Ammons: Why the GOP keeps losing elections

Linked above is a superb article by David Ammons from the other day (hat tip to Whacky Nation) about the flight of Dan Evans Republicans away from the increasingly right-wing GOP, and how Rep. Fred Jarrett is the last one sticking around to fight. The underlying theme plays on what myself and others have been saying since before the election, that the state GOP is absolutely failing to adapt to changing political attitudes and would rather run right-wingers everywhere than challenge the swing districts.

To their credit, they have lately been pretty good about running moderates or at least moderate-talking conservatives for major offices, but downright suck at finding good candidates for downballot races. This isn't to say there aren't any suitable candidates out there, or that they aren't willing to run. Case in point, former Rep. Renee Radcliff Sinclair is running for the Snohomish County Council this year, and is likely to face fellow former Rep. Mike Cooper for an open swing seat. Radcliff Sinclair represents the classic Evans Republican wing of the GOP, and will be difficult to beat in a swing district, even against as strong a candidate as Cooper. This is the type of candidate the GOP must run in swing and Democratic-leaning districts if they care about being a part of government in this state. Otherwise, we're well on our way to being a miniature California.

GOP wants to contest Seattle

When I first saw this article's headline in my P-I automail this morning, I was hoping this to be a sign that the King County GOP was being smart about running candidates tailor-made for their districts, something I've oft pointed out as a requirement to the GOP having any hopes of rebuilding their party in the suburbs. Now, I'd certainly like to see them try to contest seats in Seattle at all levels of government, but upon reading statements by King County GOP Chair Michael Young in the article it sounds like more of the same strategy -- running the same old social conservatives in liberal districts with the misguided hope of the electorate behaving differently than in every other recent election. If they would nominate liberal Republicans in Seattle, someone similar ideologically to Fred Jarrett or even a Rob Rosencrantzish libertarian-leaning Democrat, it might not be completely out of the question to compete there. If they would open their ballot line to moderately-liberal candidates like the GOP does in New York City, then something could happen for the better.