Her own explanation for her loss in the recent primary, to an unknown young man from Lynden, was that her usual supporters didn't take the time to vote.
This apathy seems to have carried over from last November's county elections; where old Democrat insiders similarly failed to generate sufficient enthusiasm to motivate their base.
Could it be, after the national disillusionment, with the hollowness of the slogans echoing emptily in our ears, the Dem base has come to realize it just doesn't matter.
While Republicans make no bones about it, they're there to serve the ruling class; have voters come to understand the only difference with Democrats is they pretend they don't.
During the so called reforms of healthcare and banking, the outcome of which was little more than surrender to the medical, drug and insurance industries and hypothecation of the Treasury to the Fed and banks too big for bankruptcy; the Democrats made a spectacle of themselves, debating reform during the day while collecting campaign contributions from the interested lobbies at night.
Does anyone besides me wonder why the Democrats, with a majority in both houses, not only couldn't reform the parasitic beasts dragging down the republic, but made no effort at campaign finance reform, and sat on their hands when the Supremes opened the floodgates of corporate influence in our elections.
Since the end of Camelot, and particularly with Clinton, Obama, and the rest of the Democratic Leadership Council types, campaigning has devolved into campaign financing. And the pitch men for the Dems opener is now, "and what can your country do for you, sir?"
Closer to home, according to recent reports, Linville's opponent, Vincent Buys, raised and spent less than $15,000 to win the primary, while the incumbent chair of Ways & Means was rolling in the dough, some $90,000. With special interests, and their PACs, all over the state currying favor with our representative in Olympia, her disclosure report reads like a political who's who. Buys should have been buried.
But it seems local voters are weary of the Whatcom Democrats. And why not? The party has become more of a clique. It seems unwilling to demand its elected members embrace standards the public is coming to expect, and likewise unable to understand the growing frustration with public servants who first serve themselves.
Frankly, the Dems seem satisfied just to keep their pals in office regardless what they do after they're in. And too many don't seem to understand, in this brave new world, that public employees are not above the law of supply and demand.
The upshot for voters: it matters little who is elected. The publics business is an afterthought, a distant concern after re-election, cost of living adjustments, and pleasing your financiers.
Linville, like Pete Kremen (another pseudo democrat) has been caught up in her own career, and personal financial reward. Linville, since her first election back in 1996, has used committee assignments and leadership positions to first assure her repeated re-election and then to feather her nest much as Kremen has done. These two have more in common than a couple of DUIs.
Her next move will surely be into some state or county position allowing her to parlay her years in low paying elected office into a generous pension based on her final years of public service. Maybe Pete will move on and make room for her in bed.
She was successful, from her position in the legislature, to assure the governor appointed her husband to a well paid board position. (And dutifully, he too contributed to her campaign!) The final step will be finding a similar role for herself in order to vest a big fat pension. After her scare in the primary last week, I'll bet she's wishin' she'd cut a deal for that golden parachute last term!
This would only be mildly egregious in itself had she climbed the ladder on merit, not by doing favors for special interests who could not only fund her re-elections, but push her ahead in the pecking order in Olympia.
It is particularly strange how she came to be a darling of the Building Industry of Washington. But darling she is.
When the state courts repeatedly ruled against the developers and protected water rights that prevented them from appropriating water needed for salmon and other existing uses, like agriculture, Linville literally carried the water for the BIAW, sponsored and got their so called Municipal Water Law passed, redefining developers to be municipalities, affording them the same right to water enjoyed by cities and towns and facilitating sprawl statewide.
Fortunately, the law was found unconstitutional; but the development industry presses on with appeals.
The power of special interest money is not just the amount they contribute to an incumbent, but the money they don't contribute to an opponent. And even more, their not recruiting a strong candidate to replace an incumbent. Just like in business, monopolizing the field entails eliminating strong competition. And the absence of better regulation assures monopoly opportunities and eliminates the need to compete with a better product, or policies, for the public.
So it's not really so surprising that voters, understanding that Democrats like Linville or Kremen will not make any difference in the political outcome, don't vote. Will Buys be any better? No, probably not. He'll be an impotent representative much like Ericksen and Brandland have been.
As much as Linville has done for herself, and as little good as she has done for the public, Buys is unlikely to do much harm. Maybe he dreams of becoming the engineer on the gravy train like Linville; time will tell. But its's not likely he'll ever be more than along for the ride.
Maybe the local Democrats will learn a lesson if Linville loses the general election. Maybe you should sit on your vote, or take a free shot, send a message, and vote for Buys.
It's a lesson Democrats everywhere need.
