You're totally underselling yourself. Put together a coherent agenda for change, win, and STAY AS MAYOR. It's government of the people - not the ex-county councilmembers ...
If you were seriously running, I'd seriously consider voting for you. Don't just assume you're unqualified.
But to run as a joke, in times like this, is egotistical at best and harmful at worst. What kind of opposition and fundraising and media coverage are you going to trigger for less-qualified candidates.
Take politics seriously or stick with the sex column.
you can't force someone to be mayor Dan. if conlin "doesn't have the balls" to run then he doesn't have the determination and resolve we need in a mayor.
you are embarrassing yourself with this post. it just says desperate and needy for attention. don't make the city suffer through this not funny, not constructive exercise in self-promotion.
for one of the top people at Seattle's alt weekly you are surprisingly out of touch with youth and politics in the age of Obama.
don't you get it? this kind of cynicism about politics (let's have a Lap Dance Day and Gay Sex Scandal) is not what people want. It's not funny. Times are too serious and people are too determined to re-make America for this to get any traction. You're too old and too out of it!
Sure you'll resign Dan.. Yeah right! Once you taste the sweet flavor of power you just want more.
But if you do, please start wearing drag again and go for Elizabeth I. You can start your first speech "You may have princes greater than I, but none will love you as much!"
Dan, seriously... if you actually won the mayoral race and had all that power to make positive changes in this city... you would just make a silly speech, have a laugh, and call it quits? Seriously?
I understand your premise and your self-doubt, but lesser qualified people have been elected to higher positions. If you are truly "in it to win it" then let the foundation of this be a chance to make some real improvements, not some joke that results in a national spectacle (the would probably be right-wing pundits wet-dream material) and an "isn't that bad" sort of mayor.
Shorter Haters: Dan Savage shouldn't run for mayor because his reasons for running are exactly the same as those of most of the people who DO normally run for mayor.
We're lucky to have you in Seattle, Dan. And you'd probably make a fine Mayor - after all, you have administrative experience riding herd on a bunch of stubborn contrarians (ECB, Mudede), which is perhaps more impressive than riding herd on our reasonably pliant and not especially controversial City Council.
@28, agreed. Although the lesser people aspiring to higher positions didn't work out so well in Darcy's case. Close though. And we're Seattle; not Factoria.
Bring it on Dan! If you're a true Chicagoan, you know that to become Hizzoner, that the "election" process is purely incidental. Don't be passive aggressive about it - just run, become da mare, and do something worthwhile.
What I cannot believe is serious are the people who take this election so seriously that they urge Dan Savage not to run. They are the ones who are out of touch and not Savage.
poor ECB, stuck actually trying to cover local politics at a paper run by immature dipshits who think the mayor's race is just one big joke about titty bars and blow jobs.
@31: That's the entire point, genius. The idea is that more people would be willing to cast an anti-Nickels vote if it meant handing the office to the person next in line, rather than to someone truly unqualified.
In other words, this would make the race into a real referendum on Nickels, rather than Nickels vs. Loon.
There's some serious deficiency in this comment thread.
You might want to do a little research on campaign contribution laws first to avoid trouble. Any free publicity from your position in the Stranger and access to
SLOG will probably be considered an in kind contribution (yes, I know that this is only a mock protest campaign, but check into the whole Colbert for President flap and the Chris Matthews might run for Senate brouhaha at MSNBC.
The Gonzo thing would be to run for Sheriff. Taking the idea more seriously than it is meant there are some pros and cons. The biggest pro is that it would cast a much needed limelight of scrutiny on the goings on at City Hall. The biggest con is that it could split the anti-Nickels vote and automatically advance him to the general election.
I get the feeling about 60% of these posts were made by the same person... Maybe an IP address comment limit to only THREE posts would help minimize trolling, or something.
@51, I'd love for these posts to show the IP address. I suspect that most of the posters who use short sentences for names are the work of one or two people.
I guess this is the level of commentary we're going to have to put up with, now that the wing-nuts won't have much left to do over at the PI's site after tomorrow.
Jeezus, what is wrong with this city? Seriously, it's not just prospective mayoral candidates in this town who lack a collective nut, the citizenry of this city is a bunch of damp, limp, pathetic, nutless halfwits. Nickels marginally competent at mantaining the status quo overall while frustrating attempts to improve public transportation and infrastructure and ankle-grabbing for condo developers. Seattle definitely deserves better, but what's really telling is that most of its citizens either think A) it's not worth the effort to try to get a competent guy elected, or B) they are actually afraid to change the big bowl of crap they have been getting fed for 7 years.
i've turned down a dozen job offers in SEA over the past year, never thought much of that commute. i just changed my mind after reading this story. i've already made arrangements to go back for more interview and then dan, i am moving to your city, and voting the fuck outta you for mayor.
Correction: you could not resign until being sworn into the office, in 2010, at which point the NEXT Council President--due to begin a term January 1, 2010--would be sworn in as Mayor. Unless, of course, no new president was elected.
So I guess we may get to find out how tough Conlin is, after all.
I like it. If I lived in the city limits, I'd vote for you.
Howard Stern didn't invent this; it's a long tradition: The Owl Party, Mike the Mover, and, my favorite, Absolutely Nobody, who legally changed his name to run for Lieutenant Governor on the platform of abolishing the office of Lieutenant Governor.
Damn, it took you long enough. What, were you waiting for us to beg? I nominated you back in November on the Stranger Forums: http://forums.thestranger.com/showthread…
@64: I'm exaggerating... I just hate that this is what passes for political commentary / journalism here these days. When the Times folds... this really will be all we have left.
@ #41, The question of who should be mayor may be a serious issue, but it is not so serious that someone like Dan Savage can't make a political point by running or making a threat to run for mayor. Also most candidates take themselves much too seriously while running campaigns that lack content.
I agree with the 1rst comment. Why the hell would you want someone who is a "chickenshit" running the city? That might be the third dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Goddamn. You know, when Stephen Colbert ran for president, we thought it was cool as shit. But now, Dan is running for Mayor of Seattle, and it's . . . fucking cool as shit.
I wish I lived in Seattle for many reasons, and being able to vote Dan Savage for Mayor is yet another one.
What Big Sven said. Do it for real or don't do it at all.
These are my hard-earned dollars we're talking about here. I'll gladly sign some of them over to you in order to help get you elected, but I can't afford to participate in just a joke.
C'mon Dan. You couldn't possibly be any worse than Mayor Gridlock.
Dan, do it for real, I mean unqualified or not, you would still be better than some qualified yet corrupt politician...
Your husband could be First Fag... there would be nothing to stop you from leaping across the table and having your way with Anderson Cooper this time.
Here's what we can expect from Savage as Mayor. When the anti-gay marriage amendment passed, Savage said in his column that all straight people could expect no help whatsoever from him, seeing as some other straight people had voted against his civil rights. By showing his bigotry, Savage explained that to him, everyone who is different than he can be expected to go fuck themselves if his desires are not met, however abstract the situation. So essentially we could just elect him and expect to get fucked if you aren't gay or the city doesn't do gay friendly things. Just like voting for a Christian, but more politically acceptable to people like me. Bigotry is bigotry!
When the anti-gay marriage amendment passed, Savage said in his column that all straight people could expect no help whatsoever from him, seeing as some other straight people had voted against his civil rights.
Can you please provide which column you're talking about? Perhaps a link?
oh, yes! wouldn't that just be SO FUNNY! I will move to Seattle just to vote for you!!! I love your sex column!!!! And a Lap Dance Day OMG ROFL I CAN'T WAIT. And you would be the mayor and we could call you MAYOR SAVAGE and wear tee shirts that say that on the front of the shirt and the back could say "SEATTLE, BITCHES" because we'd have a really fun time wearing those. Count me in! Sign me up!!!
I AGREE WITH SPG YOU WOULD NOT BE ELECTED NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THAT WAR BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF YOUR ATITUDE TOWARDS RADICAL FAIRYS AND DYKES OF SIZE YOUR WHITE BOY RPLACE ATTITUDE HAS NO PLACE IN SEATTLE TAKE IT BACK TO VASHON ISLAND AND BE THE MAYOR THERE
YES HE SUPPORTED THAT WAR AND IT IS A SHAME IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF HE HAD NOT COME OUT AGAINST IT BUT HE DID BECAUSE THATS PART OF HIS BIG DICK WHITE FAG OF PRIVILEGE RPLACE PERSONA
October 2010 news report: Mayor Dan Savage declares war on Seattle's children. "It's for their own good" says the Mayor. "A few hundred orphans, widows and dead fathers in the street and that will show the liberals that I mean business."
The Mayor went on to say "Sure I made this same argument about invading Iraq and it didn't work out -well the killing did-the rest didn't work out in Iraq, but I'm convinced it will work here."
Sweeeeet idea!!!!! Let's celebrate. Let's see, ECB can bring the red wine and Christopher can bring a couple of his child rapist friends. Oh and Eli won't be able to make it, he'll be blogging about the PI that day.
Read "Say yes to War on Iraq" by Dan Savage Oct. 2002
Great article in which Dan argues for killing Iraqi children to bring freedom and democracy to them. If Dan was angling for a job in the Bush administration, sadly it never came through. But the dead Iraqi kids came through-more than Dan could have hoped for. The war has been a success for Dan.
I'd like to point out that I agree with Savage on his position that this is a violation of civil rights. And that I am in favor of equal rights for everyone, irrespective of race creed sexuality etc. I just think it's pretty much bullshit to have a column in which you say you give advice and then to say that because of the actions of some bigot assholes you won't. Also, he did support the invasion of Iraq, which makes him a fucking douche bag.
I purchased the following domain names on March 1 and am happy to donate them and my time to the campaign (check your stranger e-mail dated March 1, Dan). Run for keeps, Dan. Politics used to be the province of citizens temporarily serving, not a class of professional politicians who have nothing but contempt for the true needs of the people.
The way I see it, ECB cited for stealing wine from QFC guarantees she will never, ever be able to write about the paper bag tax and repeal ever, ever again.
And I guess now we know the reason why she's against paper bags. They require, you know, NOT STEALING.
Didn't Howard Stern do this first, like 10 years ago?
You are a disgrace to gay men everywhere. An embarrassment Dan.
Please don't do this.
I'll paper this town (physically and online) with previous SLOG posts of yours.
Can you think of any you may find embarrassing in some other context in which the demographic isn't snarky fourteen year olds?
Yeah, making a mockery of politics.
Is that really what you want your civic contribution to be?
Stuff like this demeans the importance of what is at stake and only keeps serious, qualified people away from the circus you are creating.
Gay sex scandal, HAR HAR HAR.
This is a selfish egotistical move when the economy and livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in WA is on the line.
and this is why he'd probably be a good mayor for this city. he's got my vote
But to run as a joke, in times like this, is egotistical at best and harmful at worst. What kind of opposition and fundraising and media coverage are you going to trigger for less-qualified candidates.
Take politics seriously or stick with the sex column.
if Conlin won't run, what makes you think he's accept once you resign?
i guess that's the point. you don't really care about who is mayor as long as you get on more talk shows or sell more books.
if you CARED about Seattle, you would not do this.
I'm an idiot who doesn't care about the difference between American Idol and thoughtful governance. Fuck it, how important is mayor anyway?
So, where's your Facebook page/group?
Oh, and we'll need some cool tunes on MySpace ...
you are embarrassing yourself with this post. it just says desperate and needy for attention. don't make the city suffer through this not funny, not constructive exercise in self-promotion.
selfish.
stupid.
egotistical.
counterproductive.
for one of the top people at Seattle's alt weekly you are surprisingly out of touch with youth and politics in the age of Obama.
don't you get it? this kind of cynicism about politics (let's have a Lap Dance Day and Gay Sex Scandal) is not what people want. It's not funny. Times are too serious and people are too determined to re-make America for this to get any traction. You're too old and too out of it!
But if you do, please start wearing drag again and go for Elizabeth I. You can start your first speech "You may have princes greater than I, but none will love you as much!"
I understand your premise and your self-doubt, but lesser qualified people have been elected to higher positions. If you are truly "in it to win it" then let the foundation of this be a chance to make some real improvements, not some joke that results in a national spectacle (the would probably be right-wing pundits wet-dream material) and an "isn't that bad" sort of mayor.
When can I write a check?
Clueless Stranger guy doesn't even understand his own audience.
Oh, yes, Dan. Tell us how we can help get your name on the ballot.
Easier to whine and insult those who try than to actually do something for Seattle yourself.
In other words, this would make the race into a real referendum on Nickels, rather than Nickels vs. Loon.
There's some serious deficiency in this comment thread.
Also: please keep your promise to resign; I like reading your Slog posts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jello_Biafr…
SLOG will probably be considered an in kind contribution (yes, I know that this is only a mock protest campaign, but check into the whole Colbert for President flap and the Chris Matthews might run for Senate brouhaha at MSNBC.
What exactly is Lap Dance Day, and when is it? Can we make steak and blowjob day an official Seattle holiday, too?
You'd think we'd be past needing to mock politics, but then we have Greg Nickels. This is needed. I'll help.
So I guess we may get to find out how tough Conlin is, after all.
Howard Stern didn't invent this; it's a long tradition: The Owl Party, Mike the Mover, and, my favorite, Absolutely Nobody, who legally changed his name to run for Lieutenant Governor on the platform of abolishing the office of Lieutenant Governor.
Do it.
I'd much rather vote for you than Nickels. People are taking this way too seriously, though it is seriously a great idea.
I'd love to see you win. I think it'd make many great statements about the state of politics in this city.
Are we ready for a 0 newspaper, 1(ish) blog town?
I wish I lived in Seattle for many reasons, and being able to vote Dan Savage for Mayor is yet another one.
These are my hard-earned dollars we're talking about here. I'll gladly sign some of them over to you in order to help get you elected, but I can't afford to participate in just a joke.
C'mon Dan. You couldn't possibly be any worse than Mayor Gridlock.
I love you, Dan.
Your husband could be First Fag... there would be nothing to stop you from leaping across the table and having your way with Anderson Cooper this time.
Can you please provide which column you're talking about? Perhaps a link?
I'm leaning towards Penneys, because they still have an in-house salon, but Sears has the most darling sweater sets....
I'm hoping that we can get enough members for a nice luncheon at the Olympic Hotel, and to spell out "SAVEAGE '09" for a dandy publicity photo.
You are now unelectable in Seattle. I wouldn't vote for you just because of that.
so where is it? breaking political promises already, Dan?
The Mayor went on to say "Sure I made this same argument about invading Iraq and it didn't work out -well the killing did-the rest didn't work out in Iraq, but I'm convinced it will work here."
Great article in which Dan argues for killing Iraqi children to bring freedom and democracy to them. If Dan was angling for a job in the Bush administration, sadly it never came through. But the dead Iraqi kids came through-more than Dan could have hoped for. The war has been a success for Dan.
I'd like to point out that I agree with Savage on his position that this is a violation of civil rights. And that I am in favor of equal rights for everyone, irrespective of race creed sexuality etc. I just think it's pretty much bullshit to have a column in which you say you give advice and then to say that because of the actions of some bigot assholes you won't. Also, he did support the invasion of Iraq, which makes him a fucking douche bag.
SAVAGE2009.COM
DANSAVAGE2009.COM
DANSAVAGEFORMAYOR2009.COM
DANSAVAGEFORMAYOR.COM
SAVAGEFORMAYOR.COM
And I guess now we know the reason why she's against paper bags. They require, you know, NOT STEALING.