Clint Didier’s Road to Irrelevancy

Indulge me for a moment in a bit of contrarian thinking. The MSM is ablaze with stories of dis-unity in the Washington State GOP following a “jungle primary” where Rossi took 34%, and insurgent conservative Clint Didier took 12%.

Nobody can seem to make heads or tails out of what Clint Didier refusing to get behind Rossi may mean for November. Some think it’ll matter a lot. Others see it as a challenge to overcome. Try this on: it doesn’t mean a darn thing. In fact, it could be to Rossi’s distinct advantage.

But wait you say, doesn’t Dino need that 12% to win in November. Well, yes and no.

A large chunk of that 12% came from Eastern Washington voters. Many of these folks likely supported Clint because he’s a hometown hero. Do they have some beef with Dino? Probably not — and expect to see him make plenty of stops in places like Pasco, Walla Walla, Ellensburg, and Yakima.

If Rossi can set himself apart from the loud (but ultimately small faction) of social conservative elements that supported Didier, while at the same time, hitting Patty Murray on fiscal issues — he can probably keep independents safely in his column well through November.

Furthermore, Rossi shouldn’t have to worry too much about a portion of Didier’s supporters casting their ballots into the trash instead of the ballot box on Election Day. He has the support of Tea Party favorites like Senator Jim DeMint, and Senator Scott Brown is due in town soon for a fundraiser. Republicans in the state are hungry for a win after years of losses; and there’s still an air of unfinished business for Rossi’s loss to Gregoire in 2004 and 2008.

If anything, the impetus is on Didier to heal the rift. Already, an email to supporters has gone out, encouraging them to hold onto their Didier for Senate signs for 2012.  If Clint Didier follows through with his threat to hold some of his 12% hostage in 2010, he will absolutely have to face Maria Cantwell in 2012 without the support of most Republicans (those represented by Dino Rossi’s 34%). 

To a man, the other 10 Republican Senate candidates that were in the race have graciously conceded and thrown their support behind the candidate with the greatest chance of beating Patty Murray.  They did this not just because it is the smart thing for those with future political plans, but because they realized that, for all practical purposes, they all shared the same basic conservative principles.  This explains why no one broke away from the pack (before Rossi announced), there was really very little policy substance to differentiate the candidates.  In the end, it was simply a matter of who was most likely to succeed.

Whether Didier stays in the game or not, he is largely irrelevant.  Rossi will continue his campaign, politely ignore Clint’s protests and demands, and largely benefit from the comparison to a more “extreme” figure.

Jaime Herrera Reaches ‘Contender’ Status

The NRCC issued this release today:

Jaime Herrera Reaches ‘Contender Status’

Washington Republican Takes Critical Second Step in ‘Young Guns’ Program

Washington- The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced today that Republican Jaime Herrera (WA-03) has reached ‘Contender’ status as part of its Young Guns program. ‘Contender’ status is the second step in the three-level program, with Herrera now facing a new set of benchmarks to reach ‘Young Gun’ status in her bid to take over the open seat being vacated by Brian Baird.

Founded in the 2007-2008 election cycle by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Young Guns program is a member-driven organization dedicated to electing open-seat and challenger candidates nationwide. By achieving ‘Contender’ status, Herrera has already proven her ability to build a successful campaign structure and achieve vital fundraising goals.

“Jaime Herrera has already proven that she will be a formidable candidate by meeting the Young Guns program’s rigorous goals and is well on her way to building a winning campaign that will put this seat in the Republican column,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX). “Jaime is part of a strong and growing pool of candidates who are frustrated with the Democrat majority’s big-government ways and aren’t willing to stand by any longer. Her campaign has put Democrats on notice that Americans are ready to turn the page on the failed experiment known as the Obama-Pelosi agenda.”

Jaime Herrera grew up in Southwest Washington and graduated from Prairie High School and the University of Washington. From 2005 to 2007, she served as a Senior Legislative Aide for Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, acting as the Congresswoman’s lead advisor on healthcare policy, education, veterans’ and women’s issues. In 2007, Herrera was appointed to a vacancy as State Representative in Washington State’s 18^th Legislative District. After serving in the 2008 legislative session she ran for election and 60% of the voters in her district cast their vote to keep Herrera representing them in Olympia. Herrera aims to bring a fresh and effective voice to Congress and restore commonsense leadership to the Third District in order to get the local economy back on track and restore prosperity in Southwest Washington.

While already having achieved certain benchmarks to place her on the road to victory, Jaime Herrera now faces a new set of rigorous goals that will elevate her to the top level of the Young Guns program and help her build a competitive, effective and winning campaign.   

 For more information, click here.

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Good News for Republicans in WA-03

There is some good news for Republicans in the 3rd District in the form of a June 14th survey from Moore Information. The generic Congressional preference question shows Republicans holding a 7 point lead over the Democrats, 42%-35%. The internals showing that Independent voters favor Republicans by a 3-1 margin are especially promising.

18th District Representative Jaime Herrera is a clear favorite among those who prefer a Republican for Congress, pulling 27% compared to 8% for David Hedrick and 8% for David Castillo, while 49% are still undecided.

Although the sample of 300 likely voters is admittedly small, it does give real evidence that the Republican resurgence sweeping the nation has reached our neck of the woods.

Meet Patty Murray’s Professional Mudslingers

Meet Paul Tewes.

Described in media reports as a low-key Midwesterner, Tewes is a former political director under Patty Murray at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

In the past few years he’s made the jump from field organizer to heavy-hitting political consultant. And he’s now got a posse of fellow-travelers who get hired to destroy Republicans. Back to that in a minute.

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Gregoire Now Says She’s Open to Obama Job

Whether you believe it’s all parlor tricks, or a real world scenario, Gov. Gregoire is at least now publicly stating a willingness to consider a presidential appointment in the Obama Administration — and that’s a radical departure from all previous reports (i.e. Secy. of Commerce or Interior).

In fact, Gov. Gregoire says she’s now “humbled” to even be mentioned as a potential pick to replace Solicitor General Elena Kagan.

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