There’s only so much the Seattle City Council can control. The number of chickens allowed in your backyard coop? Yep. Who gets the contract to haul away your garbage? Yes. The borders of United States congressional districts? Uh, no.
Yet there was John Wyble, the political consultant for city council candidate Bobby Forch, taking some time out of his busy schedule on August 3 to fan the flames of a manufactured debate over US congressional district boundaries—in the hopes that it might help his client, Forch, get through a crowded primary election so that he can take on his likely opponent in the general, two-term council incumbent Jean Godden.
Forch supports drawing Washington State’s new 10th congressional district in such a way that most of the residents are racial minorities. To hype that stance, Wyble pushed out “news” that a state representative had made a robocall highlighting Forch’s position. “Let’s join Bobby Forch and encourage more voter participation and diversity,” said the call from Eric Pettigrew (D-37).
Appeal to Seattle lefties? Check.
Then, when Cathy Allen, Godden’s campaign consultant, somewhat stupidly took the bait and announced that Godden opposes the push for a majority minority district because it’s “gerrymandering,” Wyble pounced. He declared that Allen “doesn’t know what she’s talking about” and restated Forch’s support for “diversity in Congress.”
Beating up the incumbent while also appealing to Seattle lefties? Check and check.
“It kinda sounds like Bobby Forch is being a clever opportunist,” said one longtime observer of local politics. “It seems like he’s playing the angles well.”
Never mind that this angle has little to do with council business.
“If he’s using it as a way to mobilize his base,” said local political consultant Blair Butterworth, “it’s smart.”
Forch has also been clever in moving the debate on mandatory paid sick leave for Seattle workers. It’s an issue that does, in fact, have something to do with council business (the issue is currently before the council), but it doesn’t really provide that much of a contrast in his race. All of Godden’s challengers—Forch, King County deputy prosecutor Maurice Classen, and downtown tunnel opponent Michael Taylor-Judd—say they support mandatory paid sick leave. However, Classen has called for more study of the issue. Forch pounced on that difference, stirring up press coverage and again appealing to Seattle’s lefties.
“It matters a little bit more,” Butterworth said of the sick leave issue, comparing it to the majority minority district issue.
Butterworth knows something about city council races, having managed Judy Nicastro’s successful run for city council in 1999 and her 2003 reelection campaign, in which she lost to—wait for it—Jean Godden. “You win primaries north of Mercer,” Butterworth said. “That’s where the primary vote is, especially in the middle of August.” And those primary voters, he feels, “don’t give a shit” about the majority minority district debate—and maybe, maybe give a small shit about paid sick leave.
Butterworth’s picks for getting through the primary: Godden, the incumbent, and Classen, who has the kind of job title north-enders love (deputy prosecutor) and is the best-funded among her challengers. 
Nice points. I’ve always felt that Forch has been disingenuous with his attacks on Classen and Godden. This all begs the question: So why the Stranger endorsement of Forch in the first place? Is this all Cienna Madrid’s doing? The Stranger’s endorsement of Forch bought off on Forch’s attack that Classen called for more study on the issue of paid sick leave. But the endorsement failed to mention that (1) Classen called for a study only if there weren’t enough council votes to support paid sick leave; and (2) Forch said virtually the same thing as Classen. In the end, Forch scored points on fake issues with the Stranger editorial board. Glad to see that at least Eli gets it.
This is kind of a mean, lazy piece.
You have two examples of Bobby Forch’s “fake issues” one of which turns out to actually be a very real issue, paid sick leave. So you have one fake issue–the minority district.
We rely on values that our candidates hold on a regular basis to help us decide on who we vote for–even when those values don’t directly apply to their legislative oversight. For example, the Seattle City Council doesn’t really decide gay marriage issues–yet if a candidate belonged to Focus on the Family we’d want to know–so we could vote against them. Same thing if it turned out that Sally Clark was a rabid pro-lifer (kidding, Sally!)
So while it’s true that Bobby isn’t on the redistricting commission–where he stands value-wise is important. And obviously the Stranger thinks it is because Dominic is the one who asked a question about the minority district at Candidate Survivor (I think it was Mr. Holden) and everyone but Jean supported it.
I really don’t know why you wrote this unless you feel guilty about opining about Maurice tunnel-humping weiner or Jean’s age in your election board. In which case you should apologize to them, not slam Bobby over “Fake Issues.”
This is kind of a mean, lazy piece.
You have two examples of Bobby Forch’s “fake issues” one of which turns out to actually be a very real issue, paid sick leave. So you have one fake issue–the minority district.
We rely on values that our candidates hold on a regular basis to help us decide on who we vote for–even when those values don’t directly apply to their legislative oversight. For example, the Seattle City Council doesn’t really decide gay marriage issues–yet if a candidate belonged to Focus on the Family we’d want to know–so we could vote against them. Same thing if it turned out that Sally Clark was a rabid pro-lifer (kidding, Sally!)
So while it’s true that Bobby isn’t on the redistricting commission–where he stands value-wise is important. And obviously the Stranger thinks it is because Dominic is the one who asked a question about the minority district at Candidate Survivor (I think it was Mr. Holden) and everyone but Jean supported it.
I really don’t know why you wrote this unless you feel guilty about opining about Maurice tunnel-humping weiner or Jean’s age in your election board. In which case you should apologize to them, not slam Bobby over “Fake Issues.”
Forch and Godden just strike me as career politicians more interested in self preservation than addressing the changing needs of an evolving neighborhood. Sure, Forch duped the Stranger into an endorsement, but I really doubt he’s got enough rabbits in his sleeve to fool everyone in a general election. I don’t really care what Classen’s current job title is. The fact that he’s a bright, young guy that’s passionate and measured in his approach to the issues is much more important to me — the fact that he’s the only Dem with a chance of unseating Godden is another plus.
Good thing The Stranger endorsed Forch…
Benson is running for office?
Uber cool, but I thought he’d run for Governor.
Thank you for FINALLY calling out Forch for being the fraud that he truly is. I think he also said he would support removing the troops from Afghanistan and Iraq because you know, a city couuncilman has that power. LOL.
What’s he going to do announce next — that he’d support universal healthcare and removing the federal corporate tax loopholes? Yeah, just fix the potholes buddy.