Reading political tea leaves in a suburban swing district, the 48th

During two doorbelling stints with candidates in the 48th Legislative District on the Eastside, I found that voters were not spouting the much-touted wrath of the tea party. But there was enough angst to keep the kettle on low boil.

Among the sizable, well-kept houses overlooking Lake Sammamish, with their Japanese laceleaf maples, animal-shaped shoe brushes and garden hoses coiled in wooden boxes, residents expressed thoughtful, measured worries about the economy.

Some blamed former President Bush and his unpaid-for wars and misguided tax cuts; others were all over President Obama for continuing the bailouts and spending.

I was following state Rep. Ross Hunter, Democrat, and his Republican challenger, Diane Tebelius, as they mined for votes the past few days. I was particularly interested in the sentiments of independent voters.

At many doors in the Clyde Hill area, Tebelius prompted bobbing heads and "you've got my vote" when she offered her stock pitch that Olympia has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

"I think the government is too big," said George Kosanke. "I don't see the economy turning around for a couple more years myself. ... A lot of families out there are suffering."

Another voter, Alberta Tefft, told Tebelius she is ready for regime change of politicians who are too unsympathetic to small business.

When Hunter knocked on the door of Julian Roy Delgado, he said, "I am a Republican by nature, but I will vote for anybody who makes sense. Do you know how to prioritize?" Hunter's yes was rewarded with, "You have my vote."

My overwhelming impression after several hours on the pavement is many voters are more deliberative than the media caricature of the angry citizen riled up and ready to give every politician in sight a Mohawk hair cut.

Over the years, Washington voters have been like Neapolitan ice cream: one-third Democrat, one-third Republican and one-third independent. The numbers vary year to year.

Richard Piazza lives near Lake Sammamish and is retired. He calls himself an independent, now trending Democratic. "The situation we find ourselves in now is intolerable; the Republicans caused these problems."

And back and forth. Suburban districts like this determine which party controls the state Legislature and who wins the U.S. Senate and U.S. House.

Many houses here are modern Northwest style and well-kept, but some are more weather-beaten. One house in the Clyde Hill-Bellevue area proclaimed, "Martha Stewart does not live here." Apparently not.

The 48th District, which includes parts of Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Medina, Clyde Hill and the point communities, was solidly Republican for many years, but is now represented in Olympia by Democratic Sen. Rodney Tom (he switched from Republican to Democrat a few years back) and Democratic Reps. Hunter and Deb Eddy, she of the moderate coalition of Democrats who call themselves the Roadkill Caucus.

The 48th also backed Obama and Democrat Chris Gregoire by a healthy percentage against Republican Dino Rossi in 2008. They picked Sen. Maria Cantwell over Mike McGavick in 2006, but Rossi won here in 2004 by 2.5 percentage points, a veritable landslide considering how close that race was.

Swing voters are complicated because they tend to dislike both parties. Experts say they are influenced by last-minute negative ads. They vote for individuals, not parties.

In the 48th, I met Nikki Adams who insists, admirably, on reading about politicians before picking one. With two school-age children, she worries about class sizes in Bellevue elementary schools. Though she voted for Obama, she considers herself independent.

What Tebelius didn't tell her is that no Republican or Democratic legislator will have any money to shrink those class sizes.

I was more heartened than bummed listening to the chitchat at the door. This close-to-the-customer retail politics can be inefficient. A candidate can knock on eight doors and only engage one voter. Yet, it is worth the effort. Swing voters do as the term suggests: they swing and decide elections.

Joni Balter's column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. Her e-mail address is jbalter@seattletimes.com