Though I live about 2300 miles away, I’ve been watching with interest this year’s Seattle mayoral race. Two candidates with wildly different political views, wildly different campaign styles, a David and a Goliath, an insider and an outsider, an incumbent and a neophyte challenger.

Oh, and one of the candidates is a childhood friend I’ve known for over 30 years.

Nearly a week post-election the race is still “undecided.” On Election Night the incumbent mayor, Bruce Harrell, led by about seven percentage points. (It galls the math teacher to hear “leads by seven percent”; let’s at least agree on that one.) I figured, eh, it was fun while it lasted.

But all I’ve heard for nearly a week is that somehow this lead is not what it seems. The late-arriving ballots always lean “progressive.”

I’m not sure which is more depressing: that the media are so enamored of calling a horse race that they’ll make a blowout seem close by any lies necessary, or that “late-arriving” ballots really do lean progressive; it just takes them a while to figure out how to get that cheating operation to look clean.

Some sleepless nights involved in whoever’s pulling strings and drawing lots in this scheme. I’m sure the good people of Seattle are going to get what they deserve.

Washington’s one of like 8 or 10 states I’ve never been to. However this one plays out, I think I’m going to keep it that way for the next four years.

I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I prefer the Washington on this side of the country.