Can the GOP finally close a race in WA state?

[sg0508]

It seems like the last time the GOP actually won a statewide race for anything in WA was the Gorton win in '94, which turned out to be one of the more competitive races in a very red year.

Since then, the story is the same every time.  The GOP is ahead every time and then the democrats come home and they lose.  The story is clearly playing out the same way so far in 2012.

[Frodo]

It will take exceptional circumstances for a Republican of the caliber likely to win his/her party's nomination to win statewide, especially given how much more urbanized the state is compared to where it was nearly twenty years ago.  

Oregon is going the same way, though it lags by about a decade or so.

[Joe Republic]

It seems like the last time the GOP actually won a statewide race for anything in WA was the Gorton win in '94

Anything?  The GOP has held the Attorney General's office for 12 years, and the Secretary of State's office for 48 years.

[RI]

The GOP is ahead every time

[bgwah]

McKenna isn't looking as strong as he was a few months ago, but he can still win.

[Meeker]

Inslee could still win, but I haven't seen anything to indicate that he will. He's out with a good TV ad though and McKenna messed up his response to the healthcare ruling. Maybe there's hope.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

McKenna isn't looking as strong as he was a few months ago, but he can still win.

His biggest strength: he's not Dino Rossi.

[morgieb]

I dunno.....McKenna is ahead, but I'd imagine a large proportion of the undecideds will vote Obama. Definitely possible though.

[Miles]

I dunno.....McKenna is ahead, but I'd imagine a large proportion of the undecideds will vote Obama. Definitely possible though.

This.

McKenna is slightly ahead for now, but in their last poll, PPP said that 63% of the undecideds voted for Obama in 2008.

[SamInTheSouth]

Undecideds voting for Obama doesn't mean they will also vote for Inslee.  It's fairly common to see a president and governor of two different parties get elected in the same state at the same time.

[Miles]

Undecideds voting for Obama doesn't mean they will also vote for Inslee.  It's fairly common to see a president and governor of two different parties get elected in the same state at the same time.

Its hardly an encouraging sign for McKenna's prospects though.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

It seems like the last time the GOP actually won a statewide race for anything in WA was the Gorton win in '94, which turned out to be one of the more competitive races in a very red year.

Since then, the story is the same every time.  The GOP is ahead every time and then the democrats come home and they lose.  The story is clearly playing out the same way so far in 2012.

The Secretary of State and Attorney General in Washington (both elected) are both currently Republicans.  In fact, the Attorney General, Rob McKenna, is one of the GOP frontrunners for Governor.  Based on the general election polls I've seen, it looks increasingly likely that Washington will elect a GOPer as Governor for the first time since 1980.

[smoltchanov]

It seems like the last time the GOP actually won a statewide race for anything in WA was the Gorton win in '94, which turned out to be one of the more competitive races in a very red year.

Since then, the story is the same every time.  The GOP is ahead every time and then the democrats come home and they lose.  The story is clearly playing out the same way so far in 2012.

The Secretary of State and Attorney General in Washington (both elected) are both currently Republicans.  In fact, the Attorney General, Rob McKenna, is one of the GOP frontrunners for Governor.  Based on the general election polls I've seen, it looks increasingly likely that Washington will elect a GOPer as Governor for the first time since 1980.

Most polls i am aware of predict an extremely close 50-50 race.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

It will take exceptional circumstances for a Republican of the caliber likely to win his/her party's nomination to win statewide, especially given how much more urbanized the state is compared to where it was nearly twenty years ago.  

Oregon is going the same way, though it lags by about a decade or so.

I think McKenna will win both the GOP nomination and the general election.  And about Oregon: I have heard that the parts of OR that are growing the fastest are the rural areas, which are also the most Republican.  Doesn't mean that they'll stay that way, but still worth checking out. 
And just because the undecideds voted for Obama last time doesn't mean they will this time.  Remember that 2008 was a different year politically, especially because of the national Democrat trend you saw that election.  I also reject the notion that support for a party in one race necessarily translates to support for them in another.  It would seem to me that many, if not most, people split their ticket when they vote.  I personally am a Republican but I would probably never fill in my ballot for a straight party ticket (Democrat or Republican) because I'd prefer to go down the ballot and fill it out for each of the individual elections. 

[bgwah]

McKenna will advance to the general. That isn't in doubt.

[Ogre Mage]

There was recently an incident where a McKenna staffer tweeted "shut up and speak English #asians."  She eventually resigned from the campaign, but not until after word came that Asian-American groups were planning a protest.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/edcetera/2018718067_rob-mckenna-kathlyn-ehl-twitter-resigns.html

As an isolated incident this is not too damaging.  But it looks like a pattern of cracks starting to show in McKenna's facade.