State's Republicans surged on Reagan's wave

By David Postman
Seattle Times chief political reporter

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most e-mailed articles

Related stories Photo gallery Other links Share your thoughts and condolences

Reagan helped topple the Democratic legend of Sen. Warren Magnuson, fueled U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn's political life, reshaped the world to allow for the international trade that dominates Washington's economy, and stands today as the last Republican presidential candidate with broad enough appeal to win votes from a majority of Washingtonians.

"I'd call myself one of the Reagan babies," said Kirby Wilbur, a Seattle talk show host who began his political life by volunteering for Reagan. "He inspired such a sense of, gosh I don't know, optimism and confidence."

Reagan babies were mostly college-aged when Reagan won the presidency. In Washington they included Wilbur's fellow KVI talk show host John Carlson, political consultant Brett Bader, and Floyd Brown, the political consultant who produced the Willie Horton ads that helped George Bush defeat Michael Dukakis in 1988. Brown grew up in Olympia and in 1980 was in charge of the Reagan campaign's youth coordinator for Oregon.

Today Brown runs a foundation that owns Reagan's Santa Barbara ranch and runs it as the headquarters of an organization to train young conservatives.

The ranch stands exactly as it did when the Reagans were last there. The former president's cowboy boots still stand in the bedroom. The dresser drawers are full.

It's not open to the public. But the thousands of college students who come to the ranch each year see it all close up as part of their introduction to Reagan.

"Our goal is to bring a new cadre of young people that keep the torch of Reaganism alive," Brown said yesterday. "I think there is a good group of people that are keeping that torch alive."

In Washington no politician is more identified with Reagan than Dunn.

She had a real Reagan baby. She named her son after him even before Ronald Reagan was president.

Dunn's position today as the Republican's senior elected official is directly linked to her work for Reagan. That work began in 1976. Although Reagan lost his run for the Republican nomination, Wilbur said the Reagan forces, led by Dunn, controlled the state party delegation that year.

Wilbur's role was more modest in the Bicentennial year. He remembers volunteering to clean pigeon droppings off the stands at Sick Stadium before a Reagan appearance there.

Dunn was equally involved in Reagan's 1980 campaign and became chairwoman of the state Republican Party in 1981. In 1992 she was elected to Congress - the only Republican among eight Democrats in the delegation.

Dunn was out of the country yesterday and unavailable for an interview. Her office released a statement saying Reagan inspired millions of Americans.

"We loved him and felt proud to be led by him," Dunn said in her statement. "Through his ideals and determination, he challenged our country to achieve greatness and to be the shining city on the hill. I will miss him."

Reagan's landslide victory in 1980 swept in a Republican governor, John Spellman, and a Republican-controlled state House and Senate. Magnuson, who had been in the Senate since 1944, was upset by Slade Gorton.

"He helped give us the coattails to win," said former Republican state Rep. Bob Eberle. "That gave us the ability to do a whole bunch of things. Big things and small things."

One little one Eberle remembers was a Republican bill that extended driver's licenses from two years to four years.

The Republican domination lasted just two years. Democrat Booth Gardner was elected governor in 1984.

And since that year, no Republican presidential candidate has been able to carry Washington state on election day.

"I think that's the magic of Reagan the communicator," Eberle said. "He talked in ways that the average, common-sense, American could say 'Yeah, that sounds right.'. "

Former Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Marchioro said the Republican Party in Washington was formidable during the Reagan years.

"We lost everything here during the Reagan landslide," she said. "The prospect of him was kind of like a big bang and we lost a lot of good people."

Reagan's conservative policies weren't the key to the Republican's success in the 1980s, it was his sunny demeanor, Marchioro said. "It was hard not to like the guy," she said. "You might of thought he was a little off. But there was something about him that went more with the way politics had been played here. I think he enabled Republicans to show a more gentle, compassionate face."

David Postman: 360-943-9882 or dpostman@seattletimes.com