Gov. Jay Inslee, cool your jets. You are not presidential material.
Let’s review the record: Your primary initiative is climate change. While I agree with you that it is a near-existential threat to the entire world, your ability to inspire and lead the populace to agree on a course of action and get it moving is simply not there.
Secondly, while the Legislature fussed and fumed with the McCleary situation for five years, you were totally unable to get the relevant people into a room, knock some heads and get things moving. I am sure that Gary Locke and Dan Evans – and likely, Rob McKenna – would not have been so unengaged.
The ongoing disaster in the state mental health program, and especially the mess at Western State Hospital, has been laid at your doorstep by pundits far and wide. You have been wildly unsuccessful in leading the Legislature in areas where you have expressed strong feelings, gun control and our state’s regressive tax system. Your speeches are not inspiring. Although you did, in fact, have a relatively successful record while in Congress, your ability to follow up and build on that foundation in the past six years is simply not impressive.
When I mentioned your presidential aspirations to an acquaintance – who is far more anti-Republican than I am – the immediate response was, “Oh, you’re kidding!”
I suggest that you stay with the governorship as long as you and the voters are willing, then go home and be happy. You have, in fact, accomplished far more in life than most people – myself included – ever will, and I salute you for that.
– Pete Beaupain
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