Washington almost certain to get Democratic Governor!

[ChairOne]

http://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/?fa=newsinfo.order_041222#P94_2152

In a nutshell for those who haven't been watching:

The state of Washington comes in two parts: (1) The Seattle area, and (2) a bunch of hicks of various sorts. Not so dissimilar from Illinois, perhaps... Due in part to these demographics, the Governor race was stupid close, with the repub winning on the initial count by 40 or so votes.

They went through one or several rounds of recounting, with the Democrat catching up - even taking an 8 vote lead, according to reports. At some point during the recount, they found a crapload of uncounted votes in King county (where Seattle is) - 700-800 IIRC. Huh - will ya looky at that? Seattle of course votes overwhelmingly Democratic, and almost a thousand of their votes aren't counted in a race that's being decided by a dozen...

Naturally, the republicans ran straight to court seeking a temporary restraining order prohibiting the discovered votes' inclusion in the recount - which they received (about a week ago, I think). Today (about 3 hours ago) both sides argued their cases to the Wa St Supreme court. Within the last hour, the court ruled, telling the republicans, in effect, to get the fuck out of their courtroom. The restraining order is lifted. The verdict came quickly after oral arguments, and the written opinion was unequivocal.

So now those Seattle-area votes will be counted, so long as signatures can be verified, and stuff of that sort (standard, from what I understand).

The upshot: Washington seems set to get a(nother) Democratic governor! Woohoo!

The opinion is funny too - basically it says "um, guys, the law says this, and we're not gonna fall for stupid gerrymandering linguistic tricks"

EDIT: If I've gotten anything substantially wrong, or left something important out, please feel free to add on....

[DireStrike]

1. Hooray!

Something to be happy for, I suppose!

Now I hope dialogue can continue between both sides (under R's its just hate spew.) Our elections shouldn't be this close.

[whistle]

2. That is great news.....

[librechik]

3. wouldn't it be great of the repugs just allowed the law to work?

I won't count on it--the Pukkke crowned himself already! I foresee trouble.

[Walt Starr]

4. BREAKING NEWS: Freeper heads exploding over votes actually being counted!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1306823/posts?q=1&&page=1

[ChairOne]

6. rofl - I *gotta* remember that!

Note to self:

Everytime something goes the way it's supposed to... check on the freepers and giggle my ass off at how much they hate America...

[cire4]

13. My favorite Freeper responses....

This is just incredible. Dime to donuts there's a DNC memo called, 'How to Steal and Election'.

47 posted on 12/22/2004 1:40:06 PM PST by rintense


This stuff
makes me fear for all elections everywhere. We have sat here and watched it happen and we see how far up in government the FRAUD is supported. This is damn scary. And, right before our eyes!! That's the worst of it.

This is the kind of stuff you expect to see on the news that is happening in other countries. Then you sit back with quiet pride because we don't have those kind of people in control.

But we do.

85 posted on 12/22/2004 1:54:07 PM PST by Recall

I've noticed whenever the "COPS" TV show has clips from Washington, it's ALWAYS in King County! As a matter of fact, it seems like ALL of the "COPS" shows are in DemoRat controlled Counties/Cities!!

Hmmm... Wonder if there's any correlation there!

100 posted on 12/22/2004 2:04:14 PM PST by RogerWilko


Wow....watching COPS all day...Shows you the typical Freeper daily activities. Fascist Idiot Hypocrites is all they are.

[CaptainCorc]

5. As one of the hicks of various sorts

ie, non-Seattle area resident in the state of Washington, I add my cheers for both the Supreme Court decision and Gregoire's victory. I hope both reports are true and we can look forward to the wailing, gnashing of teeth and further ploys from the Republicans. Last I heard, they're calling for a new election. I sure hope there's no provision in Washington state law for such a thing. I read about the New Hampshire thing here on DU, but that's NH and has no bearing on WA.

[ChairOne]

7. Um, I linked straight to their written opinion...

How do you yet find room to doubt that SCOWS rendered the opinion that I described?

In any case, I'll quote directly from the opinion - mebbe that'll dispel any lingering doubts. The following is basically the whole opinion. The stuff before the following was just setup, history, dictionary definitions, and crap like that. The "Respondents" are the republicans.

====================
Respondents would have us narrowly construe “an apparent discrepancy or an inconsistency in the returns” to mean only an arithmetic error disclosed on the face of the returns. But this is contrary to Doyle, which speaks in terms of “incorrect” returns and returns at odds with other evidence. Moreover, since the statute permits recanvassing, it is instructive to remember that canvassing involves “examining ballots or groups of ballots, subtotals, and cumulative totals in order to determine the official returns,” RCW 29A.04.013. Here, certain ballots were coded as having “no signature on file” without having been fully examined to properly place them in that category. In that sense they were never fully canvassed, and the seeming error in placing them in any category has become evident to the King County Canvassing Board. Under Doyle this is just the sort of apparent discrepancy or inconsistency that the board can correct through recanvassing.4

It thus follows that the superior court erred in granting a temporary restraining order, and that the King County Canvassing Board properly concluded that it had authority to recanvass the subject ballots pursuant to RCW 29A.60.210. Based on the law as declared in this opinion, respondents are not entitled to injunctive relief. Therefore, the superior court’s “Temporary Restraining Order and Order to Show Cause” is reversed and vacated, and the cause is remanded to the superior court for entry of an order of dismissal forthwith.
======================

[maxsolomon]

8. they aren't ALL a bunch of hicks

a lot of them are seattle suburb anti-urbanite growth-mongering libertarians of conveinience.

and exurban proto-serial killers.

[ChairOne]

9. Only being pithy...

I just wanted to give a generic demographic description of WA, in case anyone out there was wondering how a state as macroscopically blue as WA could have a close gubernatorial race...

And as far as a generic description goes, I stand by my description - even if there do exist one or two non-hicks in, say, Omak, or Longview, or Sequim, or...

[CaptainCorc]

10. I didn't say I was insulted....I was merely chiming in as a hick

and as far as doubting the report, I tender my apologies for that. I got a bit turned around (as hicks are wont to do) and was no longer sure I was reading a ruling. I'm having a hard time focusing today for some reason.

Anyway, no hard feelings from me on the hick thing and I assure you I had no intention of calling into question your veracity as a poster.

[ChairOne]

12. It's all good...

I'm having similar difficulties myself today.... mebbe drinking til 4am wasn't the best idea I've ever had... :)

And I got no problem with hicks - one might say I'm a super-hick, as 1/2 my family is black hicks (western Mississippi), and the other 1/2 is white hicks (appalachian Pennsylvania)...

[CaptainCorc]

14. Well then as one hick to another....

here's to ya, and here's hoping this rare turn of events (I think it is the first time a Washington recount has reversed the winner) stands up to whatever firestorm the republicans come up with.

[CaptainCorc]

11. Well let's see...given those choices, I'll opt for exurban proto

serial killer then.