In today’s Seattle Times, Joni Balter offers a column that’s less revealing about the subject at hand than about its author. She recites what everyone’s already said about Susan Hutchison: that she’s been playing cagey, ducking questions, and hiding her Republican roots. (See Michael Hood’s really revealing interview with Hutchison in Seattle Met.)

Then Balter cuts to her chase: “Hutchison will surely make it through the primary, even though there are two more experienced and qualified people for executive, [state Senator Fred] Jarrett and state Rep. Ross Hunter.” Only two? Balter pointedly omits two other Democrats seeking the nonpartisan position. Larry Phillips has been an aide to Sen. Henry M. Jackson, King County Executive Randy Revelle’s campaign manager and chief of staff, a two-term legislator, and a four-term county councilmember. Dow Constantine was then-County Councilmember Greg Nickels’ legislative aide and a legislator before joining Phillips on the council. Jarrett pre-Senate was a legislator and Mercer Island mayor and city councilmember.

Hunter, now in his fourth legislative term, has the least public experience of the bunch after Hutchison. Phillips probably has the most, especially at county governance, though Jarrett and Constantine can make their claims.

So what are the other differences? Hunter and Jarrett are Eastsiders. Jarrett switched from Republican to Democrat years ago. Hunter, who represents the Hunts-Clyde-Medina Golden Triangle, is widely seen as the most conservative of the four.

Phillips and Constantine, both Seattleites, are seen as the more liberal candidates (Constantine proclaims himself the "most progressive" in the race). Is that where they fail Balter’s test for "qualified"? Or does she think (as some Hutchison supporters do) that county experience in the run-up to the current budget crisis disqualifies a candidate? An interesting thought, which Phillips and Constantine of course dispute. If so, why not say so?