The latest KING5/SurveyUSA poll in the King County Executive race came out last night, and while I know the media will focus on the top line figure, Creationist Susan Hutchison’s 41%, I think the real news, if the trend holds up, and if the whole survey isn’t bullshit, is the first indication that Councilman Dow Constantine may be breaking away from the rest of the Democratic pack.
Hutchison 41 Constantine 12 Phillips 7 Hunter 6 Jarrett 4 Goodspaceguy 3 Lippman 2 Lobdell 2 Undecided 23
The previous KING5 poll had Phillips at 9%, Constantine at 8%, and Hunter and Jarrett both at 5%, so the only move amongst the Democratic field that doesn’t appear to be mere statistical noise is that of Constantine. We’ll see.
As for Hutchison, whose numbers climbed from 34% to 41%, I still don’t buy it. I know the race is technically nonpartisan, but what we’re really seeing is a four-way Democratic runoff with Hutchison running unopposed as the lone Republican. And once her Democratic opponent and various constituent groups start spending money educating voters about where she stands on the issues, expect her current numbers with Democrats (31%) and liberals (24%) to drop well into the single digits.
The real story here is Goodspaceguy’s 3%. It proves a component of the King County electorate is insane. From there we can extrapolate that Hutchison and Goodspaceguy are splitting the mentally incompetent vote.
Goodspaceguy is really movin’ up….ain’t nobody even payin’ attention to this race – wait for the Seattle Times to endorse Hutchinson – and then her numbers will fall off.
Also, as soon as the debates start she will open her mouth and lose all her support.
Maybe I should also mention the 26 Ron Paul supporters backing ex-lawyer Stan Lippmann (sp; not “Lippman”), who was disbarred for financial misconduct, should be investigated for looniness, too.
41% + 3% + 2% = 46%
This means almost half of the King County voters responding to this poll are certifiably nuts. Not a good sign. This shows what cutbacks to community mental health can do to a community.
The FACT that both Constantine and Phillips never took action to correct what we now know to be the woefully substandard management practices at the county government THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MANAGING FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS shows neither of them deserves to be King County Executive.
Both are showing themselves to be mindless “see no evil” yes-men. Each is a dull tool of the worst sort.
Goldy,
You should tak with Mike Hood. After hyis interview he seems quite clear that the “creationist” brush is unfair.
It seems to me that for HA to mature, this sort of stuff really belongs over on Sound Politics and with the crap the ST spreads.
@4 I could say exactly the same thing about every Republican on the county council. But I won’t. Instead, I’ll merely point out that the county council is a legislative body and legislators don’t manage they legislate. You must have had your head up your ass performing a DIY colonoscopy during this segment of your junior high school civics class.
Goodspaceguy actually beats Larry Phillips among younger voters. Goodspaceguy beats Phillips by 6% to 2% among 18-34 voters and by 6% to 4% amond 35-49 voters.
Clearly, Mike The Mover missed a real opportunity this time around.
Hey guy – I bring up Constantine and Phillips because they’re running for K.C.E., not because they’re “D’s.” What are you a partisan hack? First thing you do is start bad-mouthing “R” KCC candidates. I agree with you, FWIW – the “R’s” on the KCC are equally culpable and likewise unqualified to be K.C.E.
Your also resort to personal attacks against me (?) – that’s always a sign of weakness.
I’ll merely point out that the county council is a legislative body and legislators don’t manage they legislate
How can you be so wrong? The KCC is in charge of everything the county employees do. The buck stops with them, not some staffer. KCC members are to set policies so that all county functions are managed properly. That responsibility means they need to always be monitoring how well staff is operating and updating what procedures staff must follow.
Constantine and Phillips knew or should have known the public’s interest was not being served by King County staff. They either were ignorant of how poorly county affairs are being handled or they were willfully blind to it. In either case they don’t deserve to hold the office of K.C.E.
They are responsible – the captain of the ship is responsible for widespread performance failures throughout his crew.
Who pays you?
Do you really think the King County Council is not responsible for pervasive substandard performance by King County’s staff?
Tell me you don’t believe that.
It’s shocking that the government didn’t have a neat file on every road prject
showing where it was budget wise
over or under
and why
complete nonmanagement = mismanagement.
State Senator Fred Jarrett is polling 1% higher than Goodspaceguy.
My God, I love KC.
Poor Little (brain) John:
I guess you really don’t understand government or never took Government 101. The KC Council is the legislative body – they allocate the funds for government. The government is RUN by the executive branch – that would be Ron Sims. It is on his watch and his fault if there are problems – period.
Hence this comment from RR, that you clearly did not understand:
Thank you for being a total fool and not understanding the basics of government.
Still stupid and hilarious polling. So Hutchinson will get out, not with 42%, maybe 32-35%, and so will one Democrat. If that is Constantine, he wins 65-35% in NOv. But so does any other Democrat. The race is all about what Demo gets out of August? Thats our new exec.
And Goodspace guy will not be one point behind Jarrett. I will promise that.
Now as I said before, I might consider Goodspace guy in mayor’s race.
@13 – every King County Council member is responsible for allowing an obviously dysfunctional culture to thrive in that government. They all buried their heads in the sand and didn’t speak up or take action to improve a failing organization they were elected to lead.
Phillips and Constantine knew King County’s management was woefully substandard. They knew that because of what was, and what was not, presented to them by staff. They chose to play along.
They could have demanded improvements, gone public with what they knew, and refused to appropriate the funds the bad actors have been using. They failed to take any of those appropriate actions. They were good little party functionaries: they cried about needing more taxes and they looked the other way instead of demanding competent work out of county staff.
They enabled dysfunctional practices.
They showed themselves incapable of acting in the public’s interest, and no way should they get the additional powers and authority of the K.C.E. office. They are the leaders who failed to take action to clean up the expensive, dangerous mess the staff they pay are creating.
Another thing – they could have created procedures and standards for how King County employees perform their duties. That would have helped. They didn’t do that, and they didn’t even try.
WOW
Dow Constantine in the general? I heard he is a womanizer and I can bet that that fact will be uncovered before the primary.
I truly think that is the only real truth that seperates him from the democratic pack. Other than that it seems pretty close between him and Phillips- Larry has raised more money and has more endorsements
Douche Constantine…Womanizer?…I totally believe it. What else do call a 47 year old bachelor that comes home to purrs and meows every night? Little Douche is enjoying the one and only 5% bump in the polls. He’ll be crashing back to earth and then some in a few weeks. Phillips is take the safe but high road that only takes you so far. If the choice is a douche vs. ol’ hutch KC is DOOMED.