So my favorite talk radio host, Dave Ross, has thrown his hat into the Washington 8th District race to replace Jennifer Dunn. I have mixed feelings: guess I'll be switching back to NPR for my morning commute, assuming they move Dori Monson to mornings.
I think Dave makes a terrific talk host--people trust that either working his way through an issue or taken a stance based on facts, not on party affiliation. That's a good thing. But now what he says will be attacked as pure politics. He'll have lost that precious power to persuade, not by hook or crook, but by fact.
I don't know if he'll make a good congressperson. He sometimes displays a certain grasp of harsh reality (read cynicism) that may enable him to make those necessary evil votes. We'll see.
Re the mini-flap about him staying on the air until officially registering in July, this feels like a pseudo-flap to me. I really can't believe Washington State Republican Chair Chris Vance, isn't licking his chops at the opportunity to attack every word out of Ross's mouth for the next two months. Frankly, it feels to me like Ross's decision to stay on the air has more potential to hurt him than help.
Or perhaps Vance, so steeped in the political arena as he is, thinks Ross will pull some dirty tricks with his show--such as running show after show about how the quality of crime fighting in King County has so drastically declined in the past few years--coincidentally since opponent Dave Reichert became King County Sheriff. Knowing Dave Ross as I do--as a longtime listener--it's my bet he'll avoid all issues that smack of negative attacks. I think he will have to be ultra careful of both Repub and Dem operatives trying to bait him into partisanship, though. We'll see if he can do it.
