Ballots are coming! What shall I do?

No, I’m not debating Trump or Biden. I don’t mean Culp or Inslee. I’m talking about candidates further down the ballot. Specifically, I’m talking about our Secretary of State, Kim Wyman. I’m talking about our State Treasurer, Duane Davidson. These are two Republicans who’ve done a decent job in their respective offices. Should I vote for them?

In most years, this wouldn’t be a dilemma for me. I don’t vote straight tickets often, and if a person has done well in office, I’m inclined to vote for them. But this year, I’m thinking of voting for a straight Democratic ticket. The Seattle Times made me pause and think about this, though, when it said in its endorsement of these two Republicans that it might be to our advantage to have a Republican in charge of an election that Democrats are likely to win. Also, it might be useful to have a Republican in charge of the treasury during a year in which state coffers are going to be almost the sole focus of legislative attention.

I’m especially drawn to the case for a Republican in charge of the election, especially when we’re talking about an experienced person who has done a great job managing our transition to all-mail ballots. I have confidence in the way our elections are handled, and that’s a good thing. (Though truth be told, I don’t know why the person in charge of elections should be competing for a partisan office.) The Treasurer’s race is less of an issue for me. Counting money in good years (which Washington has had until Covid) is less of a challenge. I’ll read the voter’s pamphlet and see what I think then.

The idea of voting a straight ticket this year appeals to me simply because I am totally disgusted with the way the Republican party has backed the criminal in the oval office. I’m disgusted with the way the Republican Senators enabled Trump to turn the Justice Department into a partisan asset. I’m disgusted with the Republican duplicity regarding Supreme Court nominees. I’m disgusted with the way Republicans have made a public health emergency into a partisan confrontation. 

I’ve never felt that one political party is saintly and one is evil. But this year is not your normal year. Trump is not a normal Republican. I do blame Republicans for the trauma the country is dealing with right now. This is not a year for “both sides are responsible.” This is a year for believing that one party, the Republican party, has put our country in extreme danger.

So. I’m considering voting a straight Democratic ticket. I don’t want any Republican who has in any way supported Trump and McConnell to claim a victory this year. I want Republicans sobbing on election night, here in Washington and across the country. I want them to be forced to reckon with what they have done to this country. I want them to engage in very serious soul searching. 

Even though Wyman and Davidson have behaved responsibly with regard to the specific duties of their offices, they continue to be Republicans. I could probably vote for an anti-Trump Republican because I remember when the Republican party included some sane people. But I don’t see any effort by these two to distance themselves from the disaster the Republican party has become. 

This just seems like a good year for voting a straight Democratic ticket.