Please indulge me as I try to address several closely related items of local, state and ational interest as briefly and simply as possible.
Strategically and tactically speaking, I find it pathetic and nauseating to watch much of the conservative-leaning electorate knocked to its knees by an indisputably brilliant, election year “sucker punch” delivered by Olympia politicians in the form of the same sex marriage bill.
As a minor elected but unpaid party official acquainted with the current campaign organization officials, I can surmise with great certitude that a significant portion of the conservative leadership at the district chair and precinct committee levels as well as base affiliates will expend their political energy gathering signatures for a referendum to repeal the aforementioned legislation, neglecting needed focus on state and national party platform positions regarding legitimate political issues too numerous to mention. Candidates will spend each campaign speech or appearance addressing impassioned inquiries regarding their position on same sex marriage.
Given current organizational ineptitude, a few ideologically unreliable moderates on a par with our 8th District Congressman (whom I wrote about in previous election cycles) may succeed in being elected, but will prove to be reluctant, unwilling or unable to hold or advance the conservative line against the liberal approach in future legislative sessions.
Secondly, the actual election of a president will be done somewhere east of the Mississippi River, however, Washington state has 43 of the 1,100 odd convention delegates needed to nominate a candidate. Our primary election was eliminated thanks in part to a vote by our first term state representative and we have to rely on a caucus this year. The chairperson charged with arranging caucus locations failed to get off a portly but still pretty posterior to arrange a meeting place for the 13 or so precincts in the Enumclaw-Black Diamond area. There is one location for the 31st District caucus at Auburn High school on Saturday, March 3, at 9 a.m. It’s terribly inconvenient but extremely important. Please urge your readers of right-leaning persuasion to make every effort to show up on a Saturday morning and cast a vote for anyone but Romney. I won’t presume to tell anyone who to vote for, but in my humble opinion Mr. Romney is no improvement to the presidential office, and at the very least the nether regions of the American Empire deserve a dogfight on the convention floor.
Finally, the term Pyrrhic victory refers to Pyrrhus, a third century B.C. general who defeated Roman legions twice. Unable to obtain enough replacements to sustain his losses, he said words to the effect of “one more such victory and we lose.” Similarly, a Cadmean victory refers to Cadmus, a mythological Greek who lost an army save five men fighting a serpent, a victory equally devastating to both sides.
The putrid prospect of an Obama- Romney contest and impressions of some state Republicans bring such victories to mind.
Enough said. I hope to see y’all at the caucus.
Edward Neil
Enumclaw
