Seattle mayor conflicted over being ‘the man’

Seattle’s mayor is facing a bit of a conundrum.

While Mayor Ed Murray continues his progressive efforts in a liberal city, he doesn’t like doing it as “the man.”

A Seattle Times details Murray’s conflict over wanting to do his work for the city, but not as a government employee. Apparently, the thought of being known as “the man” is keeping Murray up at night.

This is a problem that can only happen in a city like Seattle, KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney points out. Despite all that Murray has accomplished in his 18 months in office and with a 70 percent approval rating, he’s still struggling with the idea of being part of the establishment. Murray seems like a guy who wants to “fight” the man, Tangney adds.

Murray’s struggle was uncovered by an online San Francisco magazine, Ozy.com, according to the Times. Shannon Sims describes Murray as “not just any mayor” in her article titled “Ed Murray, Seattle’s do-you-like-me mayor.” He is proof that someone can run their opponents out of town and give voters what they want, Sims writes.

However likable and accomplished Murray is, though, he will be the authority until he leaves office. And that thought is why he paces at night.

If Murray had children, he probably would have come to terms with being an authoritative figure earlier in life, Tangney points out. Think about how many people head into parenthood thinking they’ll be the cool ones, only to find that no matter what they do, they will still always be parents.

“There’s no such thing as a cool parent and no such thing as a mayor that’s not ‘the man,'” Tangney says.

Murray’s debacle has potential to be made into a sitcom. In fact, it reminds AM 770 KTTH’s David Boze of Frasier, the Seattle-based show focused on a therapist with his own radio show, who is irked knowing the owner of a news stand doesn’t like his show.

So it seems like no matter what Murray does, even if it is skipping a public meeting for something more enjoyable, people will always see him as “the man.”

But how long will Murray be considered liberal? At the rate the city is changing, in 10 years or less, Murray might be the head of the Republican party. If that’s the case, he’ll really have to put his rebellious attitude behind him.