Playing Hardball

Is Governor Gregoire to blame for this year’s unprecedented political hardball? Widely criticized for not hitting back in 2004 when Rossi was more than happy to sling some mud, her 2008 operation has given the Democratic Party the green light to hit and hit hard.

Other Democrats, including Attorney General challenger John Ladenburg are following suit. With Gregoire rising in the polls, and democrats gaining more confidence in confrontation, we can expect more hardball in the months to come.

Gregoire endorsed Obama and his politics of hope, but she hasn’t followed his example of staying above the fray. Of course, Gregoire was originally a Clinton supporter and was encouraged to endorse Obama for political reasons, while pundits have criticized Obama for not hitting Hillary hard enough to close the deal.

Rossi is not blameless in this escalation either, some would argue that the dirty tricks played by the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) on his behalf – for example, sending out a fake survey to get voters’ signatures - necessitated a severe response.

Washingtonians, however, have long prided themselves on being above party politics. Anyone who asks will be pointed to moderate leaders like former governor Dan Evans, respected by all sides, and our long-standing insistence on an open primary.

But this campaign season, the gloves are off. Dan Evans is endorsing along party lines, and people are more likely to not vote for an office than to vote anything other than a party ticket. The top-two primary adds a little confusion, as candidates are encouraged to hit just as hard on members of their own party - it's no longer us against them, it's us against us. The result may be more polarized parties, more hit pieces and more hot air.

Whether all this politicking is good for the state and good for governance remains to be seen.