What I find most interesting about Susan Hutchison’s endorsement page isn’t just that she is endorsed by two nominal Democrats, but that she only has 14 endorsements listed. Dow Constantine, on the other hand, has roughly 1.3 million.

It is obviously a strategy on her campaign’s part to keep things simple. It looks nonpartisan when you have two Democrats and only a handful of Republicans, but it doesn’t look very nonpartisan if you have two Democrats and two hundred Republicans. That just looks like two Dems who got duped. Hutchison’s campaign did not respond to a call seeking a comment on her lack of endorsements.

Also, as Dominic noted, the jewel in Hutchison’s Judith Leiber pill box is the endorsement of Democratic State Auditor (and Pierce County resident) Brian Sonntag. I gave him a call to see why he chose to endorse Hutchison.

In a word, friendship. He and his wife have known Hutchison and her husband for about nine years, and Sonntag’s wife has done charity work with Hutchison.

“It has zero to do with politics or ideology or anything else,” he said.

Sonntag went on to say that he believed that the job of county executive was truly a nonpartisan position that has to do with day to day management, and that if Hutchison was running for a legislative position or even a council position that “a different set of factors would come into play.”

But the notion that the King County Executive is nonpartisan doesn’t quite hold water.

“The ways in which Democrats solve budget crises are different than the ways Republicans solve budget crises,” said Dwight Pelz, a former King County councilmember and current state Democratic Party chair.

He likened the King County Executive to the governor, who sets the policy agenda, controls a large staff, and writes the initial county budget.

Plus, holding office as the King County Executive gives politicians a stage and puts them in a strong position to run for important partisan offices like governor or U.S. Senator. And, as Pelz said, “the values that a Democrat brings are different than the values that a Republican brings.”

19 replies on “Re: The True Partisan”

  1. Oh yeah….we’re just voting for her because we’re friends, and the fact that we’ll be helping to put a Creationist at the helm of King County government is, you know, inconsequential.

    Sheesh.

  2. So how does a Democrat solve buget crises? More taxes? Increased spending on transit? Increased spending on more affordable housing for hipsters? Cutting budgets on social spending? Closing parks?

    Inquiring minds want to know?

    Gee I guess I hadn’t heard she has such inspiring budget goals! Please do tell!

  4. Just keep reminding people about her association with the Discovery Institute, any wingnut connected with that place is a joke candidate at best, and belongs no where near public office.
    oh, & fuck her and the Jesus horse she rode in on.

  5. “It has zero to do with politics or ideology or anything else,”

    Either Mr. Sonntag is stunningly oblivious to the fathomlessness of his political cynicism, or that was one wickedly backhanded insult.

  7. Hutchison is concise and clear.

    A good communicator.

    An excellent leader.

    Constantine-Nickles are the old politics of dig a hole and pour money into it — so he tries to confuse the public.

  8. we realize Dan only hires retards to write for slog and we make allowances for it but even factoring that in the obsession with the partisan/non-partisan thing and Hutchison is really old and lame.

  10. @8, she can not control her own public narrative, she was in the media for more than two fucking decades, and she can not resolve to simplest of messages, are you a Republican, Susan? Not being able to handle a freakishly simple question is pathetic.

    If she can not be open about who she is and what she thinks, and get elected, then it leaves the meta-story of obstructing and concealing. She is hiding something we can all see. She is childish in her ability to understand the context of political life. She is choosing to be a public person.

    She is dumb to the exigence.

  11. The only thing you need to know about Susan Hutchison is this: she is ON RECORD, AND I QUOTE, saying “I don’t have to say anything to the voters” about her political background, political persuasion, or voting/donation/campaign record.

    She is asking for the voters to hire her for four years to head the county, and yet in the interview process says “I don’t have to say anything to the voters”.

    Um, yes, Susan, actually, you do, if you want to hold an elected office. If you don’t want to say anything to the voters, then you need to go find something else to do.

    Just keep repeating: “I don’t have to say anything to the voters” with Susan’s name attached. That gives you a perfect picture of her “leadership” style.

  13. Susan Hutchinson…. she’s the lady from the TV! Was she the one with brain cancer, or the old one that steals things?

    Oh, she neither of them? But she’s pretty. Has great hair, and I love her outfits. She’s one of us. An American Girl done good. I wonder if she’s related to that guy who owns the cancer center? He was a Seahawk or something….

    Since this is Seattle, she’s obviously a Democrat. And after all, Hillary got screwed, so this is my chance to cast a symbolic vote for her.

    GO SUSAN!!!

  15. @2
    In a budget shortfall, the typical Democrat will try to make cuts that can be made up in future budgets (paper clips & staples). The typical Republican will cut infrastucture to undermine government’s long-term viability (sell the desk).

  17. @4 that will actually endear her to a bunch of king county voters.

    @5 it was a little back-handed perhaps, but he’s clear that he believes it is not a partisan position — thus he can say both. of course, it does read as a little back-handed, but it has to; he’s not going to sacrifice too much for her. this makes him seem like a moderate, which will likely go over well in pierce county.

  18. Republicans like Susan Hutchinson try to grab bigger pieces of a shrinking pie for themselves.

    Democrats just make more pies.

    Here endeth the lesson.

  19. 20
    Will, your bullshit is so totally opposite to reality that it must be intentional irony.

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