Did they really?

Seattle voters turned against the proposed monorail on primary election night, Tuesday, Sept. 20...,

So writes George Howland. But did the voters really turn against the monorail? I suppose that if George (who is frank in his dislike for the monorail) wants badly-enough to get a certain result, he can use any set of numbers to persuade himself. (Or no numbers at all, since he knows where he wants to end up.)

But here are the official results as of this morning:

These votes prove nothing about decline in support for the monorail if you aggregate the pros -- which is the only realistic way to do it -- and contrary to George's suggestion.

But do the arithmetic yourself and see if you are convinced.

Position 8: The two pro-monorail candidates Laws (31%) and Lippmann (19%) receive 50% and outpoll Goldberg (47%).

Position 9: The two pro-monorail candidates Falkenbury (24%) and Stockmeyer (34%) receive  58% and demolish Nobles (40%),

Such results are totally inline with past elections. Clearly -- and this is no secret -- Seattle is very divided about the monorail. And clearly the financing plan -- which the SMP Board rejected immediately upon the staff's presenting it -- was a bad one and people are concerned and for good reason. I am concerb=ned and I am a pretty-firm supporter -- but that doesn't mean I have left my objectivity at the door nor that I am ready to play chicken-little and agree that the monorail cannot be built.

One could reasonably argue in fact that these election results are in fact an endorsement for the monorail...so much support in the face of admittedly weak SMP management etc etc. (I won't mention Ms. Laws' verbal stupidity at a recent public meeting which surely eroded her support.)

Letting one's own preferences interfere so obviously with fair-handed analysis makes one into little more than a shifty shill.