Election season's town-hall-style forums are riddled with inconveniences. First off, you have to shut up and listen to everything, no matter how arcane the question or droning the politician's answer. There's no fast-forward button, no pause button, no chance to shoot down dumb questions, and no beer.
These were the paramount considerations weighing on us while designing The Stranger's online town-hall forums for every local political race. (See the schedule below.) You want to know the difference between each candidate on your ballotâin detailâwithout feeling like you're watching a marathon of C-SPAN? You like a mix of wonky questions and general questions? You want the best questions to rise to the top and the worst questions to be ignored? At Electionland, readers ask questions ahead of time, other readers vote on the quality of the questions, and at a scheduled time, the candidates duke it out. Meanwhile, you can read along, grab a beer, howl obscenities, grab another beer, comment on answers, grab another beerâhowever many beers you want to drink is fine with us. You know the politicians are pounding 'em, too.
What have you missed so far? In the beta Electionland test run, mayoral candidate Mike McGinn answered questions about the crime rate going up, the state budget for services to help transients, transportation funding, the tunnel, Seattle public schools, bikes, farmers markets, and Godzilla (seriously). In the first full-on Electionland debate, between the two candidates for city attorney, readers asked incumbent Tom Carr and challenger Pete Holmes about marijuana, nightlife, the city's obstruction law and whether it's ever abused as a "catchall" by Seattle police officers, subpoenas issued to Seattle Times reporters in 2007 by Carr's office, jailing the homeless, and tons of other topics.
Electionland will host eight more throwdowns in October. In order of appearance:
⢠City Council Position 6: Jessie Israel vs. Nick Licata
Wed Oct 7, 1â3 pm.
⢠Housing Levy: Anna Markee vs. Kirk Robbins
Thurs Oct 8, 2â4 pm.
⢠City Council Position 4: Sally Bagshaw vs. David Bloom
Tues Oct 13, 1â3 pm.
⢠Initiative 1033: No on I-1033 (Tim Eyman refused to defend his crappy initiative)
Wed Oct 14 1â3 pm.
⢠City Council Position 2: Richard Conlin vs. David Ginsberg
Wed Oct 21 1â3 pm.
⢠Mayor: Joe Mallahan vs. Mike McGinn
Thurs Oct 22 1â2 pm.
⢠City Council Position 8: Mike O'Brien vs. Robert Rosencrantz
Tues Oct 27 1â3 pm.
⢠King County Executive: Susan Hutchison (who has not confirmed) vs. Dow Constantine (who has ostrich huevos)
Thurs Oct 29 1â2 pm.
