't earned in life is an even greater example. You want to do your parties any favors, either drop the arrogance, or just cease speaking. You're the problem, not the solution.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DonVigo wrote...
    Correction
    November 9, 2012 10:25 am
    *Doing a disservice to... Etc.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SoundDesigner wrote...
    DonVigo..
    November 9, 2012 11:04 am
    You nailed it. I really do not understand how Americans can support any politicians who state their mission to derail the constitutionally established process. When I was a kid my grandfather- a long time right wing republican, and elected official- would have called that treason by "domestic" enemies, as per the Armed Forces oath which addresses "..enemies, foreign and domestic..." I'm glad he didn't live to see the republican party of today. Oh, and grandpa never attended church. He didn't much care for Christians, and the East Texas voters who always voted him into office had no problem with that...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    SoundDesigner
    November 9, 2012 11:09 am
    Sounds like we, the entire USA, could use a guy like your GrandPa right about now! LOL! I am hoping for the best for Obama.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • calapete wrote...
    well what do you know...
    November 9, 2012 12:16 pm
    Eyman actually does make a difference and the difference is BLUE! haha, thats funny.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Howdy wrote...
    The gimme generation
    November 9, 2012 2:43 pm
    They're more influenced by perception than reality- easily fooled. Most of these social issues are just a distraction. Unfortunately in the next few years we're all going to get a hard dose of reality.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • 333 wrote...
    SoundDesigner
    November 9, 2012 2:54 pm
    Thank You , well said. MapleFish, you just don't get it. Stop with the extremes! Conservatism has a lot of good ideas, but all we (those on the fence)hear is this skewed reality from folks like you, it's just to much of a turn off,sorry..
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }