Comments on Where Have All the Candidates Gone?

Josh.
You should run:
http://citycomfortsblog.typepad.com/cities/2007/03/where_do_i_send.html

Perhaps it's the $100K price tag to run a viable campaign.

Jean Godden and David Della are proof that ANYONE can get elected in this town with enough $$ behind them. They're certainly not there because of new ideas, good looks or winning personalities.

Quality candidates are out there, working on behalf of their neighborhoods and the like. It's just that they can't afford to take a year off from their regular full time jobs and fund raise.

$100K is a low figure. Rumor has it the price is actually closer to $250K.

What does that say about our "representative" government?

Word is John Fox is running against Jean.

I also like district representation in the council. More accountability, and in theory less $$ to campaign, because you're not campaigning city-wide.

I'm not sure it would encourage opponents, however. It would be like alot of the legislative seats within the city: not much turnover, unless there's an open seat or the candidate somehow pisses off the SEIU.

Also, districts is the way to go. As it stands now, running for council here is like running for congress. Its a huge chunk of territory, and you need serious cash. Cash that can only be provided by the DEMS and the people that love them. If the left had a solid organization that could run inside and outside the Democratic party and had built a base in communities of color and everyday working folk than this would be a perfect time to run some serious non hippie lefty candidates. But the left in this city is in diapers.

By the way I liked ECB's piece. I think Venus is a good candidate and is absolute crap that she is getting blamed for the divisiveness around CASA Latina. No one at city Hall was calling Darryl "I ran the Mexicans out" Smith divisive,though, he and his Mount Baker allies were the ones that started that whole divisive crap. Its just plain sexist crap that Venus has to be nice and lady like. Who says we have to like our candidates and elected officials? I would rather that they fight for the things I care about. I dont have to like them. Is not like Im going to be downing tequilas with them.

I'll gladly run against one of them if someone tells me how.

Who would people like to see run?

oh goodness, nice looking people, not like old wrinkled ladies or round faced Filippinios of small stature --- gosh yes, pretty and handsome, they are major pluses for civic leadership

some of these comments are pure shit, from shitty assholes, get fucked you stupid sexist and racist punks, and out of Seattle and take you puke stupid political theory with you

if you want district elections, you better run it as a ballot measure. it would never pass a city council elected citywide.

The Stranger's jackal-like treatment of people in public life has nothing to do with people not wanting to run.

@9 - me so hoinry drmaqueen, be playing dragking nor o Lake Ciddy friay night, camon out beeg boy

Kane? Kodos? Are you listening?

P.S. The Stranger's "treatment" is more like a Laughing Hyena.

TWICE - in recent memory district elections have been voted DOWN by the all too stupid voters.

DEAD issue, NON issue.

Districts invite corruption and nepotism....the mini machine system.

All council members now work for all voters. True. Once you figure out the committee system, you can talk issues with all of them.

Districts can enbolden a safe seat for a racist or homophobe. Neither would stay in office in this city past one election.

And, so forth. In any case, old news....except for Josh, who moved here from somewhere else, and is still amazed.....

John Manning - the convicted wife beater - former star cop type - on the comback???

How very funny.....but the Stranger might like his glib and charming manner, the sellout black guy.

Districts it not dead. It won't be a dead issue until we have a relevant City Council.

Strippergate happened under the At-Large system.
We have Districts for the State and Congress. Give an example of nepotism in either legislature?

What "District" of Seattle do you think would elect a racist or a homophobe these days?

Seriously, how do I go about running in this thing?

I think Bill Sherman should run. Its a damn shame that he jumped into a race in the 43rd when there were so many other candidates because Bill is a political gem that any of us would be lucky to have working for us.

Jeff, I think figuring out where to pick up the proper forms on your own is one of the prerequisites for holding office... Although I guess it would be kind of cool to have a council member who comes to Slog and goes, "OK, anyone know how I should vote on this thing?"

Josh:

I see Richard Conlin all the time. What's your fucking problem? Pick up the phone and call him.

Richard is one of the most visible and most accessible public officials in this area.

Ivan,

"What's your fucking problem?"

????

Your anger here on the Slog is wildly out of proportion. Get a grip on yourself, sir.

21:

"out of proportion?" On THIS blog? That's just too silly.

My vote is for Sherman (AKA Sexy Breeder Daddy).

the fucking problem is that it is OK to say fucking and insult what you wish

Ivan is a very sensible poster.

When does the Stranger start pushing Steph Pure into the ring?

She does have city hall resume...

Sherman is surely Max Breeder Daddy and virility flasher to the max....

His boys, his connections, his good looks, if only he had a program to match.

Venus and Breeder Daddy in the same race, too much to expect.

#21 - above
Want to meet the mom who named her son Goofus....the old blue trailer with the junk cars and broken windows?

Via the cocktail talk chit chat last night - Venus has made some big mouth anti gay comments - if true, even slightly, that will kill any political future in this city for her natural life, and maybe corrode any city job.

Ck it out Josh - the facts - just the facts.

The obvious reason no one wants to run: it's a terrible job.

No one likes you. You get zero strokes from the press (not just The Stranger). The mayor's got his hand in your pants before you've even taken the oath, tearing off your balls.

And most of all, the issues that you are likely to face in the coming session are intractible and have no good solution, none that will fail to mortally piss off 2/3 of the city. Namely the Viaduct.

Insider comment for what it is worth - During the appointment process for the vacant slot that Sally Clark got, I was sleeping with a city hall insider.

There was a lot of staff time/feedback and time spent on evaluating this long list of applicants.

Venus had more negatives, more than all the rest of the candidates put together.

That alone chilled her chances.

For what it is worth. She apparently has burned a lot of bridges - and I suspect the knives will come out during a political campaign.

FYI.

John

I was sleeping with a city hall insider.

What a tool.

#29, SeMe - above

Indeed, what a tool. About 9 inches and hard for hours. Very sweet, torrid, and now over. You know, the ten week thing.

Slightly repressed wonks can be wildfire at night, of course, it takes the right stimulus package, too.......

The creation of an open seat draws away doesn’t just steal away the strongest potential challengers to incumbents (Velasquez was eying Jean Godden; Harrell was going to run against Sally Clark), it also draws away media attention from the other races. The 2003 elections showed that even a so-so group of challengers attacking the Council as a group can create an unsafe situation for multiple incumbents. Likewise, a high-profile open seat race and a lack of strong challengers for incumbents makes potential candidates more likely to sit this election cycle out and wait for a 2009 open seat race.

One more thing: There are only two good reasons to run for office. They are:
1) You think you might win, and
2) You think your candidacy will draw attention, engage supporters, etc. and give you a better chance to win in a future election.

These are not good reasons to run for office:
1) To “give people a choice.”
2) To “hold incumbents accountable”
3) To entertain the news media and the chattering political classes

They're just afraid of getting skewered on the Slog. After Dan's outbursts last year on Jamie Pedersen, among other commentaries in the Stranger, I'm amazed anyone would run for office in this city.

If a candidate is afraid of taking some heat on a blog, than they mos def have no biz running. Looking at Pedersen's support for corporate interests in Olympia, I would say that Dan's "outbursts" werent that far off.

your slam of Jamie is shit

sore losers abound

Jamie jumped in tot marriage/domestic partnership thing just like he said he would

for a low life newbie, he is doing great, get a clue

#29: Gross.

Anyway, this City Council doesn't really get decent coverage from the media except for the Stranger so many voters really don't know who these people are. Most of the Councilmembers hide from the press, keep their heads down, and don't do anything to attract attention so they can keep their jobs.

I wouldn't have said this about previous Councils, but this one is zzzzzzzz....

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