2008 Door-to-Door with John Burbank in Ballard
posted by on November 4 at 15:45 PM
Decked out in über-Ballard blue fleece, John Burbank is spending the final hours of his campaign for 36th District State Representative the way he spent the rest of his hours—walking the streets of Ballard.
Of the about 170 doorbell-able precincts in his contested area, he estimates he’s doorbelled 136 of them and counting.
Both Burbank and his opponent are Democrats, and theirs should be a tight race.
The way Burbank tells it, his opponent, Reuven Carlyle (who The Stranger endorsed), is the corporate lackey to Burbank’s neighborhood hero. Burbank says he refuses money from corporations—”Period. Not a dime.”—while Carlyle does not and is endorsed by restaurants that want to fight Burbank’s efforts to raise the minimum wage. When we ask Burbank to describe the greatest difference between him and his opponent, he says it’s his support for the economic security of the middle class.
That’s enough for Tony Jackson, who jumps out of the hole he’s working in to tell Burbank he voted for him.
Most people aren’t home today, or they tell Burbank when they open the door that they’ve already voted. Every one who does that says he supports Burbank. When asked why, this guy—Ray Fischer—says it’s because Burbank is a Democrat. Considering that Burbank’s opponent is also a Democrat, it makes you wonder how much people have paid attention this far down the ticket even in their own neighborhoods…
Here’s Fischer and Burbank, happy together at Fischer’s door near 64th and 24th.
Burbank says his opponent has more money than he does and could afford to go on TV and radio. But Burbank insists on being even-handed: “Make sure you say that I said that Carlyle has done a good job doorbelling, too, because he has.”
Over and out with John Burbank.
A report coming soon from a tour with Carlyle as he scours the neighborhoods picking up his own campaign signs. “They’re such garbage—they’re pollution, these signs,” Carlyle said on the phone this morning. He’s playing to the perception, because of his past promotion of the electric car, that he’s the environmental candidate.
Does Burbank ever say anything directly about Carlyle himself? Like criticize anything Carlyle himself has said or done? All you ever hear from this guy is attacks on Carlyle's supporters. I mean, to me it's annoying when John McCain does it and it's annoying when John Burbank does it.
Carlysle has 5 children, no matter how much litter he picks up, he has is can't take away the carbon footprint of 5 more people on the planet. talk about selfish... we talked to him at the Magnolia Farmers market and right up until he said he had 5 kids, he sounded good... anyone who talks enviro stuff that breeds like that is just lying.
Did you ask Burbank about the push poll phone calls, the manipulating of the 36th Dist. Democrats, and the spam emails from his toadies?
The reason many people think Carlyle's a Republican is because ECB has been regularly fanning the flames of that rumor here on Slog, and Burbank has been dutifully emailing her rumor-mongering to everyone he can find an email address for. It's been a disgusting spectacle.
And @2, I hope one of Carlyle's kids grows up to solve the energy crisis (or at least to pay for your social security--who else is going to unless we "breed"?). He appears to have a terrific family, just the kind of guy you really want to have as your representative, but never runs because he's not crazy enough to put up with a smear campaign.
@2
See? That's what I mean. Why attack his donors when you could be attacking his family? That's class, baby.
@3:
Manipulation of the 36th District Democrats? You're a lying sack of shit. The Carlyle supporters are the ones who tried to jigger their District organization's sample ballot.
When you're up against corporate Washington's shiny new pet Democrat, you fight back with the resources you have.
Good hard work. I voted for him. The other guy seemed like a poser. Never heard about the smears, just about RC's huge hissy fit at 36th dems meeting.
He knocked on my door this morning and we had already voted, for Carlyle. Sux2bU Burbank. I can't stand people who vote a straight ticket without knowing anything about the candidates.
My household received a push phone call regarding Carlyle. Where did they get my number? From the 36th Dem. list. I also received two spam emails from other 36th Dist. Dems. Someone is using this list for unauthorized purposes. It's the Burbank supporters (not the campaign) that are using this list. This behavior reflects upon Burbank since he is doing nothing to stop it.
Not all members of the 36th Dist. Dems were properly informed about the endorsement meetings. Something is fishy.
Carlyle is picking up his own yard signs, that's a good thing.
1. He picks up after himself.
2. He walks the walk enviro-wise. Most candidates let their signs rot.
3. He's a good neighbor.
"When asked why, this guy—Ray Fischer—says it’s because Burbank is a Democrat. Considering that Burbank’s opponent is also a Democrat, it makes you wonder how much people have paid attention this far down the ticket even in their own neighborhoods…"
I suppose that's a possibility. It also makes you sound more intelligent wither you deserve it or not. I on the other hand I was awakened from a nap when the above reporter knocked on my door so maybe I didn’t seem as with it as she would have liked. I liked Johns stand on the minimum wage and I didn’t like that his opponent was backed by the Washington Restaurant association. I think Burbank is more labor friendly and it’s an important point when CEO’s of this country get huge compensations even when their companies do poorly. When you are a working person and your company does poorly you loose your job over it. I’m also tired of labor getting blamed for nation’s problems when virtually every problem in a business is caused by bad management. How about the 5+ trillion the country lost last month. Was that a labor problem?
Ray Fischer, Ballard