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Jock versus nerd in WA governor's race

BY Linda Thomas  on October 10, 2012 @ 7:40 pm (Updated: 2:21 am - 10/12/12 )

Listen to Jock versus nerd in Washington governor's race

It's Jay Inslee versus Rob McKenna in the third debate for governor. If we turn back time to their high school years, it was jock versus nerd - quarterback and class president - competing for attention.

"I was a high school quarterback, played on the basketball team. Kind of a straight arrow kind of guy," says Inslee.

"I'm trying to think of the phrase we would have used in those days, geek or a nerd," says McKenna. "Certainly not one of the cool kids."

InsleeMcKennaHSWhile there are many ways to compare the two candidates for Washington governor KING 5's Robert Mak did a fascinating "Up Front" special looking their high school years.

Rob McKenna, 50, was born in San Antonio and moved around a lot because his father was in the military. When his dad retired, he wanted to settle in an area that had good schools.

The family's last move was to the Lake Hills development in Bellevue, where McKenna went to Sammamish High School.

"I think what a lot of us have in common, who grew up in the military, is an ability to adapt," McKenna says. "As you're moving every few years, you're making a new set of friends."

Classmates recalled that Rob dressed neatly and enjoyed research trips to the University of Washington library in the pre-Internet years.

McKenna campaigned to be class president. One of the high school's concerns was a messy lunch room. He came up with the idea to charge a 25 cent deposit for a tray which would then be refunded when the tray was returned. Problem solved.

"I laid out a vision for how we were going to raise money for graduation and for the senior trip. It was fairly practical," he recalls.

Even though he was a geek, he was popular and his first election was an easy win.

McKenna's plan after high school was to join a fraternity at the University of Washington, but his father became ill, so he ended up living at home while getting his UW degree.

"Between my high school graduation and the day I started college he was diagnosed with, and passed away from, cancer. It was pretty sudden and that was very hard for the whole family," he says.

On the other side of Lake Washington, Jay Inslee was playing basketball and football at Seattle's Ingraham High School.

"If I had one day left I'd play basketball, but football is just a gas too, obviously," says Inslee. "They each have their charms."

He was a gifted athlete and his classmates described Jay as being an All American guy.

Inslee says basketball taught him a lot.

"I learned some lessons here on this court," Inslee says as Mak interviews him in the Ingraham gym. "It's the role of a leader to create a common vision and make sure everybody knows which sport on the court they need to be at the right time to help your buddy."

Football taught him some life skills too.

"We didn't have a lot of talk in the huddle, but if my right tackle said, 'look I can take this guy. Let's run a right power' you gotta learn to listen," Inslee says.

In 1969, the Ingraham Rams made it into the state basketball championships. With seconds to go Inslee stole the inbounds pass and they won. The team was invited to the governor's office after that and he remembers sitting in the Governor's chair.

At the age of 61, Inslee would like to sit there again.

So would McKenna, who wasn't a star on the court but was a star debater.

How do you think the quarterback and the class president will do in their third debate Thursday night.

By LINDA THOMAS, I was in debate and drama in high school.

Linda Thomas, KIRO Radio Morning News Anchor
Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio and one of the most followed local journalists on social media.
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Comments (23)


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  • soo purletiv wrote...
    Hmmmm
    October 10, 2012 7:35 pm
    Any QB who takes orders from his right tackle scares me.. ;-)

    Then again, anyone who runs on the "I promise to clean up the messy kitchen" platform scares. ;-)

    Guess I am just scared all around... ;-)

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  • roomtemp wrote...
    Yeah...
    October 10, 2012 11:33 pm
    I'll be the one hiding in soo purletiv's shadow...

    And being roomtemp makes me impervious to infrared detection, so I should be almost invisible there. ;-)

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  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    It's still Liberal vs Conservative.
    October 11, 2012 5:32 am
    Anti American vs American. Inslee a Liberal party hack concerned only with the future of the Liberal party in WA, and McKenna a Governor who will listen to and do the will of the American people!
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Life views ?
    October 11, 2012 6:13 am
    A nerd (translation - normal kid) in high school really has to work at it, and with others, to learn to be a leaders of others. ..... And too often those with some other natural ability (such as a sports star) are assumed natural leaders of everything. And so are given positions of leadership.

    Just an observation. But I'd rather have the guy who does not think he deserves it.

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  • sportsguru wrote...
    ron prevost
    October 11, 2012 6:41 am

    I was a sports star and a nerd at the same time. If it wasn't for sports, nobody would have ever known who I was and because I was a nerd I was extremely humble and grounded because I was a nerd and felt uncomfortable with attention so I deflected my talents a lot to keep people from talking about me.

    That is just your perception because I assume you never played sports. One thing about sports, football specifically. You have to learn to work as a team or you don't win. You have to get along with your teammates and work together or it's a done deal, you don't win. As a nerd, you can be a solitary person and are naive to a lot of things and don't have a lot of social skills.

    My point is that I don't think one has to do with another's ability to run government. I don't remember a lot of nerds and/or athlete's running government when I was in school, it was usually the most popular person who was neither a sports star or a nerd.

    Just saying

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Sports Guy, I tend to agree. But the News Chick posed the Jock vs Nerd idea.
    October 11, 2012 6:59 am
    Don't ever assume. I did cross country and baseball - not coordinated enough for B-Ball.

    My observation is what you already know. That a sports 'star' should not be assumed a leader in all fields.

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  • sportsguru wrote...
    ron prevost
    October 11, 2012 1:39 pm
    Alright, alright. My bad.
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  • bdoll wrote...
    Rob & Linda - Related?
    October 11, 2012 7:55 am
    Is it just me or do Rob and Linda look like they could be related? High cheek bones, sharp cin similar nose. Scroll up and see for yourself....
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  • TheNewsChick wrote...
    bdoll - I can see it
    October 11, 2012 3:02 pm
    As I said in the byline of the story, I was a debater too, so much closer to nerd than jock when I was in school.
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  • Stevebo wrote...
    Linda, god bless you...
    October 11, 2012 8:22 am
    While other hosts avoid their blogs like the plague, you actually participate. :)

    And AJ, you can't seriously look at yourself in the mirror and say that you didn't have that coming.

    Linda anti-trolled you well.

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  • Cash wrote...
    At least Linda
    October 11, 2012 8:29 am
    Is still smart enough to allow acutal comments on her blog too... I can't stand nor do I understand why the other hosts force the facebook comments??? I remember when we could read a quick story and then dozens of good comments and conversations and now nothing... Now there are like 0 to 4 comments and they SUCK... It really sucks badly so please don't jump ship and do that same silly stupid thing.
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  • DesertRez wrote...
    Hey
    October 11, 2012 8:44 am
    They both seem like really nice guys. I would have a beer with either but I will vote for the nerd.
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  • Anadromous2 wrote...
    Inslee's blowing it
    October 11, 2012 9:44 am
    I'd be inclined to vote for Inslee, but he I feel that he hasn't made a compelling case to voters yet as to why he should be governor. Frankly, I see no deep penetration of his message I'm disinclined to vote for McKenna because he was one of the AG's who tried to sue over the ACA. We need more competitive insurance options in this state (and I don't mean the options that insurance companies have been dictating to this state for years). We certainly don't need more insurance companies only coming into this state on their terms
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  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Cash is right.
    October 11, 2012 10:39 am
    If the other hosts would post half as many posts as Linda Thomas and allow comments this site would be much improved. Short news stories and a lively give and take in the comment section is what made this site interesting in the past. My facebook account has my real name, and I don't want to have to worry about some nutcase torching my wife's car just because I spoke my mind.
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  • Snout wrote...
    Slimeball vs. Nerd.
    October 11, 2012 11:34 am
    McKenna is a nerd but at least you know that he means what he says and doesn't spend hours admiring himself. McKenna did things that weren't necessarily the most popular in this state. Inslee moved with his carpet bag to get HIMSELF elected. The election comes down to a guy who does what he thinks is best for the people or the guy who does what's best for himself. You decide.
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