Editorial

Marvin Case may be reached at (360) 687-5151, by mail, P.O. Box 2020, Battle Ground, WA 98604 , and via email at Staff@TheReflector.com. The Reflector assures the public that it has no caller identification (caller ID) feature with its phone system, guaranteeing anonymity for callers who so choose.

Valid observation
Several months ago, a reader expressed concern about equal treatment by this newspaper of Democrat and Republican philosophies or candidates. She did not cite any specific stories or examples of unequal treatment, but instead said she had the general impression that Republican philosophies enjoyed greater exposure than those of Democrats. The discussion did not pertain to the opinion pages of the newspaper but rather to news copy.
As a result, this writer invited the reader to monitor The Reflector for any examples of imbalance. That monitoring has proceeded without comment until last week, when she called to express concern about a news story dealing with the results of the primary election in the race for Clark County commissioner from the north Clark County district.
She pointed out that the Republicans in the 7-person race had more column inches of news space than the lone Democrat.
In general, she has a valid concern.
Even though there were four Republican candidates competing in the race, even though one of the losing Republican candidates was endorsed by incumbent Democrat county commissioner Betty Sue Morris, and even though there was just one Democrat candidate in the race, more column inches should have been devoted to comments from the prevailing Democrat.
It seemed at the time when the story was written that the real contest in the primary was among Republicans. Any two candidates--even two Republicans--could have advanced to the general election under the top-two primary system introduced this year. The Republicans split up about 53 percent of the total vote. About 39 percent went to Democrat candidate Pam Brokaw, and two other candidates shared the remainder.
In retrospect, more attention should have been given to the lone Democrat to assure fair and equal coverage.
This writer appreciates the efforts of the concerned monitor and hopes she will continue to watch for balance in the political reporting of this newspaper.

System survived
The 8-way primary race for Clark County commissioner from the northern part of the county is over, and two candidates move on to the general election. There are several lessons to be learned from the process.
Contrary to conventional thinking, having the most money does not guarantee success.
Brad Lothspeich, one of four Republicans in the race, had more money than any of the other seven candidates but finished third. Fellow Republican Matt Swindell had about half as much money as Lothspeich and gained about the same number of votes. Republican winner Tom Mielke had less than a third of Lothspeich’s war chest but received more than twice as many votes as any other Republican.
Endorsements didn’t seem to matter, either.
Lothspeich had the key endorsements, including endorsements from the Building Industry and Realtors’ associations. He is a respected, retired fire chief who earned endorsements from firefighters and chiefs. He was also endorsed by the Vancouver Columbian Newspaper which Lothspeich jokingly referred to as “the kiss of death.”
The “top two” primary system worked well in its maiden voyage.
In this case, one Republican and one Democrat--Tom Mielke and Pam Brokaw--move on to the general election. It could have been two people of the same party or people with no party affiliation.
The public was largely satisfied with the election process. Voters did not have to pledge allegiance to any party or to sign an oath as they did in the last primary. In some ways, the voters were the winners in this election, having adopted the top-two system by petition and now being able to participate in an election where the system was in use.
Voters installed the top-two system in 2004 and state officials successfully defended it against legal challenges. The matter went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court before it could be implemented.
Both the state Democrat and Republican parties have filed further challenges to the top-two system. The parties think they “own” the election process. The fact is that candidates now file with party preferences but not as “members” of parties. The parties do not “own” the primary election system. Both parties should recognize the will of the 60 percent who supported the top-two initiative, and the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, and drop their complaints. The parties are in no position to pay for the statewide primary election process. The primary system has been chosen by the public, run by the public, and paid for by the public. And it has survived legal challenges to the highest court in the land.
In the county commissioner contest, voters can now focus on the two remaining candidates and cast ballots accordingly. Both candidates should help voters in the decisionmaking process by defining their positions and clarifying how voters can distinguish between them. How are they different in philosophy and approach? How would they differ in the conduct of the public’s business? Are they independent thinkers or do they have a biased outlook that disregards the will of the people?
It remains to be seen whether either candidate could fill the big shoes of retiring Betty Sue Morris who, despite serving during a period of tumultuous land use and growth planning changes, earned respect from all quarters for her knowledge and hard work. Morris listened to the public. She found ways to solve problems and define rules that the public could accept. Will Mielke or Brokaw be the better replacement? The voters will decide.