There is a recession on. Perhaps you’ve noticed. Maybe you have been somewhat personally affected, and having become disillusioned with the dominant political and economic constructs now find yourself motivated to seek answers in alternatives philosophies. Do you want to be where you can see the troubles are all the same? If so, you’ve a home on the south end of Seattle, a place where the people are friendly and ready with classic tomes by Lenin, Marx, X and others to help shepherd you along as you begin your journey pink-ward. Some of them are even running for mayor.”There are no Seattle solutions,” says Mary Martin, sitting in the somewhat cramped office at the Socialist Worker Party’s Seattle headquarters in Columbia City. Martin, 57, is running for mayor as a write-in candidate, but hasn’t established positions on the core issues in the race, instead making her party’s pro-worker philosophy the central theme of her campaign. “We don’t start with potholes. We’re raising world politics, and we’re the only candidates who are doing that.” Of course that stance makes her write-in bid for mayor a purely academic exercise, but having been a member of the Socialist Workers Party for over thirty years, obviously digs purely academic exercises. Two years ago she challenged U.S. Representative Jim McDermott of Washington’s 7th district for his seat in Congress. She lost then, and will lose this race too. But still the campaign continues.”We offer people an alternative,” she explains. “We call for a break with the twin parties of capitalism, and a revolution to put the working class in power, because the class that is in power isn’t working.” Staying above the fray, huh? Not sure that’s a winning strategy.