If The Dynamic Doesn’t Change, It’s Game Over
Though I suppose Joe Mallahan could still buy the election even if he doesn’t improve on the lackluster performance he exhibited at yesterday’s mayoral debate.  Despite Mallahan having a home team advantage—the debate was sponsored by the pro-business, deep-bore tunnel-loving Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce—McGinn clearly dominated. And that’s not just my pro-McGinn bias speaking. Go see for yourself here.  PostGlobe has the gory details here.
I interpret McGinn’s success in the race so far as another manifestation of deepening cracks in the aging edifice of Seattle’s status-quo political power structure. Seattle is evolving rapidly and inevitably some are going to get left behind. Think Seattle Times compared to Publicola. The Chamber has long been a dominating force in business-as-usual Seattle politics and in this election Joe Mallahan is their man. In contrast, McGinn derives his power from the grass roots, and his all-volunteer campaign is fueled by those with a new vision for Seattle.Â
If elected, McGinn will not be beholden to the Chamber or their ilk.  It’s hard to imagine how that sort of power structure shake up would not be good medicine for democracy in Seattle.
