The Moderate Washingtonian

Outlook on politics and elections in the state of Washington from an overall centrist viewpoint. My views tend to be libertarian in nature, but at the same time are largely nonpartisan.

16 February 2006

Gregoire still mixed

This month's national approval poll of state governors found Chris Gregoire at 47% approval and 47% disapproval. Among sub-groups, the usual case of in-denial liberals calling themselves "moderates" is present. Seattle-area residents kinda like her, easterners hate her, and westerners are as split as the overall numbers.

With that out of the way, let me just say I cannot comprehend why somebody could approve of this woman. She drives me absolutely insane. I suppose a good reason is partisanship, but come on, you don't have to worry about Dino Rossi for almost three years, why have on the hyperbolic blinders already?

2 Comments:

At 6:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why do YOU hate her? Is it just the '04 recount (which the right wing blogosphere manipulated splendidly)? Is it the fact that the Dems control the House, Senate and Gov. mansion?

Certainly I've got her back because I'm a yellow dog Dem, but I have other reasons. She was bullish on transportation: I live 50 ft away from the AW Viaduct. Gov. Locke was unable to get transportation DONE, even though he had high popularity numbers and had Slade Gorton's help.
Also, when facing a budget deficit after a razor thin victory, she protected poor folks from big cuts. Basically, Gregoire is a tough-as-nails attorney who doesn't get bullied. Also, she works well with the legislature.

She's halfway through, but I'm cautiously optimistic. The Democrats will win more seats in both houses in '06, and Gregoire has at least something to do with that.

 
At 5:55 AM, Blogger TMW said...

To be frank, I dislike her because she's consistently dishonest. Every other time she opens her mouth she talks about how fiscally-conservative she is, even when her record shows the complete opposite. All that campaign talk went out the window as soon as it became apparent her party had taken back the Senate and she knew she could hammer through tax increases.

Unlike the major newspapers, each time we find out we have a budget surplus, I am not happy. It simply reaffirms that she raised taxes too much and is now spending even more of them. Even some of her legislative allies passed some minor tax cuts and she threatened vetoes. What is worse, after all the new taxes, she did not balance the budget but merely delayed having to face it again until 2007.

She may have kept major budget cuts from the poor, but she's hardly a friend of them. Much of the tax increases are regressive, with gas prices that hurt the working class to a larger extent and targeting "sin taxes" which are also weighted more heavily on the lower classes. I had a job a year ago pulling a night shift at a convenience store adjacent to a very low-class hotel/apartment building. All the residents bought outside of junk food was beer and cigarettes, regardless of if it costs over $5 for the worst ones.

Social issues i'm fine with Gregoire, but until she learns some fiscal restraint, I cannot wait until 2008. She was my last choice among the 2004 candidates, but even I had overestimated her abilities.

 

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