Invigorated by a new poll that shows him in a dead tie, mayoral candidate Mike McGinn worked a $350-per-head VIP party with a pint of amber beer in hand before the Presidents of the United States of America took the stage. “Seeing an improvement in polling before the money drops—just based on debates and earned media—that’s good for us,” he said. He credits running up to five phone banks a night as the “backbone of the campaign,” which relies overwhelmingly on volunteers. “Dollars don’t equal votes,” he said. But dollars do matter to McGinn—and last night he was relying on dollars from a high-ticket fundraiser at the Crocodile for him and two other nightlife-friendly candidates.

In the main room (which was draped and covered in campaign swag), a mixed cast of political players, including candidates from other races and their operatives, mingled with folks there mostly to see bands.

“I paid for a ticket and I was like, oh shit, it’s a political thing,” said Warren Andercon, from Leeds, England. “But it sounded like a good thing, and it is.” Lots of folks in the crowd, such as Boeing engineer Jeff Nelson, were there to support county executive candidate Dow Constantine and oppose Susan Hutchison. “I’m so anti-Republican right now,” Nelson says. But he added, “I came to see Krist Novoselic from Nirvana.”

Constantine, who was careful to thank everyone for attending the pricey fundraiser, capitalized on Hutchison’s right wing ties, saying voters have “a choice between a candidate who is 100 percent pro-choice and one who is not.” He added, “There will be a lot of money to coming to attack me at the last minute.”

Robert Sargent, a former Republican who lives in Newcastle, was there solely for Constantine. “Now is not the time to turn King County over to a neocon, a slash-and-burn conservative,” he said. “Susan Hutchison scares the shit out of me.”

City Attorney candidate Pete Holmes took a dig at incumbent Tom Carr’s for prosecuting bar employees caught in a dubious 2007 sting operation. “We need to make certain we can cultivate the music community,” he said. “Look down the ballot—the city attorney matters.”

18 replies on “Last Night at the Crocodile”

  3. @3 Yeah, but he always kind of looks like that. But so what. He’s a casual kind of guy and doesn’t really think about appearance all that much.
    He’s got great policy though.

  4. @ 2, 3, 4… Re outfits, to the extent these things matter:

    I’ve seen McGinn look very kempt (tucked in shirt buttoned up all the way, tie, sport coat) at events where people are likely to care about that sort of thing. But he definitely goes for the casual look when he can get away with it, and he was going for the casual look at the Croc last night.

    As for Dow, that guy’s a pro. He had the “professional, but concert-appropriate” outfit down. He knows what he’s doing. Then again, he’s experienced with nightlife fundraisers, so I’d expect him to be a pro.

    Holmes looked professorial as always, which is fine, because that’s his style.

  5. That’s all you got Mallahan supporters? Or are you guys just trolls? I have yet to meet a passionate Mallahan supporter. I met hundreds of passionate McGinn supporters last night. True, Mallahan has hired some career campaign people who are raising a lot of money to pay themselves and their regular network. But what else? He’s promised tons of our money to create short term jobs for a project that soon everyone will be decrying due to massive cost overruns? McGinn doesn’t wear a suit to a rock club fundraiser? Is that it?

    McGinn has great, creative policy. He has experience with government. And he actually cares enough to vote. Mallahan has no policy, and he doesn’t care enough about our city to be involved prior to running for mayor or to even vote. He’s running for mayor because he thinks it will be “fun”.

    I hope this debate starts to be about policies, not about clothes. But maybe Mallahan folks need to talk about anything but policy, cause, well, if it was about that they have nothing to talk about.

  10. I don’t care what McGinn looks like, I am just concerend about his policy. A lot of his youthful supporters are enjoying the Nichols-era Seattle. I moved here a year before WTO and remember a different, scary, boring cityscape. Great things have occured under “big business agenda” Seattle. There is some security in this trajectory. I am willing to listen and read more about his ideas that are just under the surface of his 70s folk singer image.

  13. Hey, didn’t the Stranger have some stake in this party? I saw a banner ad last week that said “The Stranger Presents” this thing.

  18. @17 (stalker) – it was a fundraiser. put on by not one but a group of people. To raise money. For progressive candidates. And it was a success. You should try it sometime.

    btw – you are boring.

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