Humboldt huhu ha-ha's
Michael Kountouris/Cagle Cartoons
The Hawaiian pidgin language is full of descriptive words, such as “huhu,” which describes a state of agitated anger.
The North Coast blogs have been all huhu since before the supervisor elections over the campaign’s hot-button issue: Johanna Rodoni’s shadow candidacy for 2nd District county supervisor.
The name of her husband, Roger, remained on the June 3 ballot after he died in a car crash just before the election. Johanna was appointed by the governor to fill out his term, and rather than asking voters to write in her name, she and her supporters encouraged a vote for Roger in hopes she would be reappointed.
The conventional wisdom was that if Roger didn’t attract 50 percent of the voters plus one, Johanna was out of luck. Everybody knew that even if Roger was in the top two of three candidates, because of his death he could not be the Nov. 4 runoff, nor could Johanna be a write-in in the fall.
One bit of tongue-in-cheek advice given to young journalists is, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out,” meaning that a healthy skepticism about what “everybody knows” is a reporter’s best friend.
So our reporters started with the county’s top elections official, Carolyn Crnich, who said she would have to do some research, but was too swamped with election preparation for a quick answer, which was understandable.
Our Editorial Board had an opportunity before the election to ask Johanna Rodoni whether she could be a write-in candidate Nov. 4, and she said: “Not as far as I understand it. There is some question about that still. We haven’t even pursued that. We’re just going to get through June 3, and then we’ll look at the options for November.”
So when our editorial endorsement of Clif Clendenen was published on June 1, it hedged a sentence that it was “possible” Johanna could be a November write-in. While there were hints that the door wasn’t closed, we didn’t know for sure. Plus, we didn’t think it was fair to put pressure on Crnich publicly to make a ruling at such a stressful time at her office.
That sentence, however, was enough to throw gas on the flaming huhu. How could the “Substandard” be so stupid? Don’t they know the law? A write-in by Johanna Rodoni? What outrageous incompetence to suggest anything of the kind. Sub-sub-sub!”
That’s why online political opinion gives you the most for your entertainment dollar — especially since it's free.
Of course, the Times-Standard wanted to have the question answered by election night, especially if Roger Rodoni did not win outright. Which is what happened. He got 36.7 percent of the vote, only 16 more votes than Clendenen. Estelle Fennell was another 644 votes back, but she’ll be on the runoff ballot in November.
So it was with some satisfaction that we published a story that night quoting a spokeswoman at the California secretary of state’s office — which oversees elections — saying one of their attorneys found no legal obstacles to a Johanna write-in on Nov. 4.
Of course, the huhu continued unabated, as I’m sure it will after today’s front-page story about Crnich saying a county legal opinion confirms that.
We look forward to more huhu ha-ha’s for months to come, especially if someone has pockets deep enough for a legal challenge.
Comments
Wow, Rich. You totally eff up the facts and then dis bloggers for calling you on it. How lame.
You falsely reported Johanna might get her name on the Nov. ballot but apparently corrected your mistake on June 4. Must have been due to the bloggers' hu-hu.
You also wrongly reported that she didn't have time to file as a write-in, but you later corrected that, too.
Surely it must be embarrassing for the editor of Eureka's longest daily to make such glaring mistakes. Because it looked like your readers -- including some pesky bloggers -- had been paying more attention than you. No wonder you're bitter.
Posted by: Heraldo | June 9, 2008 10:31 PM
Bitter? No, more amused. I don't mind getting called on it. We didn't clearly write what we meant, and willingly fixed the editorial. (We meant to say that Johanna felt it was too late for her to file, and that perhaps voters could write her name on the Nov. ballot). I'm just noting others haven't owned up to their own misstatements. Perhaps, since they have no public face, they feel they don't have to.
Posted by: Rich | June 9, 2008 11:27 PM
Now were all your editorial board members present at each candidate's interview? I understand with one candidate, the whole editorial board was not present.
I noticed you changed the on-line version of the original editorial. Back-peddling? Perhaps you could have been cooler by waiting until after the election to make your announcement.
Posted by: Carol Conners | June 10, 2008 07:36 AM
Huhu to you, too.
Posted by: Greg | June 10, 2008 07:46 AM
BTW I have no problem is you wish to use words from my blog in your opinion pieces, but since they are posted publicly please attribute them when using direct quotes.
Posted by: Greg | June 10, 2008 07:48 AM
I'm just noting others haven't owned up to their own misstatements.
Perhaps you're amusing yourself with further inaccuracies. I posted an apology for being wrong (apparently) about Johanna's right to file as a write-in for November.
But contrary to your claim, you do appear upset for getting called on your glaring mistakes. That's why you call such corrections "free" "entertainment."
Posted by: Anonymous | June 10, 2008 09:26 AM
I'm just noting others haven't owned up to their own misstatements.
Perhaps you're amusing yourself with further inaccuracies. I posted an apology for being wrong (apparently) about Johanna's right to file as a write-in for November.
But contrary to your claim, you do appear upset for getting called on your glaring mistakes. That's why you call such corrections "free" "entertainment."
Posted by: Heraldo | June 10, 2008 09:26 AM
No problem, Greg, even though your rant was only part of the synopsis. Always glad to bring your gibberish to a wider audience...
Posted by: Rich | June 10, 2008 09:34 AM
Regarding the question about Editorial Board Q&As, because we scheduled them at the convenience of the candidates, not the T-S, not all Editorial Board members could be at all sessions. (The one I missed, I had to go to a funeral in SF.) That's why we got complete audio of all interviews and made them available - along with written transcripts - for all members of the board for endorsement background (as well as to the public for their decision-making).
Posted by: Rich | June 10, 2008 09:38 AM
Re Heraldo 9:34: Upset, yes, but at myself for using imprecise language when I know every word will be parsed. That's why it was important to make the fix. I don't mind the errors being pointed out, but it's the arrogant assurance by some that as far as election law is concerned, the sun shines from their okole (pidgin again). Fortunately, on the most important part of this story, the T-S was dead on.
Posted by: Rich | June 10, 2008 09:56 AM
Perhaps a little proof-read by one of your knowledgeable reporters will prevent such clouds from raining on your "dead-on" reports in the future.
Posted by: Heraldo | June 10, 2008 10:02 AM
Dead on? Dead on Arrival, maybe. Schlock is schlock.
You said someone could be "on the ballot" when in fact they can not be on the ballot. You made this mis-statement as part of a political endorsement, changing it only after heat from some bloggers and after the election.
You can dish it out but you can't take it. No wonder the mainstream press is in trouble.
Posted by: Greg | June 10, 2008 10:25 AM
Oh, I take it every day. Part of the job. And I have to admit enjoying your entertaining, vein-popping, spittle-spraying rants. The Clinton one was a classic, but the recent one was among your best. I look forward to your encore.
Posted by: Rich | June 10, 2008 06:50 PM
Why, thanks Rich. That's better.
Posted by: Greg | June 11, 2008 07:41 AM
Just tryin' to hold up my end of the Insult Fest... Don't want to let things get boring.
Posted by: Rich | June 11, 2008 02:15 PM
Aloha, Rich! We will dearly miss you!
Posted by: Anonymous | June 16, 2008 09:48 AM