Oy. This is seriously weird.
I’m running for office. WA Legislative District 12, Position 2, to be precise. That’s me in the tans, above, saving a newbie from getting knocked on his can by that hose….kinda spoiled my doughnut.
I see this confession as sort of a duty, really: I’ve been a trusted user on Dkos for well over a decade, occasional contributor, usually a not-altogether-frequent lurker. Until Trump...I’m here several times a day anymore, feeding, sadly, my angst.
Might get me tossed, but here’s the deal: I’m not running as a Democrat. In WA, you can go Dem, Rep, Indie, or “No party preference”. I actually “prefer no party” but close enough. As it happens, I’ve never joined the Democratic Party, although that, generally speaking, is where my affinity lies. Never seemed necessary, and I’m not a joiner: Boy Scouts and Okanogan County Fire District 6, that’s it in nearly 64 years, and I joined the Boy Scouts under duress.
There is a Democrat in the race, actually an acquaintance of my spouse and co-Chair of the County Party. Good person. It’s not clear to me that she wants the job, particularly, but, if she whups me in the top-two primary, I’ll do all I can to support her. At this point, I think it’s a toss-up: this is Trump country, where 60% of folks, probably, wouldn’t be caught dead voting for a D, but might conceivably be disgusted enough to throw in with an independent; on the other hand, there’s a pretty good chance all the registered Democrats will vote for the D over the independent. Got a coin?
Our Republican opponent is actually not a bad guy, from all I can figure, and, under any other circumstances, would skate through unopposed. He’s also tough to beat: his family has been in the District forever, he’s been a City Councilman in one of the larger burgs, he practically owns the Chamber of Commerce there, and he’s neither dumb nor awful in any apparent way.
People ask why….my flippant answer is that I can’t afford to buy a politician, so I have to build one. My real answer is that I’m so pissed-off that I simply want the Republicans fucking GONE, and I think I may have a chance to at least give them a scare. Fact is, the Democrats this side of the mountains are a well-meaning bunch, but tend to flounder, and the State Party has pretty much written them off as a questionable investment, even at the national level (although I gather that Cathy McMorris-Rodgers may get a pretty good fight this go-round). I won’t get their backing, either, obviously; but I’m betting that, if I clear the primary, I can at least make a useful amount of noise: I’ve been gadflying in all the local papers for years and have a surprising number of fans.
But, anyhow, that’s kind of that. I have reported in, and am doing what little I can in what, I fear, is going to be a protracted fight for the country we grew up in (warts and all). I’m not asking for dough, but feel free to visit <fahnestock4u.com>, and get to know me a little. The first thing you’ll learn is that I’m not a website designer.
Thanks
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