Comments

1
Your first instincts were correct, ludicrous. Sometimes you need to listen to the voice in your head that's telling you what you're about to write/do is a bad idea. This is one of those times.
2
Two thoughts: It must be my privilege talking, but I hardly think Beyoncé is "disadvantaged".

"The perfect is the enemy of the good", and "Cutting off your nose to spite your face": Please repeat until understood.
3
lol
4
"I'm a queer, mixed race Latina." LOL
5
@4:

Just because you personally don't know any queer, mixed race Latinas, doesn't mean they don't exist...
6
Well done. The best satire walks a fine line where your intended audience is in on the joke but the people you're satirizing don't get that they're being satirized.
7
That's not how politics and elections work anywhere except in the minds of Millennials.

Oliver's future campaigns and "activism" will continue to fail to effect change for her supporters until they all learn that change requires compromise and the ability to work effectively with other people that have different opinions on how to effect said change.
8
Thankfully, I do think that Moon and Oliver can work together. I hope there might be a position that someone of her status can and would perform for the betterment of the city?

Even as they are more similar than different in many aspects of policy, place Oliver in an "oppositional" appointment that can keep Moon, SPD, etc accountable.

Maybe I'm overly optimistic here?
9
Or you know, win the election and appoint Oliver to head up a city outreach program to get more people involved and their voice heard.
10
If only we could get a black mayor and a black and or Asian county executive and an Asian Governor. Then all of our racial problems will be solved.
11
This is a stupid idea that will hand Durkan a victory, especially because Oliver won't be able to participate in official debates with her due to being a write-in candidate.
12
@8 I think you are being overly optimistic because Oliver and her ilk refuse to work with anyone that isn't 100% in agreement with their ideological stance.

It's a shame though because I think Oliver could be very effective in an appointed position but she seemingly lacks the ability to work with purple with disparate views and ideas.
13
Doesn't really matter. Seems like Durkan is going to cakewalk into the mayor's office against either of these people.
14
lol
15
Durkan got someone to write this, right?
16
the circular firing squad continues
17
@6 Lordy, I hope you're right.
18
Why don't we honor the will of the voters, rather than assume those who voted for Moon are content to have effectively voted for Oliver instead? If they wanted to support Oliver they would have voted for her.
19
The following statements by the writer don't reconcile:

- A mayoral race between you and Durkan will be two wealthy white women deciding what working-poor people of color really need. How will that end gentrification?

- I know some people will shout, “You shouldn’t have to give up your candidacy because you’re white.” But I think YOU are smarter than that. I think you understand this isn’t giving up your candidacy because you are white, but because you are a leader.
20
This is an Open Letter to Sam Keller.

I applaud your principled suggestion for Moon to step aside. I anxiously await your announcement that you will quit your job so that a less privileged person can take your place. You have the chance to show leadership and I urge you to take it! Although you are probably a great person, I'm sure you realize that there are people who are less privileged and you are taking up an important position that they could be occupying. It sounds ludicrous as I write this, but it's time for you to take that courageous step forward for everyone.
21
Oliver lost my vote the second she started trashing cycling and the "missing link." It's a shame because she had a lot of other great qualities, but in a crowded field full of liberal candidates I have the luxury of being picky.
22
100%!!!! If Cary Moon is a real ally, she would step aside and listen to the POC she is supposed to be trying to uplift.
23
To everyone saying that this is absurd or this isn't how politics work - that is the point. Sam is suggesting a RADICAL action on the part of Moon. It would be unprecedented and arguably could end up being largely symbolic. But damn it would be a huge symbol.

Also, to everyone saying that Nikkita and her "ilk" can't compromise - Sam is going to vote for Moon and I have yet to encounter anyone who isn't going to throw their weight behind whoever opposes Durkan. To start blaming Nikkita's base now - before the Primary votes are even counted - for a potential Durkan mayoral win in the General is embarrassing and evidence of just how anti-activist Liberal Seattle is.
24
Because how could two people not of color possibly help anyone of color?

If the color of your skin is the only qualification for being effective at city government then we should have a whole host of people signing up to run the city. Provided they can be effective at governing a city made up of all sorts of people.

What a stupid argument published in an even stupider 'newspaper'.
25
"By contrast, a mayoral race between Oliver and Durkan could be a substantive debate about race, class, and lived experience. A black, queer, lawyer-artist with lived experience most of us can relate to would square off against a corporately-funded, personally-wealthy establishment candidate (Durkan). We would find out what Seattle is really made of."

You already know what Seattle is really made of.
There was an election.
The people of Seattle picked, as you put it, two wealthy white women.

Oliver can still run a right in campaign.

Detroit's current mayor Mike Duggan won as a write in candidate.
Duggan is the first white person to be elected mayor of Detroit in over forty years. Detroit is over 80% African American.
If Duggan could win as a write in candidate in Detroit, then Oliver could do it in Seattle.

No one needs to drop out for Oliver to run as a write in candidate.
26
Jesus Christ, this is embarrassing.
27
I hate speech to text sometimes.

All instances should read write in candidate, not right in.
27
Wha? How do we end up with so many fringy flakes in this town? Is there an epidemic of huffing cleaning fluid?

And furthermore, does every random crank get their 'open letter' to appear on Slog? Maybe there should be a counter-argument, presented by the Idiot Savant. You know, just for the sake of balance.
28
As a POC I find this hilarious
29
So dumb. Washington State has a 'sour grapes' law that bars anyone who appeared on the Primary ballot and lost from having write-in votes counted for them in the General.

It is nice though to see someone ask make this request to someone other than Farrell.
30
The only people this obsessed with skin color are neo-Nazi's
31
@25 Not to nit pick, but Duggan won on a write-in vote in the primary campaign. He was on the ballot in the general election.
32
Revised Code of Washington 29a.24.311
Oliver cannot legally be a write in candiaite maeaning any voters for her in November simply won't be counted.
33
22: Which POC? Just the ones that voted for Oliver? What about the POC that voted for Moon or even Durkan? Don't their voices count?
34
Yes, Moon should betray the people who voted for her to carry out an act of electoral charity.
35
Racism - it's not just for white people anymore.
36
@31
You are completely correct. Mike Duggan was a write-in candidate in the primary campaign. He was on the ballot in the general.
He was kept off of the primary ballot due to some shrewd political maneuvering by one of his primary opponents.
37
Wow...the cynicism and urge to ridicule run so deep. Sam is calling for a radical move and it is clear that it strikes fear into the heart of many of you because your responses are so filled with contempt, the primary tool of the terrified and often to some degree privileged folks. I too call for Moon to step aside, though I think she should have stepped aside prior to the election. I think many of the 21 candidates could have done the same as many of them echoed Nikkita Oliver's political opinions. As for handing Durkan a victory...I tire of fear running our elections...that is one of the ways we ended up with 45. Thank you, Sam for inviting Cary Moon to put action behind her words.
38
This is the winning entry in a "parody of an earnest, clueless millennial" contest, right? RIGHT?
39
As other commenters have pointed out, Nikkita couldn't even run as a write-in. The author didn't bother to even look up whether it is legally possible.

All of this is so dumb. The left eats itself. Again and again.

If we lived in a sane world, Oliver and Moon would meet up. Oliver would lobby for some of her policies to be included in Moon's platform, they discuss, and then Oliver endorses Moon and they work together for the general. We do not live in a sane world.
40
@37 Ah yes we are 'terrified' of twits who think their preferred candidate should be undemocratically handed what she democratically lost because, well, she is the twit's preferred candidate, oh yeah and privilege something something and POC something something.

41
Ludicrous on a number of levels We haven't even finished counting the last election. Oliver started early and had a great run but the voters voted for others. You cannot mount a write in campaign if you ran in the primary. Nor can anyone overturn the election result and appoint someone else to the general election. Moon has a sharp mind and good heart, you'll see this in the weeks to come. The chance now is for Oliver to back Moon so we can put and end to establishment politics in Seattle this November.
42
Hoooo boy. Flakey is as flakey does.
44
Why not ask Durkan to bow out of the race, instead? Let's make this interesting.
45
#43: Yes, democratic processes are casual violence. Maybe you should work in the Trump White House since your attitude towards how voting works is as cavalier.

Look, if the ballot count somehow magically puts Oliver in the lead, great, but stop acting like supporting the will of the voters is tantamount to violence.
46
Liberal democracy is under near constant attack these days. It's bad enough coming from the right, but it's nearly as pernicious when it comes from the left.
47
As willisreed noted: there's one little problem with the letter: Washington State election law (RCW 29a.24.311) prohibits Oliver from being eligible as a write-in, having run in the General Election's Primary. It's embarrassing that The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper, wouldn't make a note of this little matter of law that renders the whole proposition pointless. Big editorial fail.

RCW 29a.24.311: "...3) No person may file as a write-in candidate where: (a) At a general election, the person attempting to file either filed as a write-in candidate for the same office at the preceding primary or the person's name appeared on the ballot for the same office at the preceding primary"
48
Dear Sam,
You are a fine, thoughtful writer. But I feel that you lack a realistic perspective. Asking Cary Moon to step aside for someone she seems to be beating in the polls is an odd request. And quite insensitive to the thousands of people who voted for her. Who made you the "judge" of greater good here? I would like nothing more than for Hillary to be President, instead of Trump because doggone it she won the popular vote. But sad to say, those aren't the rules. Same thing here. The people have voiced an opinion, a wrong one from your perspective. But that's the way it is. I'm sorry, but we have to believe in the system—or change the system.
49
@47
The Stranger really dropped the ball on this one.

Hopefully they'll wise up and print an article that explains to everyone that write in votes for Oliver will not be counted.
50
Not that folks in hetero relationships can't be queer, but let's be real: she's married to a white guy, lives in West Seattle, and works for an organization who's board president is a major supporter of Jenny Durkan. Should people who already have tons of privilege play a supporting role more often? Of course.

But under the law (as noted earlier), and in the world of reality, she's basically asking Seattleites to acquiesce to a Durkan administration. Based on the platforms of the two candidates remaining, one will do more harm, and one will do more good. This author won't feel the harm, but a lot more people sure as hell will.
52
Electing a mayor is not an act of symbolism. If I think that Moon has a more likely chance to be effective and get things done that I agree with (which I do) than I would like the opportunity to vote for her, even if I agree with Oliver's positions (but think she is likely to be less effective). 'Radical move' sounds interesting, but its symbolism at the expense of reality.
53
This article reads like a disappointed Bernie supporter refusing to vote for Hillary Clinton.
55
I supported Oliver and I will vote for Moon, if she makes it through. I'd bet that a majority of the people that voted for Oliver in the primary feel similarly.

Every candidate has supporters who say bizarre or stupid things, which is why running this letter was irresponsible at best. At worst, it's an attempt to sow dissolution, though I have no idea why they'd want to do that, since Moon is supposedly their candidate. Perhaps they get off more on shaming left-leaning people than positively impacting local politics? Or maybe they wanted to create a click-heavy shit show to bring in those sweet, sweet advertising dollars.

No matter the reason, this is embarrassing for both the letter writer and the editors.
56
I'll say this again. Roughly 85% of voters said NO to oliver. She needs to step aside and accept political reality. And reality in general. So do her "supporters". Accept the fact that you backed/voted for a loser. You're living in your own "alternate" reality.

It's time be an adult. And make adult decisions. Or, be a perennial outsider always looking in.
57
#55 🙌🏼 Preach
58
"This message brought to you by the committee to elect Jenny Durkan mayor Seattle."
59
Oh for fuck sake.

If all we're going to do from now on is stomp our feet until we get the identity politics we want —why even HAVE elections?
62
Gotta generate page clicks somehow with Charles away (hopefully just on vacation, slog without Charles would be sad :()
63
Durkan has the office, for all the good it will do to slow the city's drain circling. As to Moon and Oliver, Seattle already has enough BLM® camp followers on the city clowncil, thanks.
64
It's a moot point but still, this ask to step aside assumes Oliver would be a good mayor and that's a huge assumption. First, she would have a LOT of on-the-job learning and Seattle doesn't have that much time. Hasegawa would have been the true progressive with friends and experience, but that opportunity it lost. The mayor is a VERY important jobs and newbies don't generally do so well, haven't we learned that?

Poor Cary has now been asked by a person of color to step aside, so I guess she'll feel compelled to cave to that pressure, as a true seattleite. Me, I wouldn't -- I'm not a rich white woman, but still I know what's fair when I see it. If Oliver had won the votes, this letter wouldn't have been written. Even if it were allowed, a write-in candidacy would be a self-indulgent waste of time and Seattle has no time to waste. A nice compromise would be Oliver staying involved and running again.
65
@56. Indeed
66
Wtf. It's Latinx, not Latina. This is a fake Alt right troll!!!!
67
Unmitigated bullshit. Fred, let me tell you a deep, dark political secret: To win you gotta get more votes. Unless you're a Republican. Is Nikkita a Republican?
68
If only there was a mechanism by which these two individuals could square off and we could gauge the collective preference of the city's electorate and determine which candidate they liked more.
69
#12: You keep talking about Nikkita not working with people she disagrees with and not being willing to compromise "to get things done". So far, there's been no opportunity to even test that belief. Is there any reason we shouldn't just read what you wrote there as code for "I'm an entitled white guy with orange sunglasses and Nikkita won't obey me?" For whatever it's worth, I can't imagine anybody working with you. People usually don't work with anyone who insults them.
70
#55

Nikkita had nothing to do with the letter. She doesn't deserve to be lectured for it. And if she's behind when the votes are all counted, as they very soon will be, she'll concede. There's no rush.
71
And I was right. Nikkita did concede, handling that with the good grace and level-headedness few of her haters displayed. She had every right to run for mayor, and no one would have been harmed had she won-this time.

We have not seen the last of Nikkita Oliver...and we should all be glad of that.

Please wait...

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