From Stark
The Washington Republican Party chose former radio talk show host Kirby Wilbur as state chairman over the weekend, unseating former chairman Luke Esser in a 69-36 vote.
Esser’s resounding defeat came despite the backing of Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, who is widely believed to have a legitimate shot at the governor’s mansion in 2012.
Will the moderate McKenna need to shift further to the right to win his own party’s gubrnatorial nomination? If he does that, will it make it harder for him to pick up the moderate votes he needs to win a still-hypothetical general election?
The Strange Bedfellows blog at SeattlePI.com does a good job of explaining the implications.
It was way past time for Esser to go!
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
“This is a great Party and it is my goal to move us forward toward 2012, united in purpose and working to make the electoral and policy changes that we so desperately need at the state and national levels. I began this campaign talking to folks about the need to improve our message and mechanics and that is where I plan to start. The last election clearly showed us that Washington voters share our outlook on taxes, economic growth and fiscal responsibility. I look forward to working closely with both our great elected officials and our talented grassroots activists to make ours a majority party and put this state on the road to recovery.” Kirby Wilbur
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
“…despite the backing of Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna,
who is widely believed to have a legitimate shot at the governor’s mansion in 2012.”
Does anyone know if spewing a mouthful of coffee on a keyboard ruins it or if there’s a reliable remedy?
Thanks in advance…
This just in!
You don’t need a majority to advance ideas that will put our great state on the road to recovery.
Spit em out as they occur to you.
We’re all ears.
An election race between McKenna & Gregoire? Where’s my No Doz?
This just out!
Keep your ears open; they be comin!
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
Hi Nicky. I’m not sure what level of news and blogs you normally read, or if you have been busy or absent, but…
The most predominant theory for 2012 is that Gregoire is not interested in running, and that congressman Jay Inslee has already been revving up his governor campaign for half a year or more.
Inslee may be politically and literally more attractive to voters than either Gregoire or McKenna.
The GOP, like any group, knows its own mind. I’m not sure what this means to the GOP or the TEA Party other than that. As far as McKenna is concerned, he still has his day job to do. His most effective campaign strategy for 2012 seems to be demonstrating that he won’t let anything distract him from his duties as Attorney General. People tend to like it when a person can keep priorities straight. If the voters see him dutifully performing his function as AG of the State, that will mean more for his prospects for a gubernatorial run in 2012 than who is or isn’t the GOP Chair.
I apologize to my worthy online opponents for not throwing in some partisan meat for them to chew on. Don’t worry, there’s always next post.
Mckenna seems smart, calm and focused and,
since he holds a non-partisan office,
he seems non-partisan too.
I’d vote for him over Inslee.
citizen,
Before you vote, you might want to do a little basic research on our State government. State Attorney General is not a non-partisan office. Rob McKenna is very much a creature of the Republican Party.
Oh SL you are so funny (haha funny!) as if all it takes to vote for or agin someone is about what party they be in!
Nothing to do with who they be or what they believe.
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
There you go again, AFY, making things up. I didn’t write a single word about who ought to vote for who.
OK you be right, SL.
You advocating as to what party to support should never be assumed, don’t ya know!
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
OMG!
There goes my Gravitas.
So how does the legal representative for all sides become partisan?
The AG’s office is not partisan in that any true party ideologue would quickly show their bias.
And McKenna doesn’t seem to be that shallow.
I still like his logical and thoughtful approach – Gregoire seems snippy and reactionary by comparison.
I will not talk to Mike McGinn,
Not in a plane,
not on a whim.
Too bad Seattle elected him!
Thank you GOP! Great choice.
(for the majority party)
The election of Kirby Wilbur is in no way a repudiation of Rod McKenna. We LOVE Rod McKenna! Rod McKenna has guts to stand up for what he believes is right and this state needs someone like that. We haven’t seen that for a long time.
Rod McKenna is a soft spoken laid back kind of guy, not exactly a Kirby Wilbur. I can assure you that Rod McKenna will be the next Republican candidate for the governor of Washington state.
I am not repudiating Rob McKenna. I’m so glad he joined the Florida lawsuit against Obamacare and has stood up for our rights as citizens. Thank you Mr. McKenna!
Gregoire, Murray and Cantwell were determined to this was constitutional and the law didn’t need to be tested in the courts. They were wrong. It won’t be forgotten that they tried to subdue our rights. It’s even more discouraging to know our state can’t afford the mandates of Obamacare and they continued to suport it.