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Blue City Blues

David Hyde, Sandeep Kaushik

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Twenty years ago, Dan Savage encouraged progressives to move to blue cities to escape the reactionary politics of red places. And he got his wish. Over the last two decades, rural places have gotten redder and urban areas much bluer. America’s bluest cities developed their own distinctive culture, politics and governance. They became the leading edge of a cultural transformation that reshaped progressivism, redefined urbanism and remade the Democratic Party. But as blue cities went their own ...
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Seattle Nice

David Hyde, Erica Barnett, and Sandeep Kaushik

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It’s getting harder and harder to talk about politics, especially if you disagree. Well, screw that. Seattle Nice aims to be the most opinionated and smartest analysis of what’s really happening in Seattle politics available in any medium. Each episode dives into contentious and sometimes ridiculous topics, exploring perspectives from across Seattle's political spectrum, from city council brawls to the ways the national political conversation filters through our unique political process. Eve ...
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We have no clue what 2026 holds, but that hasn't stopped us! The annual "Seattle Nice" prognostication episode returns with Publicola Co-Founder Josh Feit to offer hopes and predictions for the city's 2026. The main event: Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s looming tenure. Will she defy her critics and steer a progressive agenda with pragmatic, results-ori…
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This week we take a close look at the damning decline in the quality of public education in progressive cities where, as Sandeep puts it, the "glaring contradiction" between a fixation on equity and shockingly inequitable results "drives me bat shit crazy." Our guest, Kelsey Piper, formerly at Vox and now a staff writer with The Argument, doesn't p…
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In November 2024, fed up San Francisco voters elected an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune the city's 46th mayor. Daniel Lurie, a moderate Democrat and a newcomer to City Hall politics who largely self-funded his own outsider campaign, ran on the promise of fundamental change, reversing course away from the permissive - and often performative - radi…
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On this four-year anniversary episode of Seattle Nice, we dissect two major policy and political battles, starting with the contentious Seattle Police Officer Guild (SPOG) contract. Passed by a narrow and unusual 6-3 City Council vote, the contract gives officers significant raises— a 42% increase overall— without requiring key accountability measu…
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Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care was a National Book Award finalist. Author Claudia Rowe exposes the chilling truth: the nation's foster care system is a "major gear" driving mass homelessness and the incarceration crisis in American cities. She shares shocking statistics—including studies that found up to 59% of youth wh…
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A new era is dawning in Seattle and King County, with big changes happening at the top. We break down the personnel shifts, including Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson's choice of Brian Surratt as her sole Deputy Mayor. Is the pick in part a strategic move by Seatte’s new progressive mayor to win over the business community? Plus, we explore the uncertain f…
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This Thanksgiving week, Blue City Blues sits down with former traffic engineer and urban planner Ray Delahanty, better known as “CityNerd” on YouTube. We get into the essential question: “what makes a great city?” Ray also shares his insights on the concept of "affordable urbanism" and gives us his honest assessment of one of modern transportation'…
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Mayor-elect Katie Wilson turned down numerous invitations for national television appearances over the past week, telling Seattle Nice, “That is not my job.” But she took time out of her busy transition planning to speak with us (and you!). With assistance from our amazing Patreon supporters, and other listeners, we took advantage of the opportunit…
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The votes are in and a new era begins in Seattle politics. In this episode: The Concession and the Controversy: Was Bruce Harrell’s concession speech gracious enough? The Affordability Referendum: Wilson’s focus on pocketbook issues—housing, rent, and the rising cost of living—was the centerpiece of her campaign. Why didn’t Harrell’s response work?…
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One of Seattle's most insightful chroniclers, longtime Seattle Times metro columnist Danny Westneat, joins us in this episode to discuss the blues that have settled on one of the country's bluest (and most educated and affluent) cities. For more than a decade now, Westneat wrote in a recent post-election column, both Seattle city hall and the votin…
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In New York City, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani routed scandal-tainted Andrew Cuomo, completing his at first unthinkable, then inevitable rise to become the next mayor of New York City. His David vs. Goliath triumph has vaulted Mamdani from backbench obscurity to political superstardom; progressives around the country are swooning, seeing his…
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We discuss and debate last night's election and the big progressive wins here in Seattle. Why did moderates lose? Why is the mayor's race between Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson so tight? We also ponder the future of Seattle's political landscape. Could this end up being the most progressive Seattle government, ever? Our editor is Quinn Waller. Send…
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On July 24, Donald Trump declared war on the homeless. At least that was how his Executive Order, titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets” was received in blue urban America by many homeless advocates and Democratic elected officials. With billions in federal funding at risk of being pulled from Housing First providers, who operate o…
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This week, we dive into the Seattle Mayoral race, taking a closer look at Bruce Harrell's campaign paying a consultant $5000 of a week. We also discuss the final campaign strategies: Harrell's focus on Wilson's alleged inexperience versus Wilson's emphasis on affordability and portrayal of Harrell as a corporate stooge. Plus, we ask: are Seattle vo…
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Like almost everything else in present day America, crime in blue cities has become a deeply partisan and polarized issue. While progressives routinely downplay levels of urban crime and call for a singular focus on “root causes” like poverty and racism, Trump, with the enthusiastic backing of the MAGA law-and-order right, grossly exaggerates the d…
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This week: A Seattle City Attorney candidate forum with incumbent Ann Davison and challenger Erica Evans. The event was recorded on October 16th and organized by the South Lake Union Community Council and Belltown United. Note: City Attorney Ann Davison’s audio sounds heavily processed due to a production error at the venue. We did our best to make…
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This week's special guest, Purpose Dignity Action's Director of Outreach and Special Initiatives Nichole Alexander, spoke with Sandeep and Erica about the work the PDA's CoLEAD program is doing with drug users at a longtime "hot spot" in the Chinatown International District. Centered on 12th and Jackson, the area has been a frequent target for poli…
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The modern Democratic Party has a class and culture problem. Blue city leaders struggle to understand their cultural and political disconnect with working-class voters. Why did so many, both within and beyond blue cities, cast their ballots for Donald Trump, who gives tax breaks to the wealthy? When and how did the Democratic Party lose the allegia…
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Children in urban public school districts are falling behind. While a handful of lower spending red states – Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee and, most notably, Mississippi – have delivered remarkable academic progress over the last 12 years, high spending districts in big cities like New York and Seattle have seen test scores plunge. And it’s not jus…
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In this episode, we take a closer look at Mayor Bruce Harrell's proposed ban on anti-competitive covenants in grocery and pharmacy leases—a move aimed at preventing future food deserts. Is this a genuine step toward saving grocery stores and pharmacies, or, as Erica argues, a form of political posturing in the midst of a mayoral election? We also b…
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Four years ago, a 36 year-old Harvard Law grad and City Councilmember named Michelle Wu rolled to victory as the first elected female, non-white mayor of Boston. Since then, she's racked up further governing successes: Boston these days is often touted as the safest big city in the country, and Wu has delivered progressive wins (albeit incremental …
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This week we take the patented Seattle Nice deep dive into Bruce Harrell's proposed nearly $9 billion budget, examining the Seattle mayor’s priorities as he’s fighting for his political life in what’s turned into a tough election year for him. David points out how various local media outlets, from KIRO to our own Erica C. Barnett’s Publicola framed…
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We delve into the political maneuvering behind the scenes leading up to Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed sales tax hike for non-police public safety initiatives. We also discuss the debate over proposed changes to Seattle's comprehensive plan. Our editor is Quinn Waller. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice…
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This week we take a look back at the COVID-19 pandemic with Steven Macedo, a professor of politics at Princeton University and co-author of "In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us" (Princeton University Press). The book offers a self-critical examination of how blue leaders and institutions in government, academia, science and the media naviga…
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This week we discuss the contentious decision by Seattle’s City Council and Mayor Bruce Harrell to expand police surveillance cameras. How should city leaders balance concerns about crime with questions about privacy and the misuse of surveillance? Also, when dozens speak out against a piece of legislation at a council meeting, what does that tell …
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New York Times contributing opinion writer Nicole Gelinas, who writes regularly on New York City issues, is the author of a deeply researched and informative book, Movement: New York’s Long War to take Back Its Streets from the Car. In this fascinating account, Gelinas cogently argues that NYC’s unwinding of its robust early 20th century streetcar …
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This week we bring you a second spin of our widely discussed interview earlier this year with Katie Wilson, who is now running for Seattle mayor. We talked with Katie before she was a candidate about a piece she wrote for the Stranger in January. At the time, Wilson was the head of the Transit Riders Union and a progressive advocate for affordable …
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In this special preview from the Blue City Blues podcast, Sandeep and David explore the sprawling open-air drug market in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood, which resembles similar drug markets in poor, blue city neighborhoods across the US that have been overrun by the urban fentanyl and methamphetamine crises. Whether it's the Tenderloin in Sa…
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In this special episode we venture outside our respective basements to explore a sprawling open-air drug market in Seattle’s Little Saigon neighborhood, which resembles similar drug markets in poor, blue city neighborhoods across the US that have been overrun by the urban fentanyl and methamphetamine crises. Whether it's the Tenderloin in San Franc…
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This week we discuss the upcoming Christian nationalist rally at Cal Anderson Park, why these events continue to happen, and debate the city's legal challenges in managing them. We also bring you primary election news and get into Seattle’s aversion to re-electing mayors. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlen…
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The Windy City is not just a great American metropolis – the third largest in the United States – it is a world class city, recognized globally as a center of finance, trade and economic dynamism, and as a cultural and tourist mecca. But there is an emerging counter-narrative about Chicago, a declension story of a great and proud urban powerhouse n…
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This week on Seattle Nice, we debate the factors that led to a progressive triumph in Seattle's August primary. We dig into what went wrong for centrist incumbents Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Council Member Sara Nelson, and City Attorney Ann Davison. Was it a longing for a kinder, gentler approach to public safety and homelessness? The high price of …
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This episode delves into three political developments in Seattle and King County. Part I examines a proposed initiative to ban unauthorized public camping in unincorporated King County, discussing its scope, the signature-gathering process, and the larger goals of its main proponent, Saul Spady. Part II focuses on the B&O tax increase proposal whic…
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In this extra special, heavy duty emergency weekend edition of Seattle Nice, we dissect what Trump’s new executive order on homelessness means for Seattle. Initial hot takes have interpreted the order as a full frontal assault on the "housing first" and “harm reduction” approaches that prevail in blue jurisdictions, and its release has precipitated…
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In the latest installment of Blue City Blues, we welcomed Jonathan Zimmerman, professor of the history of education at the University of Pennsylvania, to join us in delving into the Trump-led defunding of public broadcasting. Zimmerman, whose incisive public commentaries have been published at the New York Times, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inqui…
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This week we take a closer look at what’s at stake in the upcoming August primary, and explore the potential resurgence of the progressive left in Seattle. We consider whether "public safety" retains the same electoral weight it held in 2021 and 2023, years that saw the broad ousting of Seattle progressives. Drawing parallels to the victory of Soci…
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The political gulf between educated urban progressives and rural and blue collar Americans has accelerated in recent decades. The consequences for blue cities - and for the Democratic Party - are profound. In this episode, we explore the evolving rural/urban divide with Blue Dog Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who represents Washington’s State’s …
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On this episode we debated the City Council’s plans to get tough on graffiti by introducing civil penalties up to $1,500 per violation. The change would make it easier to fine taggers. Erica questioned the council’s priorities and aesthetics, and pointed out that graffiti is already a crime or felony (if it costs more than $750 to repair). Sandeep …
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Zohran Mamdani's upset victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary wasn't just a win; it was a seismic event that's shaking the foundations of the Democratic Party. How did a self-described socialist unseat a political giant like Andrew Cuomo? And what does it mean for the future of progressive politics in America's blue cities? This we…
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PROGRAM NOTE: We hope all you Seattle Nice fans will join us for a live taping of the podcast at 7 pm on July 15 at the next meeting of the 43rd District Democrats, held at the Erickson Theater on Capitol Hill, 1524 Harvard Avenue. We’ll be previewing the upcoming primary, and there’ll be a chance for audience questions. Council President Sara Nels…
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In this episode of Blue City Blues, we invited writer Sherman Alexie on to weigh in on recent cultural trends in blue cities. Alexie has long been recognized as one of the country’s most talented, interesting – and funny – literary figures. The author of two dozen books, including The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007), which won th…
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This week, we're talking taxes—specifically, the new business and occupation (B&O) tax proposal that City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Mayor Bruce Harrell dropped, seemingly out of the blue, last week. The tax includes a big exemption that the business community has been seeking for a long time; however, above that threshold—$2 million i…
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The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) launched in 2020 with great fanfare. But now, with up to to a fifth of its staff facing layoffs due to budget shortfalls, it may be facing a slow death by a thousand cuts. In this week’s episode, with David still gallivanting in parts unknown, Erica and Sandeep take a hard look at the current …
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In 2020, when the power of social media – Twitter, in particular – to police the boundaries of acceptable thought in blue cities was at its cultural zenith, journalists Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal launched their boundary-shattering podcast, Blocked and Reported. BARPod, as it’s referred to by its growing legions of fans (us included), is focused …
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With David away for a second consecutive week, Erica and Sandeep seek out the inimitable Josh Feit, news editor of the Stranger back in the olden (golden) days, to buffer their conversation with convoluted references to 50-year-old Joni Mitchell records. We start with the increasingly off-putting saga of King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson, who…
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In January of 2022, The Atlantic published staff writer Derek Thompson’s manifesto calling for a fundamental reform of progressive governance. “We need an abundance agenda… focused on solving our national problem of scarcity,” he asserted. Fleshed out by New York Times journalist Ezra Klein and a small nucleus of like-minded, mostly Bay Area-based …
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After less than 18 months in office, Councilmember Cathy Moore, representing District 5 (North Seattle), announced she will be resigning her position effective July 7. Swinging into immediate action, Erica and Sandeep (David is away, gamboling and gallivanting in distant parts) weigh in on this emergency episode of the podcast with their red hot ta…
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This week Erica has the scoop on allegations of stalking and harassment against King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson. We also debate Cathy Moore's decision to withdraw a bill that critics say weakens the council’s ethics standards. Plus, we discuss the anti-trans demonstrations and counter-protests at Cal Anderson Park and City Hall that resulte…
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We're so excited to release our interview with Shattered Glass director Billy Ray, who was kind enough to indulge all our questions about our favorite movie, like: What happened between the scene where Chloe Sevigny confronts Peter Sarsgaard for firing Stephen and the next day, when she leads the team in applauding him for his brave decision? Where…
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A Seattle City Council committee advanced legislation last week that will eliminate a requirement that council members abstain from voting on legislation that presents a financial conflict of interest. Under the new, lower standard, the council will merely have to disclose any financial conflicts before voting—allowing council members, for the firs…
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