Originally published July 12, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified July 12, 2007 at 2:01 AM
Editorial
Not so noble
Ha ha ha ha. Hee hee hee. Isn't that a big knee-slapper? Jim Nobles, onetime member of the Seattle Monorail Board, is running for King County...
Ha ha ha ha. Hee hee hee. Isn't that a big knee-slapper? Jim Nobles, onetime member of the Seattle Monorail Board, is running for King County assessor against incumbent Scott Noble.
Nobles versus Noble. Isn't that hilarious?
Uh, no. Nobles is clearly using the fact that his last name is almost identical to Noble's name. Maybe all the goodwill Scott Noble built up over the years will be confused with Jim Nobles, and the latter will win on the incumbent's solid reputation and credentials.
No one should be amused.
Nobles has a right to run for any office and has already run for a few. A person usually doesn't get to pick his last name. But this is just too clever by half.
Selecting this office and this incumbent to run against is a message to voters that Jim Nobles, the one with the "s" after Noble, thinks voters are too dumb to tell the difference.
After all, this is a state where voters almost always favor anyone with the last name Johnson for state Supreme Court. Run with a first name of Faith for the court and you are a shoo-in. Faith Johnson, if there were such a person, would be elected before filing.
Jim Nobles may have a lot to offer as assessor. During his work for the monorail board, he showed he genuinely cares about the taxpayer.
But running against an incumbent with built-in name familiarity and respect — trying to confuse voters with the name game — is cynical and a little cheesy.
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
UPDATE - 02:37 PM
Charles Krauthammer / Syndicated columnist: Iran's leaderless revolution: searching for a Yeltsin
NEW - 02:26 PM
Leonard Pitts Jr. / Syndicated columnist: The triumph and tragedy of Michael Jackson
NEW - 02:48 PM
Leonard Pitts Jr. / Syndicated columnist: What does a homosexual demon look like?

2009 fireworks time lapse
With strict parking rules enforced at this year's July 4th celebration on Wallingford Ave North, less cars and more spectators filled the streets.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Tax tips for new independent professionals
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new sports car/coupe? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
nwhomes

Find a new home or condo that fits your lifestyle.
Search New Developments
Builder Directory
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Former NFL MVP McNair killed
- Russell Branyan, Mariners fight off the Red Sox
- Palin takes to Web for hints of political future
- Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
- Fourth of July festivals and fireworks in Seattle, the suburbs and beyond
- Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
- The Blotter | Man pistol-whipped after argument at nightclub
- Desert-lobster dispute turns pair into sagebrush heroes
- Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' and blasts media in Facebook posting
- Palin resigning as Alaska governor
772 - Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox: 07/05 game thread
246 - Palin links resignation to 'higher calling' and blasts media in Facebook posting
107 - Former NFL MVP McNair killed
105 - Hatred for the NBA runs deep, but don't take it out on the players
94 - Tukwila residents rally against light-rail noise
84 - Property taxes: Appeals shoot up is King, Snohomish Counties
76 - Tent City on campus: UW stalls decision
59 - Anti-tax rally in Olympia attracts about 1,500
44 - Seeking your questions
39
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
- Property taxes: Appeals shoot up in King, Snohomish Counties
- Hard times for tourist towns means good deals for travelers
- Close-up | Prison guards intercept carrier pigeon with a cellphone
- Pre-grill drill: marinate steaks
- Concert Review | Green Day blasts off 4th weekend with KeyArena show
- Amtrak cleared for 2nd daily train to Vancouver, B.C.
- Lake Washington's sockeye run may hit a record low
- The People's Pharmacy | Estrogen mimicker found in sunscreen









