Have faith in the voting system

Published 12:17 am Friday, October 3, 2008

Jim, I don’t think you need to worry about anyone cutting the limb out from under you about the editorial in the Dec. 15 paper on the governor’s recount. It would seem to me you shinnied-up a sapling and it will bend to the ground under your own weight. I don’t always agree with what you write but this has been the first time I felt you lacked sound reasoning in drawing your conclusions.

I don’t know how “as far as most of us are concerned” (you seem to presume you can speak for most of us), but I do feel the election is over but the counting isn’t. I also consider myself an independent, voting for the candidates and not the party and I don’t see anything unreasonable about asking for a recount with a difference of 42 votes out of 2.8 million cast over the entire great state of Washington.

Since the law has established a process for hand counting, there must have been those responsible for the law to conclude this was an appropriate means of recounting. You should give Gregoire credit for asking and the Democratic Party for paying for the recount of the entire state and not just cherry-pick districts and counties where they though she could pick up votes.

I’m not sure why you feel the Republicans would have been willing to bow out if they had been down 42 votes. I think not. Who is getting the air time spouting about how King County election officials will do whatever it takes to “steal the elections” and make Gregoire the winner and who is talking about if the result of the elections are reversed, “they” should take to the streets of Seattle. Another Chris as in Vance.

Let’s have faith in our systems, our public officials and the courts and take the time to determine the “winner.” There are some big ideological differences between the two candidates and the “winner” will determine the policy direction for our state. If it takes a little more time to determine “the will of the people,” so be it.

Also, if this process had all but helped you solidify your decision about voting Republican in the next governor’s election, I’m not sure that makes you an “independent” voter. It seems to me it makes you … well … sappy.

Dan D. Guettler

Fall City