Slog
News & ArtsSaturday, October 17, 2009
Politics Dow vs. Susan, Round II
Posted by Eli Sanders on Sat, Oct 17, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Dominic and I are preparing to watch the second county exec debate. The details: KOMO TV 4 at 9 p.m. The question: after Thursday's yellow extravaganza, what television-friendly ensemble will Hutchison put on for tonight?
9:00 We're not in public television anymore. Foreboding music, battle metaphors, and a reminder that this debate is a KOMO "problem solver" event.
9:05 Hutchison, in candy-apple red, leads off with an announcement that she and her husband voted today... Guess who they picked for exec? Also, we knew this was coming: "Yesterday the Seattle Times endorsed me..."
9:07 Television is not kind to Constantine. He looks small, uncertain, halting. Or, maybe it's just the contrast—Hutchison is sooo practiced at looking calm and in command on camera. But, during the discussion of whose campaign has the worst complaints filed against it, Dow does something smart: he turns to Hutchison, shows some emotion, confronts her directly and says the charges that she's trying to shrug off are very serious. That's how you puncture the telegenic glow.
9:15 Not much new material tonight... If you watched Thrusday's debate, you're hearing many of the same attacks and answers—verbatim.
9:18 Though the material is that same, Dow's presentation is very different. He began with some of the same on-camera nervousness he exhibited on Thursday, but as the debate's gone on he's getting more comfortable, more aggressive and emphatic, and more ready to turn to Hutchison, look her in the eye, and challenge her directly. It's a much better performance.
9:23 Question from a viewer! There's someone watching this on a Saturday night aside from me and Dominic. Oh, wait... it's pre-recorded. And, of course, it's about the Howard Hansen Dam.
9:25 Dow brings up Hutchison's promise to "call in the Marines" to handle the potential flooding and calls it "loose talk"—a new attack for him. He continues: "The people of the Green River Valley don't need a military invasion. They need level-headed leadership."
9:26 Hutchison stands by her promise to call in the Marines "within jurisdictional authority." Which, by the way, doesn't give her the power to call in the Marines.
9:30 Commenter stinkbug is right: Hutchison is sweating. She wiped he forehead earlier, and you can see it glistening again now. It's not a Nixon v. Kennedy sweat threat. But it's there.
9:33 Another viewer question! This time from a man holding a daughter who's... rubbing her father's man-tit. Over. And over. And over. (Through his green sweatshirt.) It's a bit distracting. But the question is about the Critical Areas Ordinance.
9:37 We were once again distracted by the ridiculous "Problem Solvers" logo on the debate hall floor, so we're not sure what prompted this but we believe we just heard Hutchison say: "Dow Constantine has declared war on a lot of our citizens." Woah.
9:40 Dow's favorite words: Leader. Experience. Problem solver. Hutchison's favorite words: Change. Taxes. Seattle Times.
9:45 A long reminder that both of these candidates support the deep bore tunnel.
9:47So how would they work with tunnel opponent Mike McGinn if he's elected? They both dodge.
9:50 Hutchison tries to grab some enviro cred by invoking her endorsement by environmentalist Jim Ellis. Constantine points out that Ellis has said he only endorsed Hutchison because Slade Gorton asked him to, and because he felt bad about not having endorsed a Republican in a while.
9:55 Hutchison decries "bully politics" and promises to put all of us—including, presumably, the mean old bullies who want to keep her out of office—on "a meatloaf, not a steak diet."
9:57 Closing statements. Dow continues with his more aggressive tone and his reminders that Hutchison is anti-choice, bad on the environment, and inexperienced. She continues with her talking points: change, change, change.
And we're done.
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I love that outfit! What's a little sweat? When I was going through the change, I sweated all the time.
Dow picked up in the second half. I thought he might cry the first few comments. He ended strong.
Many forget the big river dams, Columbia and Snake, were built under the direct supervision of the Corps.
A dam collapse is not pretty, even if it does not threaten Seattle.
Dow wants to put his dick in the leaking spots?
Hutchison has also been endorsed by the attorney general, Seattle Times, and the Eastside Business Alliance.
Vote for Hutchison.
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That is reason enough to not vote for her.
In Hillary's case it was sexist and belittling ... in this case it's just calling two locals, Susan and Dow, by their first names.
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If elected, She'll go in, make a mess of things just like her kind always does, then get voted out, leaving some Democrat to clean it up.
Conservatives are such children.
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Dow Constantine isn't my favorite, but is by far the lesser of two evils. Not voting because Dow turns me off is a vote for that evasive Republican sleeper-agent Hutchinson.
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Once again all that matters, is that Hutchinson still looked like the better leader of people in the impression category in this debate.
She also makes a concerted effort to reach out to ALL of King County, as opposed to Dow who is a very NIMBY Seattle (one town interest only) candidate.
That alone will slam dunk any remaining fence sitters for Hutchinson.
The rest of the county does matter. The time of Seattle dominating all decisions and elections in the county is coming to an end.
Thankfully so
My argument thus far doesn't necessarily PROVE that it wasn't sexist...one could argue that she didn't really have a choice because the media already referred to her by her first name since she was a woman, therefore she was best known as "Hillary" to begin with and had to go with the bigger brand. But if it is true that a (presumably) unsupportive media did this, then they DEFINITELY would have called Palin by her first name. But...the only people that routinely referred to Sarah Palin as "Sarah" were her hardcore supporters (and I am not going to extend non-sexist arguments to Palin supporters). Additionally, we all know that in recent weeks/months, Nancy Pelosi has suffered from sexist attacks; if a sexist reference to a woman in power often includes reference by her first name, then "Nancy" would be routinely coming up. It doesn't.
Could Hillary's choice to use her first name have been borne out of societal sexism (perhaps more specifically, different expectations of men and women by society)? It's entirely possible. But was the use of her first name through last year's campaign season by media, commoners like me, and herself? Definitely not.
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if she does for the county what she did for the symphony we're in big trouble.
She is NOT well respected by the other members of the board, or the musicians. They think she's pretty much a dolt. I heard this directly from a board member.
Basically, she's just our own, slightly older version of Palin... phony smile and journalism degree included.
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Spot on! If one only read the comments in this place, you'd be led to believe many things which don't square with reality. A little dose of reality is why I post here. ;)
Sometimes I wonder if The Stranger really does want to become an objective fair and balanced place. Sometimes certain articles come close, other times, you have to wonder what planet many of the "regulars" live on.
Seriously yo.
Reality Check
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Must be another one of your accounts hmm?
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I don't speak for them, of course, but I don't believe that Slog, or The Stranger in general, has ever claimed to be "an objective fair and balanced place", or has ever aspired to be so.
It's an alternative weekly, which have a long history of advocacy journalism, and there's nothing wrong with that. But you bark up the wrong tree if you hope to bring your own peculiar vision of "reality" here. However, if it makes you feel like you are some sort of truthteller, or are speaking truth to power, do proceed: You won't be the first crackpot here, and you certainly won't be the last.
And Raindrop - dear, sweet, confused Raindrop: If you think that the comments on the KOMO website reflect any more the viewpoints of "regular" people than Slog does, I have some Salton Sea waterfront property that I would like to sell you. Here's a little life lesson, Rainey: Regular people don't spend all of their time posting their opinions on the internet, particularly over something as dreary as a county council election.
While we're just chatting, you and I, I'm intrigued by your assertion that "wealth cannot be considered a determining factor of anyone's political dispostions". Just who made that determination? You and the voices in your head?
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My bad, I was referring to the "Morning News" thread. You were the first one to post a comment there (pro-Susan, what a shocker) and then you never reappeared.
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I said "The people who will vote for her are either stupid or wealthy (or think they are wealthy)"
You'll notice that I did not say that all wealthy people will vote for her, or that all stupid people will vote for her. That was an assumption on your part that you made quite evident in your statement "wealth cannot be considered a determining factor of anyone's political dispostions (sic). "
That statement is what I questioned, and I question again here: Who came up with that little ground rule? Perhaps what you meant was "wealth should not be considered a determining factor of anyone's political dispositions. " ? That I would agree with: It shouldn't be, yet many times it is.
But not by me. My point was that wealthy people have the most to gain from Mrs. Hutchinson's election. But thankfully, at least in this case, people don't always do what's good for them.
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What the hell does that mean? That's as unintelligible and meaningless as what Hutchison says.
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