Stating The Obvious: Hugeasscity Wants You To Vote For Mike McGinn In The Mayoral Primary
[ Mike McGinn at the Umojafest Parade today in the Central District ]
Hey, super! Â But does anyone give a flying fug what those “hugeasscity guys” think? Do endorsements matter?
Mayor Greg Nickels has a massive endorsement list—check it out for yourself below after the break—a who’s who of local enviros and politicos. But does anyone outside the bubble notice? And most of the Nickels endorsements were given months ago—why so early in the race? Two weeks ago former Seattle City Council member Peter Steinbrueck was quoted in Publicola saying that “McGinn is right on the mark. I misjudged him after his kickoff. The more I hear him the more I like him.”
Right, and what’s with the Cascade Bicycle Club’s endorsement of Nickels? It is obvious—and the CBC admits it—that McGinn is more aligned with their values, yet CBC chose to endorse the “friendly incumbent.” So did CBC endorse Nickels because they believe he would be more effective than McGinn at advancing their agenda, i.e. McGinn’s values are inconsequential? Or are they playing politics, not wanting to dis the Mayor in case he is reelected, while knowing that if McGinn wins he’ll be on their side no matter what? But the thing is, if Nickels is truly committed to urban sustainability he’s not going to snub the cycling agenda to spite those who did not support his campaign. Pro-cycling policy benefits the City as a whole, not just the members of CBC, and from that perspective, Nickels needs CBC more than they need him.
Worldchanging co-founder Alex Steffen is the only prominent enviro that I know of who has forsaken Nickels and given his endorsement to Mike McGinn. Steffen is a big picture thinker whose work doesn’t rely on direct interaction with city policy makers.  This grants Steffen the intellectual freedom to endorse without being encumbered by political relationships, although some would no doubt argue that any such endorsement carries little weight precisely because it is disconnected from the political realm, since getting real work done always hinges on politics.
The Stranger has just officially endorsed McGinn, and has also argued that McGinn deserves support simply because he would be the most constructive challenger to Nickels. Agreed. McGinn would shift the debate to the left, while other the other serious challengers are to the right of Nickels.
Though this post is sure be the most rambling, unquotable and therefore most useless endorsement McGinn has yet received, for what it’s worth, I will be voting for McGinn in the primary. To anyone who follows this blog this should come as no surprise, e.g. McGinn was awarded the Hugeasscity Badge of Integrity way back in March. My support of McGinn is largely based on personal conversations I have with him over the course of the last year or so. We see eye to eye on all the the major issues that I care about—the issues that have come to define this blog. Go McGinn!
Nickels Endorsees:
Gene Achziger • Jeanne Acutanza • Kay Alberg • Robert Albert • Solomon Alemayehu
Aaron Alhadeff • Kenneth Alhadeff • Michael Alhadeff • Dean Allen • Royal Alley-Barnes
Robin Amadon • Ron Amundson • Kim Anderson • Kara Anderson • Claudia Arana
Scott Armstrong • La’Keith Asphy • Anthony Auriemma • Ash Awad • Ashley Bach
Sally Bagshaw • Pamela Banks • Mark Barbieri • Kylie Barker • Lynne Barker • Maria Batayola
Shiv Batra • Stan Baty • Brenda Bauer • Margaret Bay • Christopher Bayley
Thomas Bayley • Ryan Bayne • Jane Becker • Jeff Beckstrom • Ruth Beel
David Benson • Bonnie Berk • Jesse Berst • Aaron Bert • Marianne Bichsel
Alan Black • Katia Blackburn • Megan Blanck-Weiss • William Block • Victoria Block
Bruce Blume • Charles Bookman • Joseph Bouffiou • Joe Bouffiou • Celeste Bouffiou
Kenneth Bounds • Evan Bourquard • Bill Bovey • Constance Bown • David Bown
Jamie Boyd • Andrew Branch • Jesseca Brand • Wiley Brooks • Melia Brooks
David Brotherton • Ronald Brown • Tina Bueche • Richard Burkhart • Kevin Burrell
Deanna Butler • Michael Butler • Pat Callahan • Lyle Canceko • Douglas Carey
Sherry Carr • Jer Carrasco • Jorge Carrasco • Robert Carter • Margaret Ceis
Timothy Ceis • Stella Chao • Tran Chau • Michelle Chen • Sarah Cherin
Paul Chiles • Selina Chow • Lynn Claudon • Jessie Clawson • Denna Cline
Sieu Clu • Peter Coates • S Cobb • Richard Cocker • Ken Coleman
Sharon Coleman • John Comick • Donald Coney • Amanda Conradt • Karen Cooper
Catherine Cornwall • Casey Corr • Erma Couden • Matthew Crane • Diana Crane
Nancy Craver • Dagmar Cronn • Todd Crosby • Grace Crunican • Charlie Cunniff
Karen Daubert • Karen Deal • Eileen DeArmon • Jessica DeBarros • Jerry DeGrieck
Roque Deherrera • William Dennis • Erin Devoto • Rebecca Dexter • Pamela Dieschbourg
Dwight Dively • Dan Dixon • Theresa Doherty • Kelly Drake • Steve Dubiel
Darby DuComb • Susan Duffy • Monica Duke • William Dunbar • Timothy Durkan
Alan Durning • Gene Duvernoy • Kenneth Eakes • Charlie Earl • Emelie East
David East • Gary East • Mark Ellerbrook • Paul Elliott • Matthew Eng
John Engber • Kristi England • Marlys Erickson • Suzanne Estey • Michael Estey
Daniel Evans • Kelly Evans • Elizabeth Evans • Tom Fairbainks • Rich Feldman
Rose Feliciano • Anne Fennessy • William Fetterley • Ethan Fineout • Alec Fisken
Helen Fitzpatrick • John Floberg • Donovan Flora • Brian Floyd • Timothy Flynn
Leonard Forsman • David Foster • John Franklin • David Fraser • Robert Frause
Bob Frause • Elizabeth Freeman • Kurt Fritts • David Frum • Alex Fryer
Joe Fugere • Martha Fuller • Hugh Fuller • Joseph Gaffney • Leonard Garfield
Tracy Garland • Jeron Gates • Stanley Gent • Gary Glant • Andrew Glass Hastings
Bernard Glynn • Carmen Gonzales • Patrick Gordon • James Gore • Robert Gorman
Craig Grandstrom • Nicole Grant • Gabriel Grant • Franklin Greer • Christopher Gregorich
Bert Gregory • Carl Griffin • Joanna Grist • Brock Grubb • Becky Guerra
Kacey Guin • Virginia Gunby • Matthew Haba • John Hanley • Rebecca Hansen
Mikel Hansen • Laird Harris • David Harrison • Ron Harris-White • Suzanne Hartman
Cassady Hastings • Tim Hatley • Denis Hayes • Nita Hays-Amodeo • Ada Healey
Rodney Hearne • John Hempelmann • Edith Henderson • Ross Henderson • Elizabeth Hester
Edward Hewson • Rhonda Hilyer • Melissa Hines • Gregg Hirakawa • Suzanne Hittman
William Hochberg • Rod Hochman • Dana Hooks • Richard Hooper • Lembhard Howell
Kevin Hughes • The Honorable Zachary Hudgins • Ric Ilgenfritz • Trudi Inslee • Kate Jackson
The Honorable Ken Jacobsen • John Jenson • Nick Jepsen • B. Johnson • Gary Johnson
Gregory Johnson • Pamela Johnson • Robert Johnson • Steve Johnson • Jeain Johnson
DaVonna Johnson • Patrick Jones • Alan Justad • Milu Karp • Sandeep Kaushik
James Keblas • Bea Kelleigh • Lee Keller-Rusch • Kristine Kerson • Patricia Kieval
Michael Killoren • Ronald Kinoshita • Gregory Kipp • Jacqueline Kirn • Thomas Kirn
The Honorable Adam Kline • Calvin Knight • Martha Kongsgaard • Katie Kuciemba • Regina LaBelle
Paul Lambros • Stewart Landefeld • Jacque Larrainzar • Phil Leder • Desiree Leigh
M Leonard • Sara Levin • Alan Levine • Carol Lewis • Janet Lewis
William Lewis • Ron Lewis • Marilyn Littlejohn • Laura Lockard • Nancy Locke
Andrew Lofton • Julien Loh • Paulina Lopez • Javier Lopez • Nubia Lopez
Marco Lowe • Jennifer Loy • John Loy • Maria Mackey • Lisa MacLean
Jorge Madrazo • Charles Maduell • Molly Maeda • Gary Maehara • Robert Mak
Nancy Malmgren • Melissa Manix • Melinda Baird-Mann • Michael Mann • Andres Mantilla
Joseph Marotta • Edgardo Marquez • Ann Martin • Elizabeth Martin • Ernesto Martin
Dominick Martin • Michael Martin • Michael Martino • Mike Maruhashi • Christopher Marx
Heather Marx • Edward Maslin • Richard Maturi • Byron McCann • John McCullough
Mark McDermott • Donald McDonough • Lisa McFarlane • Joseph McGee • Peter McGraw
John McHale • Patricia McInturff • The Honorable Richard McIver • Ryan McKelvy • Dennis McLean
Ann McNeil • Marty McOmber • Mary McWilliams • Mark Mead • Ethan Melone
Lori Metcalf • Richard Mila • Nate Miles • Holly Miller • Glen Milliman
Priscilla Min • Scott Minnix • Carol Mizoguchi • Joseph Mizrahi • Rob Moltn
Thomas Monnahan • Cary Moon • Douglas Moore • • Tomio Moriguchi
Jane Morris • John Mshale • Carla Murray • The Honorable Ed Murray • Thurston Muskelly
Susan Nakamura • Kenneth Nakatsu • Sielen Namdar • Robert Nellams • Julie Nelson
Carey Nickels • Peter Nickels • Sharon Nickels • Thomas Nickels • Jake Nickels
Jill Nishi • Sara Nikolic • Stacy Noland • Clare Nordquist • Jill Novik
Roger Nyhus • Michael O’Hagen • James O’Halloran • Vinse O’Hallorem • Terrence O’Keefe
David O’Neal • Kelly Ogilvie • Steve Okamura • Denny Onslow • Vic Oppermann
Deb Oyer • Alan Painter • Marianne Painter • Cecilia Palao-Vargas • Mario Paredes
Michael Parham • Geoffrey Patrick • Lori Patrick • William Patz • Adam Pavast
Jeff Pavey • John Pehrson • The Honorable Dwight Pelz • David Peters • Lynda Petersen
Mary Peterson • Brett Phillips • Judy Pigott • Thomas Pitchford • Kenny Pittman
Benjamin Porter • Ronald Poulsen • John Powers • Natalie Price • Paul Purcell
Adrienne Quinn • Patrick Ragen • Walle Rallowski • Jackie Ramels • Cher Ravagni
Eric Redman • Heather Redman • Lee Reeves • Jean Renne • Lisa Rennie
Constance Rice • The Honorable Norman Rice • Mian Rice • Michael Richmond • Rogelio Riojas
Amanda Robinson • Randy Robinson • Charles Rolland • Katherine Roseth • Brenda Ross
The Honorable Charles Royer • Jordan Royer • William Rumpf • Jeffrey Rundell • Judith Runstad
Mary Jean Ryan • Angela Ryberg • David Sabey • Joseph Sabey • Dean Sabey
Lourdes Salazar • Charla Scaggs • Ben Schiendelman • Gary Schimek • Andrew Schmid
David Schmitz • Lin Schnell • Bill Schrier • Kathy Schrier • Nicole Schultz
Leah Schulz • Cheryl Scott • Keith Scully • Bryce Seidl • Robert Sexton
Raj Shah • Amy Sharpe • Kindle Shaw • Bill Shaw • Viet Shelton
Susan Sherbrooke • Richard Sheridan • Gwendolen Sheridan • Karen Sherry • Haeryung Shin
Sage Shingle • Brad Shinn • Manrita Sidhu • Gerard Sidorowicz • Langdon Simons
Carlos Siuenez • Jessica Skelton • Michael Slade • Dana Slote • Barbara Smith
Jared Smith • Rachel Smith • Greg Smith • Lucas Smith • Gretchen Sorensen
Eric Sorenson • Lealic Sorli • Joseph Sparaw • Dan Speiche • John Spencer
George Staggers • Donald Stark • Mark Stensager • Christine Stepherson • Joshua Stepherson
Mary Stevens • Christina Stewart • The Honorable Irene Stewart • Ian Stewart • Karl Stickel
C. Stimson • Erik Strom • Cathy Strombom • Amina Suchoski • Diane Sugimura
Richard Sugimura • Tracie Sunday • Brian Surratt • Cheryl Swab • BrynDel Swift
Haddis Tadesse • Maryanne Tagney-Jones • Beth Takekawa • Lyn Tangen • Lyn Tansu
John Taylor • Andrew Thibault • Brandy Thibault • Adrienne Thompson • Pat Thompson
Amy Thorpe • Tony To • Ronald Tober • Bryan Tokarczeyk • Kip Toner
Katherine Torgelson • Nathan Torgelson • Timothy Treanor • Suzanne Tupper • Henry Underhill
Colby Underwood • Richard Vincent • Thomas Vogl • Leslie Vogl • Douglas Walker
Margaret Walker • Nancy Walker • Thomas Walsh • Tayloe Washburn • Michael Webb
The Honorable Thomas Weeks • Steve Welch • Brian Westerlund • Judith Whetzel • Ellen Whited
Deki Whited • Kevin Wilhelm • Michael Wilkins • Christopher Williams • Heidi Wills
John Wilson • Barbara Wilson • Sabastian Wilson • Theresa Wittman • Terry Wittman
S Wolfe • Greg Wong • Ruth Woo • Kevin Wooley • Sung Yang
Haile Yitref • Richard Yoder • Grace Yuan • Gary Zarker • Leah Zoppi