Washington Senate Fight Might Not End Tonight (Duh)

[Kennah]

http://www.frumforum.com/ff-midterms-washington-senate-rac

By this time next week, the state of Washington might be driving the rest of the country nuts.

The Senate race between incumbent Democrat Patty Murray and veteran Republican politico Dino Rossi is looking squeaky tight as the state enjoys a rare spot of fall sunshine today.

In all but one of the state’s 39 counties, Washington votes exclusively by mail. As long as a mailed ballot is postmarked by today, it counts – whether it arrives at county courthouses Wednesday, Thursday, or in the days beyond.

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed has forecast a 66 percent turnout rate, the highest in 40 years. Reed is pleading with tail-ending voters to drop off their ballots in special drop boxes rather than posting them, in order to move the counting along with a bit more alacrity than Washingtonians are used to.

Here’s the cascade of ifs that could put the Evergreen State under a national spotlight.

Say Republicans have run the boards, but need one more victory to secure control of the Senate. (The scenario assumes a clean result in Alaska tonight, another bundle of ifs.)

Say that the Murray-Rossi race is too close to call tonight. Most of Washington’s counties, including King County, the most populous, will post only one tally tonight. Afterwards, as ballots trickle in, tallies will be reported daily.

Say no clear trend emerges as the results dribble out day by day. First Rossi is in the lead, then Murray, then Rossi again.

At last, the counting ends. But the difference between Murray and Rossi is fewer than 2,000 votes and less than one half of 1 percent of votes cast statewide, triggering a machine recount. If the difference is fewer than 1,000 votes and less than one-fourth of 1 percent of votes cast, a hand recount is triggered.

Multiple recounts, litigation, and recriminations follow. Histrionic lawyers and bloviating cable pundits rev up their engines. Congress suffers an institutional myocardial infarction. Some of the more excitable new Tea Party congressmen introduce legislation to cede Washington State to Canada, or better yet, Zimbabwe.

Well, things shouldn’t get that extreme.

Still, there is a degree of jitters today, because Washington has seen an election freak show before. The 2004 gubernatorial election, when Rossi was the GOP candidate, went through three recounts and litigation before a court ruling cemented Christine Gregoire’s 133-vote win over Rossi that year.

This year, both parties have dragooned squadrons of lawyers to prepare for any recount, but if fortune is smiling on Washington and its 49 brethren, the state’s voters will turn in a clear verdict before the clock strikes 12 tonight.

[merwin]

1. So basically a repeat of the Franken crap.

[eridani]

2. No, Murray is ahead, and King County is always last to get all its counting done n/t

[regnaD kciN]

3. Why are we posting crap from David Frum...

...that assumes Republicans are on the verge of taking over the Senate? :crazy:

Some of the more excitable new Tea Party congressmen introduce legislation to cede Washington State to Canada

I'd be just fine with that, personally.

[Kennah]

4. Posted mostly for the Duh factor

When I went to bed, Murray was up 51 to 49 with about 54% reporting.