Charlie Staadecker—who has established himself as the Orville Redenbacher of the Seattle’s mayor’s race, Mexican beer commerial parodies, and blower of anti-bicycle-lane dogwhistles—got all newfangled on Reddit yesterday with an AMA (Ask Me Anything).
“Where do you get your bow ties?”
“Brooks Brothers and Nordstroms. And I do give free bow tying lessons!”
Aww!
It’s worth checking out his answers, including straightforward statements that “drones will not be purchased nor used by any SPD employee under my administration” and “we should build the new arena [in Sodo].” Other than that, most of his answers are vague, including twice repeating that official pox of Seattle political jargon: the promise to “move our City forward” and “move this city forward.” While providing evasive answers on transit funding, Staadecker also leans on the idea that Mayor Mike McGinn is responsible for divisiveness, which is the same lazy, brainless argument that the Murray and Harrell campaigns are leaning on. (The blue ribbon for divisiveness should be awarded equally to the divisive city council, the infighting city attorney, and most of Seattle’s freeway-hugging legislative delegation.) But that said, it’s great that Staadecker is responding directly to voters in a new medium. All the candidates should do this—with more substantive answers.