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News & ArtsWednesday, October 21, 2009
Politics / City Overheard at McGinn Campaign Headquarters Last Night
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 6:32 AM
Elliott Day, one of Mike McGinn's full-time (volunteer) staffers, talking about yesterday's KING 5/SurveyUSA poll (McGinn 36%, Mallahan 43%): "All I can say is, that same poll said we'd lose the primary, by not a small margin." McGinn took first place in the primary.
Derek Farmer, another volunteer staffer, added, "As one of our campaign stalwarts said, it would be off-brand for us to be up in the polls."
2
I voted for the guy, but does he expect to also govern as the Charlie Brown of Seattle politics?
God help us whichever one of these losers win.
God help us whichever one of these losers win.
3
That primary poll was a crowned field - now folks - just two.
His campaign sounds like they have not a clue.
They would follow this guy into the water it seems. Mc Ginn is seriously behind, can that change, maybe. By the end of this week 50 percent of Seattle ballots are in the can. Persuadables are shrinking rapidly ...
My friends and office buddies all broke for Mallahan except one - and there was not an aligned person two weeks ago.
Ballots have been marked, done and mailed.
Mc Ginn is in trouble, with no media, no money and just silly responses to the problem ...
His campaign sounds like they have not a clue.
They would follow this guy into the water it seems. Mc Ginn is seriously behind, can that change, maybe. By the end of this week 50 percent of Seattle ballots are in the can. Persuadables are shrinking rapidly ...
My friends and office buddies all broke for Mallahan except one - and there was not an aligned person two weeks ago.
Ballots have been marked, done and mailed.
Mc Ginn is in trouble, with no media, no money and just silly responses to the problem ...
4
@2, and that's why I did the write in candidate this time around for mayor. We all lose no matter which one wins.
5
I'm sorry, but McGinn's campaign is finished --- unless he raises miracle money and combats Mallahan on the issues.
This is what is so pathetic about what has happened to McGinn's campaign --- he did unnecessary robo calls on the gun ban, he held a tacky press conference on 23rd where that wonderful man was murdered at the Phili Cheesesteak place, and now he's made a decision on the tunnel he didn't need to make right now. This reminds me of John McCain's campain in how it imploded just after it got an injection of energy and positive press. McCain "suspended" his campaign, Sarah Palin opened her mouth, he sucked at the debates, etc.
Meanwhile, Joe Mallahan --- whose entire campaign has been based on attacking people, pumping his own money into the campaign, and stating total generalities --- has a huge opening. And he's jumped on it, with a smart political ad showing McGinn talking in favor of the tunnel.
Folks, I'm sorry, but in politics, you can't ask people to understand nuance. McGinn is a guy with a real public record, Mallahan doesn't. From the very getgo, McGinn, Nickels et al should have been attacking the living shit out of Mallahan not for buying his way into the race, but for not voting 13 times and not having done OINE SINGLE FUCKING THING for the city he "lives" in (even though he spends most of his time at T-Mobile in Bellevue and only moved back to Seattle after many years away in 2000).
This is a fucking joke. I could have pulled a better campaign out of my ass.
This is what is so pathetic about what has happened to McGinn's campaign --- he did unnecessary robo calls on the gun ban, he held a tacky press conference on 23rd where that wonderful man was murdered at the Phili Cheesesteak place, and now he's made a decision on the tunnel he didn't need to make right now. This reminds me of John McCain's campain in how it imploded just after it got an injection of energy and positive press. McCain "suspended" his campaign, Sarah Palin opened her mouth, he sucked at the debates, etc.
Meanwhile, Joe Mallahan --- whose entire campaign has been based on attacking people, pumping his own money into the campaign, and stating total generalities --- has a huge opening. And he's jumped on it, with a smart political ad showing McGinn talking in favor of the tunnel.
Folks, I'm sorry, but in politics, you can't ask people to understand nuance. McGinn is a guy with a real public record, Mallahan doesn't. From the very getgo, McGinn, Nickels et al should have been attacking the living shit out of Mallahan not for buying his way into the race, but for not voting 13 times and not having done OINE SINGLE FUCKING THING for the city he "lives" in (even though he spends most of his time at T-Mobile in Bellevue and only moved back to Seattle after many years away in 2000).
This is a fucking joke. I could have pulled a better campaign out of my ass.
7
The problem with McGinn is that he is an ideologue with little practical understanding of what it takes to make things work. We can't sit around holding hands and think everything is going to be wonderful. The city is a complex place that can't be structured on simplistic thinking.
8
pollsters can't really call cell-phones (TCPA regs) and who answers land-lines without screening in some fashion anymore? so who are pollsters under-counting? likely McGinn voters, say i. and yes, look at that substantial "undecided" block. don't put any confidence in these polls. (does any one ever bother to go back to check them for accuracy after the fact anyway? if they do a public record should be made of their relative performance)
9
@ralph/#7
I get what you're saying, but I don't agree 100%. McGinn understands how a city works -- he's the only candidate right now in the race who has gone up against the city and been the driving force behind various levies getting passed, getting sidewalks for his neighborhood --- the same type of stuff other city council members run on.
I don't think he's totally an idealogue, I just think he should have communicated earlier that he understands the state constitution (i.e., you can't stop a state route like the 99) and had gone after Mallahan for the total lack of substance and engagement. How can our city justify electing a man who never voted 13 times and who STILL doesn't tell us really anything at all SPECIFIC about his business experience other than, "I bring diverse groups of people together to solve complex problems."
Come the fuck on.
I get what you're saying, but I don't agree 100%. McGinn understands how a city works -- he's the only candidate right now in the race who has gone up against the city and been the driving force behind various levies getting passed, getting sidewalks for his neighborhood --- the same type of stuff other city council members run on.
I don't think he's totally an idealogue, I just think he should have communicated earlier that he understands the state constitution (i.e., you can't stop a state route like the 99) and had gone after Mallahan for the total lack of substance and engagement. How can our city justify electing a man who never voted 13 times and who STILL doesn't tell us really anything at all SPECIFIC about his business experience other than, "I bring diverse groups of people together to solve complex problems."
Come the fuck on.
10
#6
Another trend - leave it blank.
Really undecided. I suspect a record of non votes will show up.
Another trend - leave it blank.
Really undecided. I suspect a record of non votes will show up.
11
Vlad @ 7 -
Whatever. We know where you stand and have heard all of Charla/Justin's talking points from you before.
We know you want a conservative mayor who loves the Chamber and hates neighborhoods and doesn't know the first thing about community involvement....Oh, and who is the original Flip Flop Mercer Machine!
Whatever. We know where you stand and have heard all of Charla/Justin's talking points from you before.
We know you want a conservative mayor who loves the Chamber and hates neighborhoods and doesn't know the first thing about community involvement....Oh, and who is the original Flip Flop Mercer Machine!
12
@6 @10
Yeah, I might actually write someone in. Despite my litany of comments about McGinn's public service, if he really is sending flyers saying lightrail can't go to Ballard, West SEattle, etc., then he is showing incompetence. It'll come down to the last possible moment for me on this one.
Yeah, I might actually write someone in. Despite my litany of comments about McGinn's public service, if he really is sending flyers saying lightrail can't go to Ballard, West SEattle, etc., then he is showing incompetence. It'll come down to the last possible moment for me on this one.
13
@9 I love all of those same things, but those are the fruits of our labor. We still need an economy to pay for them and Mike seems to think that is somehow a given. It isn't. For all of the talk of a "green economy", Mike never recognized that Boeing is already in the process of building the most green plane in the sky (albeit with some difficulty). Those 100,000 employees have to get around somehow, and so do the parts. Mike seems to think that we can somehow overnight become NYC, and that is plain naive. NYC has literally trillion of dollars worth of public transportation infrastructure. If we suddenly had $100 billion to invest in public transportation infrastructure, that still be just a drop in the bucket.
Sorry, but Mike is dreamer with little understanding of how a city really works, that is why I can't vote for him.
Sorry, but Mike is dreamer with little understanding of how a city really works, that is why I can't vote for him.
14
Has anyone noticed how this whole mayoral race has become a referendum on McGinn? He is the only one talking about the issues and Mallahan, it seems, has made this race about voting for McGinn or voting for not McGinn.
With all this talk about McGinn, I am sure he has far better name recognition than Mallahan which could end up biting Joe in the ass.
With all this talk about McGinn, I am sure he has far better name recognition than Mallahan which could end up biting Joe in the ass.
15
I'm with theophrastus (8) on this. Do a slog poll of how many readers without landline phones voted for McGinn vs Mallahan. The polls don't reflect younger voters who use cell phones exclusively.
16
Remember, if you really wanted Greg Nickels, you need to do a valid write-in candidate.
Greg Nickels can't be one of them.
I recommend Ivan Weiss, he's a good guy, we disagree a lot, but he's much more in tune with Greg than Mallahan is.
Of course, I voted for Mike McGinn. Like most people will.
Greg Nickels can't be one of them.
I recommend Ivan Weiss, he's a good guy, we disagree a lot, but he's much more in tune with Greg than Mallahan is.
Of course, I voted for Mike McGinn. Like most people will.
17
and @8 and @15 are correct. I literally saw my son and his gf get called by pollsters - and not even answer their cell phones.
Me, with a landline, I answered mine.
Me, with a landline, I answered mine.
19
ah, you're no fun anymore ralph. you're just peeved cause of what the Speaker said last night about your tunnel.
21
McGinn for the Win! Polls were dead wrong in the primary and they're dead wrong now! Even if he loses, it won't be by enough to give his haters a good hard-on. Neener, and also Neener, suckas.
Go Team!
Go Team!
22
Mike likes a gimmick a fight or both at the same time.
Even his platform is a gimmick.
When Mike blathers on about Seattle Public Schools, it makes me wonder why he doesn’t or hasn’t run for school board. How many school board meetings has he attended and testified at in the last 2 years? What issue or issues did he address in his public testimony? Platitudes about education being related to public safety, the importance of early learning, stopping drop outs, etc would best be dealt with from within Seattle Public Schools and with action, not speeches or statements about what we already know.
It's total bullshit to talk about a takeover of Seattle Public Schools when you are completely disengaged from what goes on there process. 2 years ago he told me Peter Meier was going to be an ace school board member when I mentioned that his campaign was funded by a few millionaires on the Eastside. Meier has done nothing, refuses to look at evidence and data and will do nothing and he's Mike's guy.
I hope Mike gets to go back to being a lobbyist where he was a pain in the butt, but not a exactly a menace.
Even his platform is a gimmick.
When Mike blathers on about Seattle Public Schools, it makes me wonder why he doesn’t or hasn’t run for school board. How many school board meetings has he attended and testified at in the last 2 years? What issue or issues did he address in his public testimony? Platitudes about education being related to public safety, the importance of early learning, stopping drop outs, etc would best be dealt with from within Seattle Public Schools and with action, not speeches or statements about what we already know.
It's total bullshit to talk about a takeover of Seattle Public Schools when you are completely disengaged from what goes on there process. 2 years ago he told me Peter Meier was going to be an ace school board member when I mentioned that his campaign was funded by a few millionaires on the Eastside. Meier has done nothing, refuses to look at evidence and data and will do nothing and he's Mike's guy.
I hope Mike gets to go back to being a lobbyist where he was a pain in the butt, but not a exactly a menace.
23
Have you read about the hundreds of thousands of developer money behind attack ads to defeat McGinn?
McGinn's campaign remains upbeat and grassroots. As evidenced in a new 3 minute YouTube piece made by volunteers:
"I'm voting for Mike Mcginn" Watch It & Share It!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXkNEolhT…
McGinn's campaign remains upbeat and grassroots. As evidenced in a new 3 minute YouTube piece made by volunteers:
"I'm voting for Mike Mcginn" Watch It & Share It!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXkNEolhT…
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