Washington Recount: 42 Votes

Today, emails went out from the DNC and from Howard Dean's Democracy for America exhorting progressives across the country to donate money to the Washington recount effort. As you've likely heard by now, Christine Gregoire is leading GOP candidate Dino Rossi by only 42 votes. The third and final count of the ballots up north will be done by hand - and paid for by the Democratic Party. Unfortunately, that's a $750,000 tab that they don't have the cash for.

Discuss.

  • Jud (unverified)
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    Gregoire trails by 42. If she was leading, she wouldn't want a recount.

  • bugzer (unverified)
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    Figures - "progressives" live on non-truths and myths. Doesn't surprise me that they're spreading them on this blog...

  • Aaron (unverified)
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    I think that the article from The Hill A New Direction for the DNC??--Dems plan to redirect DNC away from presidential race is going to help out on these state and local level races. Thus a greater emphasis of potential national level "special case" funding for “targeted races” before the fact of it coming down to a 3rd round of ballot counting by hand at 25 cents per ballot; instead of the nearly dozen emails from the DNC and DFA pandering for more money. Especially since that, Kerry Campaign handed over a good chunk of his surplus presidential warchest to the DNC.

  • Jesse (unverified)
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    Given the vote counting machines average error rate, 42 votes is a statistical tie. That the state does not recognize this and pay for a recount is a bit annoying. Nonetheless, Kos points out the difference in fundraising tactics between the DNC, Dean and other groups.

    This is a case of how to move forward. (And how to effectively use commas, Aaron.) Yes, the DNC has spent too much time focusing on the national picture. The RNC has been working the slow and steady angle for a while. It's paying off. We will learn and the economy and global situation will help us.

    Until then, those 42 votes are pithy yet important. If every vote deserves counting, we ought to count them. That it can be rendered as money pandering only serves proof that some of us are quite angry at our party. (Rightfully so, I think.)

  • Jonathan (unverified)
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    Bugzer -- did you even read the post? Are you aware that the automatic recount trimmed Rossi's lead from over 200 votes to 42? So where's the myth?

  • Rorovitz (unverified)
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    Jesse,

    Thanks for the Kos link. It's really telling how much better Dean runs stuff. I'm going over to that strain on the DNC vote to ask the candidates how they'd vote for the party chair. Seems like there are a few choices, Dean, Vilsac, Brazil. Curious who our candidates support.

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    Rorovitz:

    You should ask each candidate how they feel about encouraging one of our own to run for DNC Chair (vs. just choosing among a bunch of outside alternatives).

    Yes, Dean ran (certain) things well - raising $$, drawing attn to issues, advocating positions, etc...but there are other things he & his org. did not run so well (such as the Dean Dozen or DFA support efforts).

    If were going to 'change the face of the DNC', why do so only on the Member level (not that I'm sure it necessarily needs changing there).

    Why not shoot for a change right at the top of the ticket/ballot by enlisting a DNC Chair candidate from right here in Oregon?

  • bugzer (unverified)
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    The myth is in the headline that Gregiore leads Rossi when she trails...thats where the mis-truth is!

  • Jesse (unverified)
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    Bugzer,

    I wouldn't call that a myth or mis-truth. A mistake, most likely. All of us here know who's trailing who in the machine count.

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    The myth is in the headline that Gregiore leads Rossi when she trails...thats where the mis-truth is!

    Are ya really crazy enough to think that we progressives just live in our own little world where left is always right and Democrats always win? It's a typo. A mistake. Not a mis-truth or someone intending to mislead someone (and it's not in the headline, btw, it's in the text). Jeez.

    But Gregoire (one of those progressives, you know), has asked that if there is a recount that the entire state be recounted, not just King County, etc. Which I think is commendable and FAIR. 42 votes is close enough that I could understand the want for a recount no matter who was winning (losing), so the fact that Gregoire is asking for an entire state recount if there is, indeed, going to be a recount, is the right thing to do, IMHO (and I'd say the same thing if it were Rossi. Just to be clear). We'll find out by 5 today, though, if this whole discussion is moot.

  • Byron Curtis Smith (unverified)
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    Hand Recount, Machine Recount... The whole thing smells of political stench. I personally believe that Machine recounts should be the way to go... afterall they are unbiased. A hand recount is less accurate. 42 votes. 43 chads punched by some fervent unwatched Dem could change an election?? (Reps would do the same thing). Stop the madness. Let the machine count. It is the only fair method. Any other is ripe with potential fraud as it would involved hundreds of those biased, unfair, opinionated things called... people.

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