Washingtonians have cast their votes, and the results are about what one could expect. The Senate race saw Democrat incumbent Murray pulling in considerably less than the 50% needed for victory in November, Dino Rossi (the establishment backed GOP Candidate) grabbing the majority of the Republican votes, and the Tea Party candidates and "also ran" candidates pulling in about 12% at the highest (Clint Didier). With Washington State's 'top two' primary, Murray and Rossi will be the sole names on the ballot for US Senate in Washington state - the top of the 2010 ticket.
WA State voter turnout for the primary was an embarrassing 26%... Iraqi's are facing mortars and shells in order to get the purple finger at rates upward of 80%... yet the country who is dictating their democracy cannot even find 15 minutes to cast their 'all mail-in' ballot. I think the voters here simply do not care anymore... I polled 4 guys with whom I work, all of whom are vocal political commentators at work - yet two of them failed to vote - one said he simply had no opinion about any candidate.
That being said, Rossi, a long time Republican from the Washington State old hats, a centrist Republican (like Scott Brown) will be leading the conservative charge in WA State. In fact, Tea Party candidates did not fare too well here in the Evergreen state... the reason? Political organizing is dismal in this state - last minute notifications, no political dialogue, no forum for debate... you name it, WA state is the land of apathy, not opportunity - for most. What we are faced with is a minority class of active voters trying to push the rope on the other 75% of the state registered voters.
You can lead a politician to Washington, but you can't stop him from spending, right?
We all have the right to vote, yet we continually see a vast majority of our fellow citizens who refuse to lay claim to that right. I am no political scientist, but my best guess has something to do with the 7 minute attention span, the commercialism of our society, and the absolute distraction in all avenues of our existence. With a constant barrage of advertising, reality TV, and the like, it is no wonder that by the time campaign season comes around we couldn't care less (technically 'they' couldn't care less... I couldn't care more!!!) Why worry about voting once for a Senator, I can text the word 'VOTE' to 64752 as many times as I want for my favorite dancer or singer - standard texting rates apply. We have prioritized the important aspects of our free society right out of our lives... and the result is, well, my monologue from above.
Moving forward, onward to November, it is our duty as the active and thinking branch of the voting citizenry to approach our candidates... Force them into dialogue, press the issues... make sure that they understand that just because everyone else has been scrubbed from the ballot in November does not excuse them from public scrutiny from disenchanted members of their own party. We still have the power to shape the debate. We still have the power to reign in our 'establishment' candidates. We still have a voice, a right, a duty to be an active member of this society, and of this government. We are the FIRST PILLAR of the government... WE THE PEOPLE. So easily we forget...
Let us not forget that 2010 is not simply about a transfer of power between party's... it is about a correction to the wrongs committed against the people of this nation, and the contract between WE and the Govt. 2010, and every election henceforth should be an education on the limited power granted to the government BY the people. It should be a reaffirmation of truth and liberty. It should be the final word of the people... that Liberty will always undo tyranny... That the people do take notice... That we choose to be free...
It is my fear, that 75% of the people will not hear this message.
Liberty is obvious to those who can see it... libertas ad oculos!
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