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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, September 28, 2008 Gregoire's campaign shows bit of vitality By Jerry Cornfield, Herald Columnist Count me among those who've heard enough of the nervous whispers and seen the hand-wringing of Chris Gregoire's friends to begin outlining the first-term governor's political obituary. They've viewed quizzically what she's done and questioned worriedly what she hasn't. Particularly in the weeks since the primary election, Gregoire seems to have a tin ear for their advice and her campaign tone deaf to what voters need to hear. She's led from the start in this close race. Yet, in some minds, challenger Dino Rossi is gaining the advantage in the perception of who will ultimately triumph in this rematch. Rossi's forces feel it too. In conversations, they boldly claim state workers in Olympia are looking for new jobs because they, also, sense change is coming. In the last seven days, through the Sept. 20 televised debate, TV commercials and a lawsuit to change Rossi's party label, Gregoire showed hard proof of a campaign where only circumstantial evidence existed before. On the strength of this trifecta, she knocked him off stride and sent his campaign sideways. She seized the edge in the pursuit of the election's smallest and most important sliver of voters: The Undecided. Insiders and partisans jumped on her performance in the debate as too aggressive, lawyerly and off-putting. But, she proved better prepared, more knowledgeable, and yes, a bit abrasive, to those tuning in to the race for the first time. With the lawsuit, the state Democratic Party lost in court, though it may still help win the election no matter how frivolous the Republican Party thinks it was. The failed attempt to reprint ballots arguably attracted enough media wattage to enlighten a few undecided voters on the true ways of Dino "Don't Call Me Republican" Rossi. No doubt, the most significant campaign-changing moment of the week came Tuesday. Gregoire launched a commercial with Shanai Cole of Everett criticizing Rossi for opposing stem cell research that might help her young son who is afflicted with juvenile diabetes. Cole's moving performance will cause some undecided women voters to feel something as they watch. When voters' feelings are directed at a candidate, they are prone to act on it one way or another. Rossi calls stem cell research a nonissue and accused Gregoire of distracting voters by raising it. Then he demonstrated how important this distraction must be by running a response ad. It marked a small, yet important, strategic victory for Gregoire. Throughout the campaign she's described the race as a choice in values and has been unable to clearly expose the differences she talks about … until the events of this past week. From Gregoire's perspective, voters finally did get a glimpse of Rossi's inner self, the deeply conservative and steeped Republican who would be making decisions should he reach the governor's mansion. Campaigns unfold like chess matches. Every move is deliberate, strategic and countered. A lot can change in a week. I've stopped outlining Gregoire's political departure but it's still on my desk. Columnist Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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