Time & Perspective Quote by Christine Gregoire

There is a politician’s sleight of hand in “seize this time”: it turns history into a limited-time offer, a moment that will expire if voters don’t act. Christine Gregoire isn’t just urging action; she’s manufacturing urgency, the oldest fuel in democratic persuasion. The verb “seize” carries a hint of struggle and initiative, implying that the future won’t be granted politely. It has to be taken.

“Do it our way” is the real pivot. It’s a soft-edged slogan that sounds inclusive while drawing a boundary. “Our” can mean a state, a party, a coalition, or simply the people who agree with her. The phrase flatters the audience with ownership and competence, and it quietly frames alternatives as someone else’s way: distant, imposed, out of touch. That’s the subtext of regional and civic identity politics done with a smile rather than a snarl.

Then Gregoire welds morality to economics: “be proud of ourselves and prosper as well.” Pride functions as ethical cover for policy choices that might otherwise read as technocratic or transactional. Prosperity alone can sound self-interested; pride makes it sound deserved. The “as well” is telling, too: it reassures skeptical listeners that values won’t come at the expense of growth, a familiar anxiety in debates over reform, investment, or regulation.

Contextually, this is peak executive rhetoric: the governor’s promise that a community can modernize without losing its self-respect, and can pursue ambition without calling it greed. The line works because it offers two rewards - dignity and money - and implies you don’t have to pick just one.