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Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Extra Fizz: Mallahan vs. McGinn, Very Close.

KING 5 is going to release polling later today that has Joe Mallahan and Mike McGinn in a statistical dead heat.


  • Narrows Bridge

    Your posting clock has not “fallen back” yet.

  • Narrows Bridge

    Your posting clock has not “fallen back” yet.

  • Gordian

    I’d say that gives McGinn the edge, assuming this poll doesn’t reach cell phone users (a demographic that probably tilts towards him). Of course, it’s all going depend on how all those undecideds are swayed in the next 30 hours or so…

  • Gordian

    I’d say that gives McGinn the edge, assuming this poll doesn’t reach cell phone users (a demographic that probably tilts towards him). Of course, it’s all going depend on how all those undecideds are swayed in the next 30 hours or so…

  • Trevor

    Great. Just what we need: for this election to stretch on another two weeks.

  • Transpo guy

    Gordian @2:

    McGinn also has a much stronger grassroots operation to get out the vote. If this is true, it shows a repeat of the same pattern leading up to the primary where late polling showed McGinn with huge momentum and then, with each set of returns, McGinn winning by bigger and bigger margins. If McGinn wins, it’ll show the power of grassroots politics in era of all vote-by-mail. It’ll also prove Josh a genius.

  • Jessy Bagshaw

    Good eye “Narrows”! For that and other reasons Publicola really needs to hire someone with a bit more computer savvy than merely “microsoft certified”

  • Trevor

    Great. Just what we need: for this election to stretch on another two weeks.

  • Transpo guy

    Gordian @2:

    McGinn also has a much stronger grassroots operation to get out the vote. If this is true, it shows a repeat of the same pattern leading up to the primary where late polling showed McGinn with huge momentum and then, with each set of returns, McGinn winning by bigger and bigger margins. If McGinn wins, it’ll show the power of grassroots politics in era of all vote-by-mail. It’ll also prove Josh a genius.

  • Jessy Bagshaw

    Good eye “Narrows”! For that and other reasons Publicola really needs to hire someone with a bit more computer savvy than merely “microsoft certified”

  • Michael M.

    @4

    Mallahan has a lot of labor behind him this time around, and they’ve been out canvassing and phone banking every day. I was doing canvasing in the 37th this weekend, and we didn’t see a single McGinn person canvasing, and apparently that’s been the norm (nobody has come across a McGinn doorbeller).

    I did see two people at Purr around 1130 on Saturday handing out lit during Purr’s annual Halloween Party. And then the lit hit the floor.

    But Purr on Tuesday will be awesome. Happy Hour til results come in, and then, if you support McGinn, you can walk down to the War Room for his party!

  • Michael M.

    @4

    Mallahan has a lot of labor behind him this time around, and they’ve been out canvassing and phone banking every day. I was doing canvasing in the 37th this weekend, and we didn’t see a single McGinn person canvasing, and apparently that’s been the norm (nobody has come across a McGinn doorbeller).

    I did see two people at Purr around 1130 on Saturday handing out lit during Purr’s annual Halloween Party. And then the lit hit the floor.

    But Purr on Tuesday will be awesome. Happy Hour til results come in, and then, if you support McGinn, you can walk down to the War Room for his party!

  • Gordian

    Actually, I had a McGinn doorbeller on Saturday, and he said they were out en masse. Not sure what the means.

  • Guest

    I saw 8 McGinn people canvasing Lake City on Saturday and about 20 last weekend in Lake City/Maple Leaf/Northgate.

  • Gordian

    Actually, I had a McGinn doorbeller on Saturday, and he said they were out en masse. Not sure what the means.

  • north seattle

    I saw 8 McGinn people canvasing Lake City on Saturday and about 20 last weekend in Lake City/Maple Leaf/Northgate.

  • Michael M.

    Huh…so they’re focusing in North Seattle, and Mallahan is focusing SE Seattle. Interesting.

  • Michael M.

    Huh…so they’re focusing in North Seattle, and Mallahan is focusing SE Seattle. Interesting.

  • Gordian

    And West Seattle, which is where I live. It’s clear each recognizes the areas they need to work on.

  • Gordian

    And West Seattle, which is where I live. It’s clear each recognizes the areas they need to work on.

  • push polling is not internal p

    Statistical dead heat on publicola means Mallahan is leading still.

  • push polling is not internal polling

    Statistical dead heat on publicola means Mallahan is leading still.

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/tag/wsdot+tunnel Gomez

    KING uses Survey USA, so I’m guessing this is an objective sample.

    We’ll see if we have to do a freaking recount in three weeks or not.

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/tag/wsdot+tunnel Gomez

    KING uses Survey USA, so I’m guessing this is an objective sample.

    We’ll see if we have to do a freaking recount in three weeks or not.

  • Zelbinian

    @6

    Speaking personally as a McGinn supporter, I have been out lit dropping at least three times in completely different neighborhoods. Each time there were quite a few people gathered and we covered a lot of ground.

    I also heard that there was supposed to be an effort to reach the younger, cell-phone only crowd by going out to bars on Halloween, which is probably what you saw.

  • Zelbinian

    @6

    Speaking personally as a McGinn supporter, I have been out lit dropping at least three times in completely different neighborhoods. Each time there were quite a few people gathered and we covered a lot of ground.

    I also heard that there was supposed to be an effort to reach the younger, cell-phone only crowd by going out to bars on Halloween, which is probably what you saw.

  • raincity calling

    Regarding a potential for a recount — I hope that we do a public hand count no matter what given the article I read in the QA News that never appeared in the Seattle Times or anywhere else.

    The article, which was published after the Primary election, revealed problems with the new ballot scanners. It seems the scanners fail to record all votes. King County Elections was forced to scrutinize ballots and machines to make sure all votes were recorded. Per the article, KCE stated that in the General Election they will not be able to be as rigorous due to time constraints. If I were the candidates I would be making damn sure that KCE is just as rigorous in the General election as they were in the Primary. Here is the link to the article:

    http://queenannenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=26&SubSectionID=248&ArticleID=28995&TM=71490.61

  • raincity calling

    Regarding a potential for a recount — I hope that we do a public hand count no matter what given the article I read in the QA News that never appeared in the Seattle Times or anywhere else.

    The article, which was published after the Primary election, revealed problems with the new ballot scanners. It seems the scanners fail to record all votes. King County Elections was forced to scrutinize ballots and machines to make sure all votes were recorded. Per the article, KCE stated that in the General Election they will not be able to be as rigorous due to time constraints. If I were the candidates I would be making damn sure that KCE is just as rigorous in the General election as they were in the Primary. Here is the link to the article:

    http://queenannenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=26&SubSectionID=248&ArticleID=28995&TM=71490.61

  • Get-out-Voter

    I was one of the group doing door to door get out vote earlier this week. I remember a day that we callected 6000 vote. 80% of them voted for McGinn. Those are people who would never have voted had we not knocked their doors.
    It looks like McGinn will have a good night tomorrow night. We are non-partisan get out vote group. We were not telling people who to vote but they were saying — McGinn

  • Get-out-Voter

    I was one of the group doing door to door get out vote earlier this week. I remember a day that we callected 6000 vote. 80% of them voted for McGinn. Those are people who would never have voted had we not knocked their doors.
    It looks like McGinn will have a good night tomorrow night. We are non-partisan get out vote group. We were not telling people who to vote but they were saying — McGinn

  • Jon Morgan

    Dead heat = 5 point McGinn win. The polls have consistently underestimated his support. Cell phones.

  • Jon Morgan

    Dead heat = 5 point McGinn win. The polls have consistently underestimated his support. Cell phones.

  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr.Baker

    I am still 51% in favor of Joe Mallahan.

  • http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/ Mr.Baker

    I am still 51% in favor of Joe Mallahan.

  • hmmm2

    @15 You callected what?

  • hmmm2

    @15 You callected what?

  • http://letterfiction.blogspot.com/ Gomez

    I picked up the Stranger’s fishwrap for the first time in a long while during lunch, and now I see where the anti-SurveyUSA sentiment on this and other sites is coming from: Eli Sanders is talking shit about them claiming he’s doing so because they got the clown car primary wrong. Likely, he’s under marching orders because they’ve shown their pet candidates polling poorly, and it’s in their best political interests to somehow illegitimize those numbers.

    And of course, Eli is hardly the brightest bulb in a box full of burned out bulbs (the guy did become Darcy Burner’s unofficial campaign spokesman during the last two Congressional campaigns, despite his alleged responsibilities as a news journalist), so trust his word at your own peril.

  • http://letterfiction.blogspot.com Gomez

    I picked up the Stranger’s fishwrap for the first time in a long while during lunch, and now I see where the anti-SurveyUSA sentiment on this and other sites is coming from: Eli Sanders is talking shit about them claiming he’s doing so because they got the clown car primary wrong. Likely, he’s under marching orders because they’ve shown their pet candidates polling poorly, and it’s in their best political interests to somehow illegitimize those numbers.

    And of course, Eli is hardly the brightest bulb in a box full of burned out bulbs (the guy did become Darcy Burner’s unofficial campaign spokesman during the last two Congressional campaigns, despite his alleged responsibilities as a news journalist), so trust his word at your own peril.

  • http://www.dougsvotersguide.com/ DOUG.

    Someone better doorbell Mallahan’s house so he remembers to vote this time.

  • http://www.dougsvotersguide.com DOUG.

    Someone better doorbell Mallahan’s house so he remembers to vote this time.

  • chicagoexpat

    I luv the smell of … desperation… in the evening air… it smells like a Mallahan victory

    however, Publicola will never outlive its ridiculous role as the propoganda arm of the kewl kool aid kids behind McGinn.

    Do y’all really expect a majority of those voting to vote to kill Seattle? Only the trust fund kids like’em

  • chicagoexpat

    I luv the smell of … desperation… in the evening air… it smells like a Mallahan victory

    however, Publicola will never outlive its ridiculous role as the propoganda arm of the kewl kool aid kids behind McGinn.

    Do y’all really expect a majority of those voting to vote to kill Seattle? Only the trust fund kids like’em

  • Chaz

    The newest survey usa poll has 12% undecided. That means nobody knows what’s going to happen. Should be exciting. (cite: http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=e265bfd2-724d-44e9-b1fd-81b447463ab1)

  • Chaz

    The newest survey usa poll has 12% undecided. That means nobody knows what’s going to happen. Should be exciting. (cite: http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=e265bfd2-724d-44e9-b1fd-81b447463ab1)

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/tag/wsdot+tunnel Gomez

    21. You think Publicola’s a propaganda machine for McGinn? Wait until you see these guys!

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/tag/wsdot+tunnel Gomez

    21. You think Publicola’s a propaganda machine for McGinn? Wait until you see these guys!