Today’s Seattle P-I covers the candidate filings for this year’s elections. And, once again, HA commenter and political troublemaker, Richard Pope’s name comes up:
Serial candidate and municipal gadfly Richard Pope filed against Councilwoman Jane Hague, R-Kirkland. Although he has run as a Republican in several past races, Pope is a Democrat this time.
Municipal gadfly? What is that supposed to mean? I mean, the papers refer to people as “gadflys” all the time, but municipal gadfly? The term aptly describes Will Baker who has been called that “Tacoma gadfly” (News Tribune, 10 Jun 2004, pg. B06), “[Tacoma’s] most vocal political gadfly” (Seattle P-I, June 5, 2004, pg. B3), and a Tacoma “council gadfly” (News Tribune, 26 Aug 2003, pg. B06).
And then there is Glenn Baldwin who earned the headline “Vancouver Council Gadfly Tosses His Hat in the Ring” in The Columbian (August 03, 1995, pg. A8):
Vancouver City Council candidate Glenn Baldwin says his attendance at council meetings is better than that of the incumbent he’s challenging.
[…]Once a milk man in Vancouver, Baldwin spent most of his career driving delivery trucks for Blue Bell Potato Chips in Portland. He retired in 1992 and planned to complete several repairs to his house. Instead, he became a City Council gadfly, attending meetings and writing to the council and The Columbian.
The Seattle Weekly once ran an article about dangerous dogs (March 1, 2001, Pg. 16) and mentioned another municipal gadfly:
Mitzi Leibst, a former Army intelligence officer and longtime city gadfly, whose concerns actually extend well beyond last summer’s code changes. “For years and years and years,” she charges, “the city’s gotten away with this kind of fascist mentality on dog bites. Seattle is one of the few jurisdictions in the state that doesn’t allow you to have a dangerous dog. That’s just crazy.”
Crazy, indeed…all we really need is concealed canine permits. Leibst died before a series of high-profile pit bull attacks; she left a sizable sum to the Pigs Peace Sanctuary.
Now those are examples of municipal gadflies.
(Apparently other governmental bodies can have their own fly problem, like former port commissioner Jim Wright, who was called “a port gadfly” by the Seattle Times [12 Sep 1993, pg. B1].)
Richard is an eastsider, and his gadflightery isn’t limited to any municipality, level of government, or even political party. He is more of a generalized political gadfly (and a perennial candidate).
For example, Richard has recently won the love and adoration of State Republicans (like former truck mechanic and failed King County Executive candidate David Irons Jr. and Benton County Republican Party Chair Patrick McBurney) over his PDC complaints about GOP campaign reporting violations. Ever the multi-partisan, Pope has also filed an unsuccessful PDC complaint against the state Democrats, and an ethics complaint against Gov. Gregoire last fall over a dinner date.
And last year, in a move that Ralph Nader could be proud of, Pope threw the election for King County Judge; his candidacy knocked out incumbent Mary Ann Ottinger in the primary and resulted in a victory for Frank V. LaSalata.
Pope is more like his brother-in-perennial-candidacy Michael Shanks, a.k.a., Mike the Mover. Before becoming a perennial candidate, Mr. Mover fought tirelessly (and did some jail time) to get rid of licensing for movers. It earned him his own Seattle P-I (15 Sep 2004) headline calling him a “political gadfly.” The Spokesman Review (15 Sep 2004, A1) referred to him as “perennial political gadfly Mike the Mover.” Most recently Mr. Mover ran against Cantwell for the Senate.
Maybe Pope is more akin to Dale Washam, described as “an unsuccessful office-seeker and political gadfly” by the Columbian (05 Sep 1996, pg. A3). Washam is, perhaps, most famous for suing Newt Gingrich for stealing his ideas when Newt created the “Contract with America.”
Washam, 58, a former Democrat, ran unsuccessfully for the Puyallup School Board in 1991, Pierce County executive in 1992 and Pierce County auditor in 1993.
When Washam won the Republican nomination for auditor, the county GOP chairman said he was voting for the Democratic incumbent.
In each election, Washam filed a notarized “political employment contract” containing campaign promises and a pledge to resign if requested in petitions bearing the names of at least 51 percent of the voters in the last general election. Citizens who felt he violated his campaign promises also could try to oust him with a breach-of-contract suit, he said.
In a complaint, Washam said Gingrich, Eikenberry and the state GOP “plagiarized as their own the plaintiff’s Political Employment Contract idea, concept and contents when drafting their 1994 ‘Republican Contract with Washington State,’ the ‘Contract with America’ and the defendants’ book ‘Contract with America.’ ”
In any case, look for a highly parsimonious campaign from perpetual political gadfly and perennial candidate Richard Pope. Richard is always proud to point out his very high ratio of votes to campaign dollar invested.
I only know Mr. Pope by reading his comments at this site. He is a forceful advocate for his position and he appears to be a rational person who carefully considers his position. Based on what I have read, Mr. Pope is no “gadfly.” The label is unfair.
Hmmm….first of all, the potentates of the local “mainstream” press would naturally view Ridhard as a “gadfly” because they don’t yet know what he stands for on issues in which they might have a vested interest.
Now, if they do know anything about him (hey, at least Joel does, right?) it’s that he’s a trifle eccentric, smarter than hell, and has this quaint notion that politics, or at least government, ought to be conducted (horrors!) according to some reasonable code of ethics.
Now, from the standpoint of many of us folks here, that he’s decided to join the Democrats just shows that he’s getting even smarter.
Richard, now you’re REALLY going to have to show up at DL some time and explain yourself to your new-found allies.
All the real conservatives are joining the Democratic Party or becoming Independents.
These are strange days indeed when Spiro Agnew’s former speechwriter seems like the sanest Republican around.
“…nattering nabobs of negativism.” Good one, Buchanan!
Maybe Richard entered this race as a warmup for a 2012 run for the White House.
Richard may as well add the presidency to his trophy case full of losing campaigns. Hell, he’s a lot more qualified to be president than the incumbent chimp.
@6 should not be construed as an endorsement of Richard Pope for POTUS. All I’m sayin’ is, even HE is more qualified than Chimpface.
Mike the Mover is a freeloader who is using the Voters Pamphlet to get free advertising for his moving business.
But I can’t accuse Richard Pope of using the Voters Pamphlet to advertise his law practice, because as far as I can tell, he doesn’t have an active practice.
Filing for County Council may be a very clever move on Richard’s part. He doesn’t have to spend a dime. But you can bet the GOP will spend a chunk of cash to protect Hague’s seat! By paying a $5 filing fee, he can force them to spend tens of thousands. If they don’t, they run the risk of Richard getting elected, because he is a proven vote getter.
Nice, Richard! But, you do realize, do you not, that this means the KCGOP probably will cancel your membership card?
If you don’t know who to vote for and you see the name “Richard Pope” with a D in front, you’d probably vote for him.
Most people know who the Pope is, so you’ve already got name recognition going for you.
Even Republicans will vote for you because the “Hague” is a place where you try war criminals. Once again, name recognition — but as a Republican — he can’t help but go negative. It’s in the blood.
Considering who he’s running against, Mr. Pope might well be a big improvement.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be saying that, as I don’t live on the East Side, and so I don’t keep up that well on the various issues going on over there.
But… You can tell a lot about a person by the company he (or she) keeps. Here are a few highlights from the endorsement page of Ms. Hague:
It looks like East Side voters could do a lot worse than Mr. Pope.
And have.
@9 Brilliant, Harry! And way too true. Are voters that superficial? Sadly, some are.
Socrates was the original gadfly.
With our present crop of political leaders, to be a gadfly is a mark of greatness.
8 “Nice, Richard! But, you do realize, do you not, that this means the KCGOP probably will cancel your membership card?”
After what he did last month, maybe they already did.
hague was all smiles as she nodded her bobblehead for the karl rove republican pco party last winter in living color on tvw. what does the popester have to say about that?
Does Richard Pope register his dog becuse Ms Hague seems to think she is above that.
Mike @ 12: Excellent point.
Good hunting, Popemeister!
Richard can file with as a Democrat, but we all know he isn’t one. I for one, don’t want him in my party! I certainly hope we won’t back him and give him money, he’s probably a plant.