The End of the Beginning

It has now been one week since the Revote! Rally in Olympia and the story continues to grow. Coverage has been steadfast from Michelle Malkin and the Wall Street Journal. The Economist has run the numbers and doesn’t like the results either – and now Brit Hume at FOX News Special Report has been welcomed to Shark’s World. We are fortunate indeed that someone of Stefan’s character has stepped up to take a leading role in all of this. I have met and spoken with him regularly through this process: never have I been more impressed by someone under these conditions. And one other thing about his character: I first ‘met’ The Shark when we butted heads over a local political issue. I wasn’t exactly nice. In fact, I called him a name on my blog. But this isn’t about ego for him, and the magnanimity of his establishing a friendship with me - going forward from that inauspicious beginning, says a lot about who he is.

Stefan Sharkansky’s training has been in statistics, mathematics, and computer science. One reason that mainstream media (“MSM”) has been slow to this story is that these are areas in which journalists are, well, unaccustomed (to say the least). Even Brit Hume had to twice go over some of the facts related to this controversy for his own edification during that interview.

Through all of this, in chatting with the contributors to Sound Politics, we have been awed by you and your dedication to doing the right thing. From my perspective (and I am sure my fellow SP contributors join in this) the growth of this story has been a true testament to the character and patriotism of the people of the state of Washington. Because of you, this blog is an exercise in dedication to very real (and at-risk) principles of democracy and fair play. Fortunately, the “Dead Wood” Democrat opinion-makers desire to make this all seem like sour grapes,or some kind of W.T.O. protest(!), has fallen flat (but it must be admitted, Robert Jamieson Jr. at the P-I gave Shark a fair deal). And now the national MSM is beginning to report on this story.

Stefan Sharkansky’s first major television discussion of this issue was with which news outlet? That’s right, Brit Hume at FOX. Local media have down their best to ‘dis’ the concerns of Sound Politics readers. But despite the culture of this region, the ingrained prejudice, their spin on this story – it has been for naught, thanks to efforts by citizens – like at the Revote! Rally last week.

Be sure to catch the webcast of last week’s rally. Look at the people involved. See the fervor with which Stefan is speaking – and watch the Revote! Rally here on TVW. Picture yourself getting involved next time. Remember what Winston Churchill said after the victory at Al Alamein: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

posted at Sound Politics