What's Tony Thinking

Post Alley: A New Entrant in Seattle’s Civic Conversation

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“Post Alley” is the latest creation from Seattle’s great civic entrepreneur, David Brewster. As many readers will know, Brewster has founded a number of such contributions to Seattle’s civic life, including The Seattle Weekly, Town Hall, Crosscut, and most recently Folio.

Now Post Alley, an on-line “marketplace of ideas.” Joining David in the creation of Post Alley are Douglas McLennan and Dick Lilly, both former journalists. The name “Post Alley” is a clever double or possibly multiple entendre. There is an actual “Post Alley” that winds its way through downtown and the Pike Place Market. And the site is an on-line place for invited writers to post their work.

The concept is that a score of NW locals, many former or “displaced” (in Brewster’s phrase) journalists, and people with expertise in one field or another, write about what interests them and have their work  posted at “Post Alley.” From there other sites can pick up articles and re-post them. Two of my pieces from this blog have appeared at the Post Alley site.

Another of the Post Alley contributors is Mort Kondracke, long a fixture in D.C. political analysis and punditry. Kondracke moved to Bainbridge several years ago. He continues to write for various outlets including Real Clear Politics.

Kondracke’s current article at Post Alley explores the identity struggle within the national Democratic Party by focusing on the Washington Congressman, Derek Kilmer. Kondracke argues that while Alexandra Octavio-Cortez (AOC) has been anointed by the media as the face of the party and gets tons of publicity, Kilmer is more significant and key to the Democrat’s future.

Kilmer chairs the New Democrat Coalition, a caucus within the Democrat controlled House of Representatives. The NDC includes almost all of the 40 new representatives elected in the 2018 mid-terms, an indication that the class of 2018 is more moderate than you might guess.

Despite the media narrative about the Democrats swing to the left — which President Trump is also spinning to his advantage — the New Democrats are incrementalists. Which may be their problem. As Kilmer himself acknowledges, it isn’t easy to get people real fired up about incremental change. But it may also be more likely to garner and coalition of voters needed to send Trump back to New York in 2020.

Another provocative piece currently at Post Alley comes from longtime, now former City Council member, Nick Licata. Nick writes on the fallacy of the “collusion” premise in the Trump investigation.

Licata argues that by making “collusion” between the Trump campaign and Russian sponsored efforts to influence the 2016 election the focus, a free pass has been given to the real story, i.e. Russia’s influence on the elections in support of Trump.

Imagine if Russia had intervened in the election in support of Hillary Clinton. That would have led to an impeachment right off the bat. The issue would not have been collusion, but that Russia was supporting, and using illegal means, to bring about her election. Can you imagine the howl’s from Republicans, Fox News, and the right-wing?

You don’t have to have intentional “collusion,” to think Trump’s election and presidency are tainted.

So Post Alley is up and running. Another contribution from a guy who has done a lot to shape Seattle and contribute to civil society here. Thanks David!

 

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