So, how’d that endorsing Joe Mallahan go? Oh right, he was ahead until you, the Seattle Times, and the rest of the Seattle bashing institutional players decided to get involved. How’d that work out for you?
Sorry, there won’t be any more gloating in this letter: it’s for advise. If you stop screwing Seattle, then maybe we’ll be more receptive to hearing you out in the future. Perhaps if you’d dedicated less of your time last session trying to stick us with a bill for tunnel we didn’t really want, we’d be more receptive to your endorsements. But when the theme of the last session was any State DOT overruns should be paid for by Seattle taxpayers, how do you expect that not to come up in a campaign the following year?
Simply put, you aren’t that popular with Seattle right now.
Don’t get me wrong, if you run for a third term and survive a primary challenge, Seattle will put aside our differences and support you pretty overwhelmingly. But you might want to consider how difficult it may be to get support in the city if there is a primary. Or support as a city is earned, and shouldn’t be assumed.
Kiss kiss,
Carl Ballard
Guess you could always vote for Dino Rossi but I doubt that would happen. So who do you think Seattle would prefer for Governor since Gregoire is indicting she’ll run for a third term?
BTW you might ask one of your own, Frank Chopp, to stop screwing Seattle. For all intensive purposes he has more clout than Governor Gregoire.
@1, can you read? “if you run for a third term and survive a primary challenge, Seattle will put aside our differences and support you pretty overwhelmingly.”
Also, yes, Chopp deserves plenty of shit too.
Isn’t there a two-term limit for governors in Washington? Isn’t your point about Christine irrelevant? Does anyone think she could win even if she weren’t termed? But your point about the state generally screwing Seattle is right, of course, but isn’t that why Seattle elects Frank Chopp, to screw his constiuents?
There’s no term limits in Washington.
@3 “Isn’t there a two-term limit for governors in Washington?”
No.
“Isn’t your point about Christine irrelevant?”
Only if she decides not to run again.
“Does anyone think she could win even if she weren’t termed?”
Yes.
“But your point about the state generally screwing Seattle is right, of course, but isn’t that why Seattle elects Frank Chopp, to screw his constiuents?”
Frank didn’t have an opponent last year, and his opponent in 2006 was Mark Griswold — does that answer your question?
Carl, congratulations. You have earned something very coveted by bloggers. You have earned my approval.
Nice post. Atta boy.
If it were Gov. Rob McKenna in 2013, would we even notice the difference?
Carl
Your post illustrates what is effed up in demo politics.
With ALL the resources the dems should have, they lack the leadership needed to move Gregoire aside.
Here is a nightmare …
Gregoire runs for a third term, comes in second behind McKenna.
McKenna running unopposed is able campaign FOR Seattle votes by coming out for a surface option wi Mike McG and supporting some sort of State take over of the SPS. He gets the Obama vote by opposing the NEA agenda and the Union vote by supporting bennies to keep the Lazy B in its local coral.
The final is McK, running on a McGinn ticket in Seattle, against Gregoire running on her support from the same organization that failed to elect Nickles.
SJ, you are truly delusional.
7. Don’t you think he looks tired? spews:
Yes. McKenna would not pander to the State Employees Union. McKenna would cut thousands of State jobs…like Gregoire should have. McKenna would get rid of the consultants that never go away. McKenna would demand an honest Budget…not a smoke-and-mirrors trainwreck. McKenna would address problems…not kick the can down the road and make it worse like Gregoire.
SJ @ 8, Cynical @ 10:
Get a room. You guys and your fantasies deserve each other. Take Carl, who fantasizes that he represents “Seattle,” with you.
Carl
Can you answer my original question? Who do you think Seattle would prefer for governor?
This Governor is not popular anywhere in the state right now, and she’s doing better in Seattle than other parts of the state. Why the Mallahan campaign thought her endorsement would help is a huge mystery.
The race for Mayor was close, so I wouldn’t assume this is McGinn town. All those late undecideds are hardly the makings of a new political base in the City. Most voters were not too enthused about either candidate, although McGinn did have a small core of people foaming for him.
We’ll see how he wears.
In my experience, the Governor is one of Seattle’s best friends in Olympia – it is typically the legislature that causes Seattle problems, even though Frank Chopp runs the state House.
The Governor is nobody’s best friend.
She squandered all the People’s money and has none to buy any “best friends”.
She’s MY best friend, Cynical. She ran your little butt boy Dino right out of politics, and all you can do about it is whine on some blog.
Ivan
What part of this is delusional?
MCGinn ran a Sarah Palinesque againsts the established party campaign.
MCKenna is a smart guy.
McKay is a smart guy.
Our current laws weaken the party that is less organized.
15. ivan spews:
Yup and I can understand why…she is a patsy for the Unions to the point the State Budget is $2 BILLION+++ in the tank despite Obama Bailout money.
Washington State is in huge trouble ivan…courtesy of your friend.
The towering arrogance of your post Carl is beyond reality. The “theme” of the last legislative session was about sticking it to Seattle for the tunnel? Give me a fucking break! There were a few considerably more important “themes” on the table last session. How to preserve some level of human services, health care, and access to education are, just for starters, extremely more important than the damn Seattle tunnel. As one of the 4.5 million or so Washingtonians who does not live in Seattle, I prefer the Governor and legislature spend their time on these issues.
As I recall, and I work there, so I know I am right, the “theme” of making Seattle voters pay for tunnel cost overruns originated with Seattle Rep. Frank Chopp, not Governor Gregoire. One stupid, unenforceable provision attached to one item in a budget is not a “theme.” It is a statement. Get over yourself. There are bigger and more important issues in Washington (and even in Seattle) than that fucking tunnel.
And, by the way, just for reference I think the tunnel is a stupid solution. And so is Chopp’s preferred “box.” The at grade option was the way to go.
Maybe Inslee should get the nod instead…. I can’t envision too many Gregoire voters anywhere in the state who would suddenly clamor for McKenna over Inslee if Inslee is the candidate. I CAN think of lots of people who have voted for Gregoire previously who might reconsider if McKenna were running against her third term.
Gregoire needs to call it a day — or get a hell of a lot more attuned to voters’ interests in King Co.
@SJ
Remember we have “top two” primaries now not by party primaries. If both Gregiore and Insley run we could end up with them facing off in the general.
While I suspect McKenna would get more support from Democrat leaning areas including Seattle than Rossi did I doubt he’s going to try to pander to Seattle as that would get him in trouble with conservatives who already don’t trust him. (because he isn’t batshit insane)
In fact the best thing for democrats would be if a “real conservative” jumps into the Governor’s race as well. They’d peel votes off from McKenna by painting him as too moderate.
@20 They could run Craswell again. The fact she’s dead doesn’t matter. She’s as functional as any other candidate they’ve got.
@20 —
Inslee has made it fairly clear he’ll only run if Gregoire doesn’t run.
@22
That’s too bad. I was hoping he’d run no matter what her decision. She’s been in office too long and needs to move on to something else.
If Gregiore runs again and doesn’t pick up a credible Democratic opponent it would pretty much guarantee we’ll get Governor McKenna unless the GOP decides to eat their own.
Evans is the only Governor in Washington history to win a third term. Of the governors in my lifetime Locke is the only one other than Evans who was still popular enough at the end of their second term that they could have easily won a third.
In fact Gregiore is fortunate that the GOP decided to recycle Rossi in 2008 or she might very well have been a one-term governor.
McKenna is a different animal and will be tough to beat.
“Election 2010 – The Rise of the Limbaugh Lamebrains”
My worst suspicions are aimed at WSDOT and SDOT directors as official members of the highway robbery club, rather than at Gov Gregoire. The major road, highway and transit projects in Seattle are so incompetently engineered and managed, corruption cannot be ruled out.
The Deep-bore is most certainly NOT the best tunnel replacement for the AWV. The Mercer Mess got messier with Phase II West Mercer. The Alaskan Way boulevard design must go back to the drawing board. SDOT director Crunican should be replaced.
The Link LRT Tunnel to UW is a 10-year ultra expensive hole in the ground. The other LRT extensions south and east have more potential. Sound Transit ‘rigs’ their studies to suggest otherwise. More ‘new’ transit ridership would come from the suburban extensions. Joni Earl should also be replaced.
Chris Stefan @ 23:
You’re wrong, as usual. Locke was nowhere near that popular. Quite the contrary. He was told by a whole lot of Democrats that there would be no third term for him, and that he would be embarrassed if he tried it. That is why he stood down. Democrats preferred a governor with a spine, and we got one.
If enough of us decide that Gregoire is a liability, we’ll send her the same message, and she, too, will stand down.
@25
Hmm, funny I remember people being quite shocked when he announced he wasn’t going to seek a third term. I also happen to believe Locke’s story that his decision not to run again had little to do with political considerations and more to do with some rather nasty and credible threats against his family.
Sure Locke may not have been well liked in the 43rd, but what else is news? They aren’t going to decide a statewide election.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Locke decided to stand down, but had he not I’m sure he would have easily gotten past Rossi.
Unless something drastically changes, if McKenna runs against Gregiore he’s the next governor. That’s a pretty clear liablity in my book.
20. Chris Stefan spews:
Chris, re-read your post. The chances of that happening means McKenna would get less than 33%. Do you really see that happening with what Rossi got and McKenna is a better candidate and Gregoire’s Budget trainwreck will be catastrophic by 2012??
C’mon, you’re brighter than that.
Odds of Inslee v. Gregoire in the General Election are ZERO!!
Holy crap, I agree with cynical. Zero chance of Inslee vs. Gregoire in November.
I’d be stunned if Gregoire seeks a third term, especially after what happened to Nickels.
Still, AG McKenna is beatable even if Gregoire runs again.
But we aren’t going to find out. It will be Inslee vs. McKenna. Inslee will run well state-wide.
Question: Is McKenna gonna take a swipe at Sen. Murray in the meantime? Or will it be Dunn? Reichert?
@28
Yea, you are likely right, unless someone tries to run to McKenna’s right. A lot of the GOP “base” sees McKenna as a RINO because he doesn’t run around abusing his office for political purposes like they think he should.
As for a challenger to Murray, the GOP will find a sacrifical lamb somewhere but it isn’t likely to be a serious challenge as the fund-raising window is rapidly closing. I suppose John Stanton could run and self-fund, but his chances are about as good as Mike McGavik’s were against Cantwell.
@28 “Inslee will run well state-wide.” Nope. I just don’t see that. Gregoire’s budget fiasco, and the dem lock on both houses makes it to easy to blame them (and no Bush to pick on). The pendulum swung left in 08, and now political gravity makes it highly unlikely that even Inslee could save the governorship for the dems. Hopefully the far right won’t sabotage this opportunity. In the gov race, McKenna is such a front-runner that I see no credible challenger in the R primary to split the vote. This is McKennas race to lose at this point in time.
Have a nice day,
Farmer Fred