Rantz: Hugely embarrassing setback for Cary Moon campaign

It doesn’t get much more embarrassing than this.

On June 30, Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien helped host a campaign event for Seattle mayoral candidate Cary Moon. Days later he endorsed Nikkita Oliver.

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On June 29, O’Brien penned an email distributed on behalf of the Cary Moon campaign. In it, he said that ever since he’s known Moon, “she has been dedicated to solving some of Seattle’s biggest challenges.”

He invited readers to join him at the Naked City Brewery and Taphouse to hear Moon’s “vision and detailed solutions for Seattle’s future.”

It seems like he didn’t like what he heard.

Eight days after the Moon event, O’Brien released a statement and (incredibly awkward) video endorsing Nikkita Oliver for mayor. He said Oliver’s “leadership will bring what we desperately need most right now…”

Why didn’t he go with Moon? On June 30, Moon’s campaign Facebook page thanked O’Brien for his “support.” He likely jettisoned his friend for Oliver because polling indicates Moon hasn’t been able to connect with voters, whereas Oliver has a chance to eek out of the primary if the voting base is fractured.

Mike McGinn and Jenny Durkan are the clear leaders of voters who’ve decided already, but about 40 percent of the voting public hasn’t decided who they’re voting for, giving Oliver a path.

Now, granted, O’Brien’s support isn’t a game changer. But it shows you just how poorly run the Moon campaign is, with campaign advisers allowing their candidate to suffer this kind of public embarrassment.

I make no bones about it: I’m not a fan of Moon (for that matter, I have a strong dislike for O’Brien). But, my bias on this aside, this looks really, really, truly, deeply bad.

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