Tomorrow is election day, so it’s time to size up the political effectiveness of Washington’s favorite meddling Oregonian, Gary Randall. Randall is the anti-family theocrat who joined forces last year with Larry Stickney in the failed attempt to repeal Washington’s comprehensive domestic partnership law via Referendum 71.
Randall has been promoting his Faith and Freedom PAC pretty heavily since October 12th, the day he unveiled his “2010 Candidate Information General Election“, his Washington voter guide.
Faith and Freedom PAC has targeted 5 races that we feel can be won and will significantly improve the Legislative posture toward our core values in the upcoming session. We may add to that list over the next week. While we intend to support all the candidates we have endorsed, this is our focus.
We are asking for your donation to specifically assist us in helping these candidates win.
The specific candidates he listed were these virulently anti-gay people
* John Ahern House District 6, position 2
* Michele Strobel House District 14, position 1
* Jason Hearn House District 22 , position 1
* Steve O’Ban House District 28 position 1
* Dr. Art Coday House District 32, position 1
Did the Faith & Freedom troops rally to Gary Randall’s call? Not according to the Public Disclosure Commission. In 2010, Faith & Freedom PAC has received a paltry 6 in donations from 15 donors. Only 0 of that has come in since Randall’s October 12th call to action.
And what of the support promised to Randall’s star candidates? Faith & Freedom PAC did start the year with ,062.41 cash on hand left over from the 2009 Referendum 71 campaign. Of the almost ,650 spent so far in 2010, ,845 (over 75%) was transferred to Randall’s Faith and Freedom Network for “website mgmt”. About 0 has been spent on compliance consulting fees and other minor expenses. Only 0 (8%) of Randall’s Faith & Freedom PAC expenditures has been used to actually support candidates; In July, the PAC donated 0 each to legislative candidates John Ahern, Michele Strobel and Matt Shea. Nothing for poor Jason Hearn, Steve O’Ban or Dr. Art Coday.
I’m not saying Randall’s star anti-gay candidates can’t win. They will win if enough of Washington’s fair-minded majority don’t vote. But it would be despite Gary Randall and his pitiful PAC.
Presumably this means that Randall can’t carry out the big plans he hubristically reported to the Wall Street Journal in July:
In Bellevue, Wash., the Faith and Freedom Network plans to hire activists for about an hour next month to promote statewide candidates with Judeo-Christian values for the fall elections, says Gary Randall, the group’s president. Recruits will knock on doors and will be dispatched in large groups, hoping to draw media attention, he says.
Randall corrected the WJS in a July 19th blog post stating
The Wall Street Journal was correct, except that our campaign they referenced will be launched after the primary and will involve youth from various churches in selected areas. …Details on this aspect of our efforts will be forthcoming after the primary election.
Never heard another word about it, but that’s not surprising since Randall clearly no longer has support in Washington. Without money to buy the motivation of church youth, Randall’s program is as defunct as Russell Johnson’s theocratic Youth Revolution.
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