I Am Surrounded by Democrats

I’m at Chuckanut Brewery tonight with the local Democrats waiting for the primary election returns to come in. Why Democrats? Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

7:06: Your diarist rolls in with the silver Subaru sedan and a sign at the brewery says “Welcome Democrats.” Signs for all the local races are planted in the planters and put up on the walls of the beer garden. I go to get out and, at the last second, decide to remove the Gadston flag from my jacket’s lapel. It just seems like unnecessary provocation.

7:09: I say hello to Riley Sweeney, local lefty blogger and pretty good guy, considering. He tells me that the results are expected in after 8 and tells me he’ll introduce me to Matt Krogh, opponent of my landlord state rep Vincent Buys

7:25: Overheard: “Traditional marriage, yeah you and your two dogs and three goats.”

7:37: The bangers & mash that I ordered arrive and they are delicious. Not what I expected, but delicious.

7:41: Riley introduces me to Matt Krogh and says that I wrote about him in recently. “In what context?” Krogh asks. Reply: “I endorsed Vincent Buys.” He asks why I did that. I joke that my rent might have gone up otherwise. Riley explains that Buys is my landlord. Krogh says, apparently seriously “Well let me know if you want some help with rent control and to be able to endorse me.” I tell him I’ve got rent under control, but thanks.

7:56: Kevin Ranker, senator from the 40th district, steals a chair from my table and asks what I’m doing. “Liveblogging this for Patheos” I say. “Oh really, that’s great. Right on,” he says as he winks at an older female supporter. Also: Riley’s liveblog of the proceedings can be found here: http://sweeneypolitics.com/2012/08/07/primary-night-live-blog/

8:06: Live photoblogging!

8:09: Chuckanut is serving three beers, a brown, a scotch and a pilsner. Pilsner is clearly winning the beer primary.

8:14: Riley breaks out the early statewide results. Not a great night for Dems so far. We get to the Democratic lieutenant governor Brad Owen who clearly has it in a walk. I say, “Even I voted for Brad Owen.” Turns out he voted for a more liberal candidate. Interesting but no local results yet.

8:16: A cheer goes up for some race or another. One of the Dems celebrates the result: “Almost second!”

8:17: Results in the 40th are favoring Dems. They’re not doing as well in the 42nd.

8:20: But hey, it looks like the Ds will hold Norm Dicks’s old district around Tacoma.

8:26: I think the Whatcom County Auditor is fudging a bit, but if not then every single voter who voted for Buys also voted for seatmate Jason Overstreet and every single voter who voted against also voted for both of their opponents. They both lead 53.32 to 46.68 percent.

8:36: Somebody just texted me and asked if I would take a measure of the mood in the room. I would describe it as moderately convivial with a side of inebriated.

8:41: This reminds me, I need another drink.

8:46: While I’m in line for a beer, Riley announces to the crowd that somebody “got knocked out of the top two” and people cheer. On the way back to my seat, I ask him who got knocked out and he shakes a fist and says “Jim Kastema, the turncoat!”

8:49: This pilsner is not winning my personal beer primary.

8:54: Guy at my table says, “If Romney wins, I’m moving out of the country.” No he won’t.

8:55: Riley: “Inslee leads McKenna 46 to 42 suckas!”

9:00: A few Ds finally start playing pool. If the brewery had Foosball, this would be a much shorter blogpost. Also, the Dems would be weeping right now.

9:06: Krogh’s campaign manager is sitting at my table. “Why did you decide to manage this campaign,” I want to ask her.

9:16: Her name is Lauren and here is what she said: “I worked for Matt before and I really enjoy working for him and I believe in him. I think he’s a great candidate.”

9:20: Riley has the floor. He asks people to go to a Maria Cantwell fundraiser (she doesn’t need the money), the Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner and a chili cookoff. Beans, I say!

9:36: One big difference between Washington DC and Washington state — the good Washington, I call it — is that things wind down earlier here. I expect everybody will be out of here by 10:15 and I don’t want to be last man standing. So, goodnight all. It has been a fun evening.