Tim Burgess has dropped out. I recommend Publicola for an injective discussion.
This was a big surprise because Mr. Burgess has been complaining for the job for at least six years. The city council member is a very impressive man whose knowledge of administration, the police, and the council itself could have served Seattle well. I do nto know why Burgess dropped out but suspect it may have to do with some event in his business or police past. The Stranger has been very negative on Tim, especially because of the role his PR firm took in opposing women’s issues.
That leaves us with four possible candidates:
1. he current mayor, Mike McGinn, a once upon a time environmental activist,, now a bureaucrat
2. Ed Murray, a State Senator who has been a great leader in fiscal reform, and gay rights.
3. Bruce Harrel, a former Husky football player and current city council member. Harrel touts his genetics .. part Japanese, part African.
4. Peter Steinbrueck, heir of the heritage of Victor Steinbrueck, a candidate who seems to have a vision for Seattle that is till fuzzy.
Over at Horsesass there is a discussion of these guys. “Liberal Scientist” describes Harrel pretty well, “Harrell is a complete dolt, if you ask me. Watch the interview that the 36th district Dems did – they’re very organized – he’s all sloganeering and puffery..” I think Liberal Scientist left the “i” off of Harrel’s being a doit. I have met the man briefly and he was a shallow self promoter. The man seems to think that being a hybrid of African and Japanese ancestors is an important qualification. He is campaigning as the people of color candidate in a city where I doubt anyone seems that as being his biggest trait.
McGinn strikes me as a nice guy and, after some practical experience, Mr. MicGinn has become a c0mpetent bureaucrat. He would be a good “hire” as a deputy mayor to run the city. However, McGinn has proven to be feckless .. he shows no leadership. His campaign runs on filing potholes and appeasing Vulcan.
Ed Murry is a very impressive guy … a candidate with the potential to become a great mayor IF he takes meaningful stands. I expect, given Ed’s intelligence and history of leadership, that he will choose real issues and make those beacons of his mayor job if he is elected.
Steinbrueck has no choice but to define himself by his father’s heritage. That is a great thing IF Steinbrueck has the leadership skills to fill those shoes. The new Seattle is an architectural mess.His father’s vission of Seattle, not just the market, as a city for diver people is failing, the Market has become a zoo where tourists come to see the old Seattle and its denizens but end up taking pictures of each other.
The problem is that Peter Steinbrueck has not yet articulated his heritage in any specific way. I think Peter could win by campaigning for a livable city .. make downtown and SLU Peter Steibrueck issues the way Victor Steinbrueck made the Pike place Market his issue.