My take on the Madore/Boldt situation.

I've been giving this some thought over the past several months I was aware it was going to happen.  (Yes, I knew almost immediately after the decision had been made... months ago... that David Madore was likely to take Marc Boldt on for county commissioner.)

As Marc Boldt's brother-in-law and his legislative assistant for almost 6 years, I've had the opportunity to observe him close up and interact with him, on both a professional and personal level.

The Marc Boldt we have now bears scant resemblance to the Rep. Marc Boldt we used to have.

Rep. Marc Boldt was a warrior.  he was a man of integrity, of honor, of principle... Republican principles... conservative principles.

That man is long gone.

As this election spools up, you'll come to know Marc Boldt by those who support him and those who attack his opponent.

The downtown Mafia, CRUDEC, the CRC, the Columbian (who has, in the past, publicly raped Boldt for his then unpopular-with-the-downtown-Vancouver-set politics) will all support him and finance him... just like they will the leftists running against Tom Mielke.

They will do that, because, of course, Boldt has sold out and become one of them.

He's been one of them for years.

There are a long list of very real political sins, beginning with his multiple endorsements of Steve Stuart against Tom Mielke (who had been Marc's fellow conservative warrior and seat mate in the legislature for several years) and ending with his recent, obvious, provable multiple conflicts of interest votes... with a great deal of sell outs in-between: voting to confiscate our fire arms in the event of a county-declared emergency; voting to increase our taxes repeatedly... allowing county employees to avoid paying anything for their health care premiums... and several other issues I'll discuss later.

That is not to say that I'm sold on David Madore, either.

The problems I have with Madore are this: he's politically naive and unfocused, and has, in the past, surrounded himself with people that he SHOULD have known better to depend on... including Jon Russell, and that gives me pause... serious pause.

He has failed to take the steps that would have guaranteed his election, and now, it may be too late.  Madore SHOULD have organized the commuters, a step that would have made his election to almost any position a foregone conclusion.... a strategy easily accomplished... but completely ignored.

That said, Marc Boldt represents a local version of Barack Obama.  He has disappointed so many... he has completely ignored GOP principles... he has jacked up our taxes, even in the midst of this horrific local economy... he has likely broken the law... he has failed to defend us from the gigantic CRC rip off.... and he has done many other things which, by themselves, would cost him election... but combined?

Boldt can be beaten.  Easily.  But the effort has to be professional, focused and relentless.  Madore must jettison anyone local... because those local have made him more a punch line than a political powerhouse.

Madore has the money.  Does he have the sense?  That's a question, because frankly, he SHOULD have publicly started this effort 6 months ago.

The people must be taught who Marc Boldt is, and both what he has done to them... and what he has failed to do for them.

Marc has been "disowned" by the local GOP, and that has happened for a variety of reasons.  Now, he's in a position to be fired by us all because of his failure to remain the young, hard-charging, conservative he once was... the man we needed to have... the man who has had two terms to serve us, but instead chose to serve THEM... at our expense.

More... much more... later.