We've noticed lately that our comments threads are starting to get back to the way they used to be in our indie heyday—smart, chock full of info (and tips!), earnest, and most of all, respectful.

This is great news. Frankly, one of my favorite things about PubliCola when we first started out were the  nerdy civic debates that would blow up in the comments threads.

As the mayoral election heats up, we hope this trend continues. 

A couple of quick things about some of the recurring, off-the-wall, name-calling comments we seem to get.

Neither Erica nor I are what you might call "hipsters." In addition to spending our weeks reading bill reports, going to Transportation Choices Coalition Friday brown bags, and going to bed at nine and waking up at five to write Fizz every morning, we're old enough to be Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon's parents (at least I am.) About the hippest thing I do is watch HBO's Girls.

As for Erica. Hipster? I don't know what to say. Even I'm cooler than her. She's currently reading the third installment in Robert Caro's LBJ series and gets really wild by listening to Terry Gross. Last Friday night she was giddy to be going to see Joel Hodgson speak at SIFF; Hodgson was the star of Mystery Science Theater 3000.  I dropped Erica off there on my way to eat dinner at home and go to bed so I could wake up and go to my weekly old guys' basketball game in ... Ravenna! 

More important: We are not "in the bag" for any of the mayoral candidates. With the exception of Charlie Staadecker (who Erica met for the first time this month) and David Ishii, we've been reporting on all of these guys for years and think they're all brainy, high-quality candidates. (It's the race that should have happened in 2009.)

We like McGinn's 21st century green agenda. We like Tim Burgess' thoughtful, thorough approach to legislation. We like Ed Murray's track record in the state house and senate. We like Bruce Harrell's commitment to race and social justice. And we like Peter Steinbrueck's deep knowledge of city issues. We also look forward to hearing from one long-shot candidate, dogged neighborhood activist Kate Martin, who, admittedly, we think should be running for council instead of mayor. 

Thanks for being part of the PubliCola community. We hope you're as excited about the upcoming political season as we are.