Tuesday, December 19, 2017

What a single vote can do

Back in 2014, I got at least two votes in an uncontested ANC ( neighborhood committee) election in DC. Since I had not declared candidacy, no winner was proclaimed. As a studious college student, I went back to my studies in New York, and did not challenge the Board of Elections to be seated.

And three years later in Virginia, where I’m staying for work, a House of Delegates seat will flip to the Democrats by one vote in recount. Yes, one vote of 24,000 cast. And that one voter will end the 20-year Republican majority in the legislative body, resulting in a power-sharing tie. It takes a real “good old boy” to congratulate the presumed incoming delegate. And a “good old boy” network is therefore one of Virginia’s strengths: I have seen stats showing that Virginia is less partisan than other states. Even when a Democratic wave wipes away your Republican  supermajority. Apparently, through the House of Delegate’s elections committee, the governing party can toss a close election like tied candidates toss a coin in other states. In the post-1965 voting rights act environment, a legislative overturn of a recount would warrant federal scrutiny. Being a Virginia delegate is a part-time job, with 90 days of service over two years. The pay is approximately $18,000 per year plus hotel and meals while in session. Most delegates have full-time jobs, so engaging in a controversial, almost unprecedented, endeavor might not be appealing to outgoing Delegate Yancey, a Republican, especially during the Christmas season. Personal sensibilities might trump party loyalty, and how many citizens can say that they’ve been tossed out of office by a single ballot? The Republican Party of Virginia has yet to put out a statement.

With legislative experience that outgoing (carpet bagging) Governor McAuliffe lacks, incoming Democratic Governor Ralph Northam could lure a Republican delegate to a job in the executive branch, putting Democrats into the majority until a special election can take place. Republicans pulled a similar stunt on the Virginia Senate in 2014. despite the stunned silence, I doubt that Republican leadership is waiving a white flag.  You don’t just give away the keys to your house after 20 years of power. Democrats would know that feeling, having held the House of Delegates from the end of Reconstruction to 1998, about 120 years of Democrat control in the Solid South. So I’m betting that there are back room discussions with Democratic leadership and the incoming governor that will leave shell shocked Republicans with more power than they deserve after November’s electoral whipping. After all, it’s the art of the deal.

In other news, professional sports players play and perform for the fans, not for themselves. The NFL organization ‘s fumbling on the National Anthem protests was reported to cost about 10-12% viewership, which the media explained away as a natural occurrence of 2016 being an election year. But that margin was  enough to hit a tipping point that made stadiums empty out and tickets sell for cheap. Which is a surprise for me, since I thought new game-day fans would fill in for dejected regulars. Then again, I’m talking about the Washington Redskins, a team that will not be going to the playoffs this year. Given the economic harm that NFL has suffered from player protests, the organization could bring C.K. in to discuss a settlement of grievances, as an alternative to substantial civil suit against the controversial player.

Racial grievances in the NFL were a fringe issue until last year. Jesse Jackson’s and Spike Lee’s concerns now hold water. I applaud rapper P. Diddy for quipping about purchasing an NFL franchise. African Americans are underrepresented in sports leadership- from quarterbacks to managers to owners. It is analogous to the military of the 1970’s: you can be the best employer of racial minorities, yet there will be tension until one’s management represents diversity.

UPDATE (12/21/17): GOP reversed its course of resignation, successfully challenging one uncounted ballot. Result is a tie, coin flip to follow ( and likely second recount) per Virginia law.

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