When I was just out high school, a friend of mine who was a little older than I, introduced me to horse racing – also known as the “Sport of Kings.’’
We would make occasional trips to Portland Meadows and also to other Off Track Betting facilities and we would make a few wagers on the ponies. (I know, I know, if I was just out of high school I may not have been old enough to wager on such sinful things, but I had facial hair and bravado to spare so it wasn’t a problem.)
While I enjoyed the horse races very much, the hobby never really stuck with me, largely because there was so much time between races. I was too impatient to spend the whole 35-40 minutes between races to handicap the field, so I got bored. My friend was a good conversationalist, but he often had his nose deep into the Racing Form so I was left to sit quietly far too often.
I don’t have the same limited level of interest, or patience, with the political race for the Clark County Council chair position, which I believe certainly qualifies as a horse race with five candidates in the field. I’ve had many conversations with those in the know and I’m sure I will have many, many more. I find it incredibly compelling.
There’s one thing I believe after talking to those in the know – no one truly knows exactly how this race is going to turn out. The dynamics are very intriguing, first when it comes to how the field of five is going to be pared down in the top 2 primary (August 4) and then how those two remaining candidates will match up head-to-head in the general election in November.
I’ve heard many pundits surmise that Battle Ground City Councilor Mike Dalesandro has a great shot at surviving the primary because he’s the only declared Democrat in the field. You know the theory, that there’s enough voters who mark their ballot clearly along party lines that the only Democrat will likely get at least the 25-30 percent of the votes that many believe will be needed to advance to the final two.
I even had someone I respect a great deal tell me that when Dalesandro filed, it “chopped the legs off of Marc Boldt.’’ Remember, when Boldt first declared his intention to run, his press release boldly stated that he was running as a conservative Republican. But, when it came time to file, he studied the field and decided to state no party preference.
I may be in the minority, but I don’t think the party affiliation, or lack thereof, is going to doom Boldt’s chances to garner more of the anti-Republican votes than Dalesandro. Boldt is a widely respected, veteran area politician and Dalesandro is a virtual newcomer to the scene, particularly at the county level.
A sign of that came this week when the Young Democrats of Clark County endorsed Boldt, and not Dalesandro, in the race for the chair position.
There is no clearer vision for the other ideological side of this race, as the three current councilors each have their own supporters in the county. Tom Mielke has won several elections in his political career and that shows he has a number of loyal voters in the area who will jump at the chance to once again offer him their support. David Madore is a bold conservative who might put in more hours than any other elected official in the area and he has his own faithful in addition to a war chest of resources. Jeanne Stewart is highly respected by many conservatives and preferred by those who have serious concerns over the impact of the large number of county residents who Mielke and Madore have alienated in the last couple of years.
So, that assessment of the field is why I believe it will only take 25-30 percent to advance to the general election. I don’t think there’s any of the five candidates who are just going to get shut out in the primary, which means anything can truly happen. And remember, the top two of the five will advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
Feel free to share your thoughts with me on this page. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I share mine prior to Aug. 4.
Ken Vance
Editor
