Fight Like Hell... Paul Evans, Ted Kulongoski, Howard Dean
Kari Chisholm
I spent the weekend down at the Democratic Party's state convention in Eugene. Saw lots of old friends and made lots of new ones. It was a great collection of electeds, candidates, campaign hacks, and ordinary folks who care about their country and their state.
Already folks are blogging their reactions - Mary Conley, Jenni Simonis, more to come I'm sure.
Here's a handful of my random observations...
Paul Evans: Reporting for Duty
One of the next big stars of our party is Paul Evans, running for State Senate. In person and at the podium, he's one impressive fella. On Saturday night, he spoke to a dinner crowd of several hundred Democrats. I've written about Paul before, but hearing him in person is something else. An Iraq veteran and a self-described "Polk County Bubba", he spoke quietly and eloquently about patriotism. "Patriotism isn't a Republican value, it's an American value. We're all patriots here."
Paul Evans also told a story about being in Wyoming, as part of the military detail for Vice President Cheney on the day that Katrina swallowed New Orleans. Expecting that his Air Force crew would soon be on the move, he started getting 'em ready. When the order to travel didn't come, he asked why. Certainly, he thought, the Vice President would head to Louisiana or Washington DC to help manage the crisis. But no, he was told, the Vice President wouldn't be traveling. Rather, Dick Cheney had decided to go fishing. As hundreds of Americans drowned, and hundreds of thousands more were displaced from their homes, the Vice President went fishing.
His race is a tough one, and his team is working hard. If Paul Evans isn't elected to the State Senate, it will be a loss for all of Oregon. Let's help get him elected.
Ted Kulongoski: Stand and Fight!
Saturday night, Governor Kulongoski gave a rip-snorting, fired-up speech that brought the house down - and left me wishing that someone had bothered to videotape it. He's a Democrat, a "proud labor Democrat!" and he told us exactly why. "Democrats will fight for your job; fight for your health care; fight for your pension; and fight for you. And I'm going to fight like..." (And the crowd yelled, "Hell!") It was an extraordinary performance -- and I hope he keeps that motor running for the next 5+ months.
But it wasn't just a pep rally speech. The governor got into some details. Most astonishing to me was this: Only 28% of Oregonians have a college degree. And that's 3% above the national average. Most politicians go into platitudes about making college affordable and accessible, and suggest that everyone should get a college education. But 72% of Oregonians don't have a college degree - and, Kulongoski argued, by making high school entirely about college prep, we're inadvertently teaching young people that if they're part of that majority, then there's no hope for the future. Instead, we should make sure there's a pathway from high school to community college and skills training. "We need engineers... but we need electricians too! There's dignity in working with your hands, learning a skill, and providing for yourself and your family."
It was a passionate speech - from a partisan perspective - but also from a human one: Ted's a guy who grew up orphaned and poor, and climbed his way up by working as a union truck driver and joining the Marines. He knows the inherent dignity of work, unlike a lot of our trust-fund Republican friends.
Howard Dean: Focus on Oregon
Howard Dean's 50-state strategy isn't just talk. He really is serious about contesting every state and every county in 2006, 2008, and beyond. During the VIP reception, I tossed him a softball question - and got back a fastball answer. (And later, he punked me in front of the big crowd. Thankfully, not by name.) I asked Howard this: "While we have a Governor's race to win, and a state House to take back, if Oregonians wanted to send a little money across the country, what races should we focus on?" I expected to hear about this Senate seat, or that one, maybe a House seat or two.
But no: Governor Dean told me (and everyone else) that we should focus all of our energy on winning back the governorship and ending GOP control of the Oregon House. And while that's somewhat a predictable answer, the next part wasn't: "And let me give you one big reason why - besides that it would be good for Oregon. It will be good for the country. In 2008, we need Oregon to vote for a Democrat for President. And it gets a lot tougher if there's a Republican Governor here." So, listen to Howard, and go help Governor Kulongoski. It's game time.
In addition to a 50-state strategy, there's a 36-county strategy here in Oregon - and the two are inextricably linked. Howard's 50-state strategy has delivered four full-time organizers to the DPO. What are they doing? Organizing and training the leadership of the 36 county parties. Why contest all 36 counties - even the deep red ones? Because getting a thousand more votes in Polk County is just as valuable as getting a thousand more votes in Multnomah County. (Actually, more important - see Paul Evans.) As Governor Dean pointed out, the Republicans boosted their vote total in deep blue Broward County from 20% to 25% in 2004 -- and that was the margin that delivered Bush the state of Florida.
There was much more that was fun, inspiring, and educational - but I've gone on long enough already.
(Minor note: When I'm quoting, I'm quoting from memory. I think I've got 'em almost exactly right, but no guarantees.)
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Jun 5, '06
Kari, Excellent post. If Ted can talk specifics like that in public from now on it will help him greatly. (Even among those who have known him for decades and greet news like his kicker proposal with remarks like "Welcome back, Ted. We missed you. Who was that guy who's been Governor these last few years?"---make no mistake, there are lots of people who have known Ted for as long as 25 years (or more), and those conversations do go on in neighborhoods, chance meetings in stores, etc.)
I'm glad to hear about the 36 county strategy. Some of us in "downstate" counties had felt neglect and condescension. ("sorry, the R to D ratio in that district is so lousy it isn't worth bothering" is no way to win friends and influence people. )
Glad to hear my friend Paul Evans did so well. I've admired him since before I met him due to reports from friends attending WOU in 2000.
Now we come to a touchy question about use of language. About this sentence: "It was a great collection of electeds, candidates, campaign hacks, and ordinary folks who care about their country and their state. "
Glad there was a diverse crowd at the convention, but...... Most people understand the term party hacks. But as the grandchild of a former state AG (among other things) I always considered him an elected official (or AG, or county prosecutor, or whatever). NOT an "elected". What is wrong with "elected official"--too 20th century?
Both Jim Hill and Norma Paulus (to name the most famous of the lot) have been elected state rep. in this district. Gov. Kulongoski, Cong. Hooley, DeFazio, etc. worked very hard to earn those titles.
A friend of mine who had been active from teen years until middle age finally went cold turkey and not only dropped out of political involvement but quit discussing politics. She was fed up about the disconnect (gee, wasn't that a recent Portland City Club topic with the text still linked to the Oregonlive.com politics blog?) between those she knew as a paid staffer and those she knew in the neighborhood, parents of her kids' friends, people she worked with outside of politics (from higher ed to financial institutions).
Her quote was "The 5% who are activists and staffers think they control elections, but it is the 95% who aren't involved in politics who really do decide elections".
AND, there are people who have been involved in maybe one campaign in their lives (next door neighbor ran for office, parent of a child in Sunday School class ran for office, high school friend, college roommate or guy at work ran for office, that kind of thing ). A term like "the electeds" could make such people say "you mean I spent all that time and energy getting my friend elected just so that State Rep....could be lumped together as one of "the electeds"?
I know it seems like a small thing, but small things can decide elections. The joint appearance where one candidate speaks the sort of substance mentioned in Ted's speech above while another comes across as "just another slick politician"; the common sense answer vs. the "politician speak" answer; "sorry, I can't vote for anyone who could hire that guy because......."; the Medford relative who says "everyone knows Dr. Bates" or knows about a candidate running against an incumbent before the public announcement is made.
Anyone who has spent the time, energy, money, disruption of personal and professional life to run for office deserves the honorary title (St. Rep., Gov., Congressman, etc.).
If someone wants to use a term like "the electeds" in a campaign staff meeting, that is one thing. But lots has been written in other venues about the importance of knowing jargon should only be used in certain select situations. I think that applies here, also. Think of all the people who may be reading Blue Oregon but never posting comments.
12:44 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
When I'm posting on BlueOregon, it's not an official document. It's just a conversation among (mostly) friends. I write like I talk, and that's how I talk. Get over it.
12:47 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
p.s. Keep in mind that BlueOregon is NOT a voter contact device. With 4000 or so readers a week, we're barely scratching the surface of the hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of voters who will cast votes.
This is a conversation among campaign staffers, hacks, activists, and electeds. I'm pretty sure no one is taking any offense. In fact, given how many times I got pulled aside this weekend by electeds who wanted to talk about BlueOregon, well, they're enjoying it.
7:13 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
Kari, I hope your adreniline weekend with fellow Dems will cause more of them to visit/post at Blue Oregon. Different voices would be a nice addition to this word salad.
The "O" shaped the myth about Ted through it's lack of coverage of our Governor in the past 4 years. He's been giving the same sort of speeches in public with virtually no reporting. Unfortunately, group think took hold with many because of the "O." The negative branding of Ted took on a life of its own, with many incorrectly jumping over the cliff with the rest of the lemmings, falling in unison to the "anybody-but-Ted" tune. Now those lemmings need to pick themselves up from the heap and campaign to keep Kulongoski in office. We need Ted Kulongoski for four more years. If Oregon voters let Saxton/Westlund come aboard we will endure a mini-version of George Bush pushing gay marriage bans/ flag burning while Iraq eats up our sons/daughters. Ted has always been a true blue Dem who consistently puts the people's business before his own. Its time, fellow Dems,Independents and moderates to get serious about keeping Ted in office.
Jun 5, '06
If Governor Kulongoski is a "proud labor Democrat" as the article above states, why does he allow and encourage hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant laborers to invade this state and undercut the prevailing wage structure?
I have heard from many teenagers who cannot find summer work due to the widespread employment of illegals. And, forget about finding an entry-level position in construction. Those jobs have all been filled by mostly non-English speaking Mexicans.
I think Kulongoski is two-faced when it comes to illegal immigration and that is why I will vote for Ron Saxton to be governor.
9:05 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
Oh Ben, you stupid stupid troll. Didn't you get the RNC memo? Illegal immigrants aren't the people Republicans should blame this year anymore. It polls bad. Americans get reminded we're all immigrants.
So this week, it's back to gays. People that it's safe to hate. (And blame for all the crap that's gone on the last 6 years.) That's why Congress is debating banning gay marriage this week.
So, let's rework your post to get you back on message, OK?
If Governor Kulongoski is a "proud labor Democrat" as the article above states, why does he allow gays to live and work in the state?
I heard from one teenager that something or other was "teh gey", and that was enough for me to know that Homosexuals cause cancer, which is why people's jobs are being outsourced to India and the Cayman Islands.
I think Kulongoski is to blame for everything bad, especially the Oregon economy, which is growing. So I'll vote for Saxton instead. Because he's in favor of banning gays, and will run the state like the Republican Congress and President Bush have run the country - and we all know how well that's going!
There. Fixed it for 'ya.
Jun 5, '06
Please, for the love of Jebus, do NOT reply to Ben Dover's obnoxious distraction from the many insightful, substantive points made by Kari's post.
Kari, thanks for raising many interesting issues and for providing an interesting perspective on the state convention.
Ben, if you want to have a discussion about immigration policy, I suggest you post here, or here, or here.
Jun 5, '06
The truth hurts, doesn't it?
Jun 5, '06
No Ben, oversimplified ignorance does. In what way could the Governor be responsible for 'letting' illegal immigrants into the state? You think he's monitoring some magical border gate like a fish ladder at Bonneville?
Jun 5, '06
Dean's 50-state strategy is exactly the about-face our party needs. Without it, states 'left for dead' become entrenched bastions of uncontested beliefs. The political discourse in these areas suffers greatly, as conservative talking points have a way of becoming conventional wisdom.
Kudos to Dean. A bronx cheer to the D.C. hacks trying to keep the Dems in a low profile.
Jun 5, '06
"If Governor Kulongoski is a "proud labor Democrat" as the article above states, why does he allow gays to live and work in the state?"
In what way could the Governor be responsible for 'letting' gays into the state? You think he's monitoring some magical border gate like a fish ladder at Bonneville?
10:11 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
Richard -- Steven forgot to raise his hand for sarcasm. Go back and re-read.
10:12 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
I have heard from many teenagers who cannot find summer work due to the widespread employment of illegals. And, forget about finding an entry-level position in construction. Those jobs have all been filled by mostly non-English speaking Mexicans.
I have two teenagers, They each have numerous friends. All have found employment. Some in fields that weren't their first choice, but finding it was not so tough. As for the non-English speakers, I trust you checked to determine they were Mexicans and not Mexican-Americans. If they were the latter, and were citizens, they'd be perfectly eligible to compete with any other citizen, so I don't understand why that's unfair.
It's always easy to blame others when something isn't working well for yourself. I'm not sure what part of Oregon you're in but around here (Lane County), I know plenty of people in that field and they've been hiring pretty regularly in a very busy market.
But I'm not going to try and convince you against voting for Saxton. I'd just like you to explain what you think Saxton can and will do, to correct the problem in your life. Maybe he's planning to build a wall around the state? Establish an affirmative action plan to help underprivileged folks like you compete? Please, enlighten me. Maybe Saxton has some plan to force Congressional Reps to change the immigration laws? Because that's not something a Governor has power over.
Nor does he have the abracadabra powers to restore logic to the minds of racists.
10:24 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
I knew I shoulda paid for Saturday's dinner, but my bucks ran out with the Friday round with Howard Dean. It's good to hear the words and concerns of Paul Evans - who I was unfamiliar with till this post - and it's also good to hear the Governor gave a real barnburner.
I've long believed better vocational ed was needed in all kinds of areas, so I appreciate you reporting his comments about that.
Since I attended your seminar on Saturday, I also want to commend you for all you delivered. Even for an old grizzled blogging veteran, I still picked up mre than a few good ideas, and it was clear that your packed audience did, too.
Jun 5, '06
"I'd just like you to explain what you think Saxton can and will do, to correct the problem in your life. Maybe he's planning to build a wall around the state? Establish an affirmative action plan to help underprivileged folks like you compete?"
Do you people do this on purpose?
I'll assume you know damn well what Saxton would do but don't want those reasonable adjustments highlighted in the face of Kulongoski being so complicit in enabling "Illegal" immigration.
Simple executive orders would coral the out of control DMV who hands out drivers licenses to dozens of illegals with the same address and then registers them all to vote even when they DO NOT sign the registration card. Other tax funded government agencies also need a true leader to correct their part in the illegal immigration problem.
And there's nothing racist about it.
10:51 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
Richard; what do you mean by calling me 'you people?' I'm not speaking for anyone but me. You assume that I know what Saxton would do? Even after I asked to have it explained to me? Seriously, I don't know what he'd do, nor am I aware if he has a plank about immigrants in his platform at all.
I also was trying to clarify whether Ben was referring to undocumented immigrants or Mexicans who mostly don't speak English, as he wasn't clear on that point.
As far as the agency problems you cite, once again, I'm simply in the dark about that. Is that some sort of Portland problem that doesn't get reported down here? And who, besides the DMV, is contributing to the illegal immigration problem, and how?
I'm not playing games here. I have friends working in state agencies, I've had Latino neighbors working in construction - some who didn't speak much English, but the kinds of problems you mention just have never been mentioned to me before in Oregon. I've heard about problems in cities near the Mexican border, but no one in Oregon has ever mentioned any problems with illegal immigrants to me. And I've lived in Salem, Portland, Springfield and Eugene for two out of the last three decades, and usually keep abreast of the news in the daily papers.
Jun 5, '06
[i]I also was trying to clarify whether Ben was referring to undocumented immigrants or Mexicans who mostly don't speak English, as he wasn't clear on that point.[/i]
You can play games if you want, but I think everyone knew I was referring to ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, the topic of my post.
[i]As far as the agency problems you cite, once again, I'm simply in the dark about that. Is that some sort of Portland problem that doesn't get reported down here? And who, besides the DMV, is contributing to the illegal immigration problem, and how?[/i]
All state agencies who are not cross-checking phony social security numbers with names are at fault. Ron Saxton has declared he will enforce state laws, something Kulongoski has failed to do when it comes to illegal immigration.
11:20 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
The Dem caucus might want to address this "Motor Voter" deal that Richard and other mention from time to time here on Blue O. And please don't just dismiss it as Right wing propaganda.
While canvassing in '04 at a mobile home court in Welches, I ran a cross several surprised non-English speakers who were unclear that they were registered voters.
I seriously doubt that any of them actually voted, but that's hardly the point, is it?
<hr/>This is a tool currently underutilized by the Right, but if "WE" don't demand some tightening up of proof-of-citizenship at DMV, be assured that this will contine to rankle with the boys at the coffee shop.
<hr/>If I'm wrong, and DMV is doing the appropriate Due Diligence, please provide the necessary documentable talking points.
Jun 5, '06
Ben,
When Ron Saxton was chairman of the Portland School Board (the only elected office he's ever held), what did he do to enforce illegal immigration laws then? At the time, he was the chief policy-maker for the state's third largest unit of government (after the state and the city of Portland) and fourth largest employer.
Did he enact -- or even attempt to enact -- ANY policies to prevent the employment of undocumented workers in the district? Did he do anything about undocumented immigrants attending Portland's schools?
The tough-on-immigration crowd should do some hard thinking about whether Saxton's record is really any more compelling than Kulongoski's record on this issue.
11:36 a.m.
Jun 5, '06
Sanity - I respond because we need to. Simply ignoring lying bullies may work on the grade school playground, but if there is one thing Democrats need to learn, it's that it doesn't in politics. From the Willie Horton ads (a killer released under a program signed into law by a Republican Governor), to the Swift Boat Lying Bastards (who dishonored both their careers and the entire service by lying about documented military fact), Democrats have time and time again been burnt by taking the "high road".
We can't assume the public will know a blatant lie when they see one, so we need to respond to liars every single time.
Kari: It's not my website, it's yours. But how about this? Ban anyone who posts using a name that implies a sexual act. Obscenity does not add to the political conversation.
<hr/>I too, went to the convention. While I was a Delegate, I was barely there for the training and platform sessions (doing the much more important job of keeping our kids entertained while Mom did all that and more). Still, I did have enough time to get in a few impressions that aren't rehashes of Kari's:
1] The Democratic Party - Sure Knows How To!
It was pretty funny seeing all the Delegates early Saturday morning trying to shake off their hangovers. There were at least six hospitality parties the night before, many with complementary bars, all with different hosts: Candidate's Party, Lane County, GLBT - and the infamous VIP party, which unimportant people like me don't get to attend. Kari's party was a real hit because he offered mixed drinks - with freshly chopped mint on the side, nice touch!. Only the Business Caucus Party the Young Democrats and were dry, though the latter seemed to be high just on the hormones running around the room.
2] All The Real Decisions Are Made In The Halls
All this schmoozing wasn't entirely for fun, of course. It's an open secret that Jim Edwards has decided to step down from being the Party Chair (for a number of good reasons - one which he jokes openly about: it's a full-time volunteer position, and a man's gotta eat). The question is, who will replace him in the open election? Hey, don't ask me. I'm a nobody. But from a number of conversations I overheard in some of the Friday parties, this was a topic that many people were interested in answering. (Although I can say that an early rumor - that Lane County chair Val Hoyle would be running - isn't true; I asked her, and she said she didn't want it.)
3] Howard Dean Is Nice, But Really Needs A Vacation FAR Away
After a 3 hour trip to the convention on Friday, I'm in my scuzzies dragging our suitcase and laptop up to our room, and run into Howard Dean in the elevator. He was very nice. He signed my daughter's yearbook, which made her very happy. But he also had the same glazed-over look I see in my wife after she's run one too many meetings. Being a celebrity is work, and our good Chairman has been working very hard. Too hard, I'd say.
His behavior seemed to bear out my diagnosis. Aside from the speech he gave, that was the last I saw of him. He didn't come out of his VIP suite unless he had to. Not even backstage to listen to the other presenters on Friday night. Which is a shame, because he missed the biggest surprise of the convention.
4] The Best Surprise That Shouldn't Have Been: Adam Klugman's Ad
If there's anyone who knows about the tolls of fame, it should be Adam Klugman. Introduced coyly as the man who played The Odd Couple's Oscar Madison in a flashback as a young man, Adam has a lot of his father's looks. But I'll say that if he continues the way he has, we'll be thinking of Jack as Adam's Klugman's father, than the other way around.
As you probably don't know, Adam Klugman - who does ads and messaging for a living - teamed up with Jefferson Smith to come up with the ad that won the DNC's "Best Ad" challenge at the 2004 National Convention. On Friday, he introduced his latest.
Oh. My. God.
It's long. It's unfinished. So far, it's only a cartoon. But the ad that Adam introduced on Friday made the entire room (699++ strong) instantly leap to its feet. I have never seen such an overwhelming reaction from so many people - Democrats especially, who pride themselves on being contrarians. As I scanned the room, it looked like half the crowd had tired up. My wife did.
Afterwards, Adam held court in a booth outside in the convention hall. He was as accessible as Howard Dean was not, firmly rooted with the everyday people, taking in their responses in a survey whose informality could not mask it's professionalism (studio monitor and all).
Unfortunately, as is depressingly typical for Democrats, his moral values were getting in the way of getting this out: he declined an invitation to the VIP party where he could build mind-share among Dean's staff, because he saw the entire VIP concept as being essentially un-Democratic. (I agree wholeheartedly. But Dean was tired. Sometimes it's better to just work with human nature as it is, rather than as we want it to be.)
Still, there will be other chances for his ad to get viewed. It really doesn't hurt that everyone who sees it loves it.
Jun 5, '06
Stella,
Your argument concerning Ron Saxton's positions on illegal immigration while chairman of the Portland School Board is laughable. How far do you think he would have gone in his political career by butting heads with the P.C. crowd in public education? I can assure you he was concerned about illegal alien's access to our tax funded educational system, but it would have been political suicide for such an underling to even verbalize his protests.
As governor, Saxton will be able to enforce our existing state laws and see to it that the practice of looking the other way due to sentimental apathy is ended in our state agencies. Millions are wasted providing services to illegals in this state who do not deserve to be here.
Jun 5, '06
"It's not my website, it's yours. But how about this? Ban anyone who posts using a name that implies a sexual act. Obscenity does not add to the political conversation."
Kevin,
Specifically who are you referring to with this statement? Is your mind in the gutter? Are you referring to "Richard"? LMAO.
Jun 5, '06
Ben,
How far do you think he would have gone in his political career by butting heads with the P.C. crowd in public education? I can assure you he was concerned about illegal alien's access to our tax funded educational system, but it would have been political suicide for such an underling to even verbalize his protests.
(1) You're saying he didn't voice his concern about illegal immigration because he was worried about "his political career"!? So you admit he's just a political opportunist who will say (or not say) anything for his own advancement. I can't disagree with that.
(2) You call Saxton "an underling" in the Portland School District. Excuse me? He was CHAIRMAN of the BOARD. He was the TOP elected official in the district. And in four years, he did NOTHING about undocumented immigrants. He didn't even raise the issue at a single school board meeting. And you trust this guy to champion your issue?
(3) Even if Saxton could not have successfully changed district policy on the subject, why didn't he even raise the issue once? There were a lot of battles as chairman that Saxton waged and lost. Why not this one? At least to give voice to the issue.
Maybe your observation that Saxton is just a political opportunist is the answer I'm looking for. He doesn't care about illegal immigration. (Interesting that he also advocates many other "hot button" education issues on his website, like abstinence education, which he never even mentioned in his four years as chairman of the Portland School Board.)
Looks like he'll just say anything to get your vote. And looks like you're buying it.
Jun 5, '06
Lest this devolve into more rants about not whether but how much Republicans hate gays and Mexicans (way to push the wedge issues, guys), I'm going to switch gears back to Paulie's point (way up there on the comments). About the Oregonian.
Anyone else notice the discrepancy between the O's friday editorial (kicker bad, suspension of kicker good for state) and the O's saturday front page above the fold (Kulongoski commits political suicide by daring to say kicker bad, suspension of kicker good for state, Saxton will attack with good cause).
Now, I know the editorial and news rooms are theoretically kept separate, but this seems absurd even for the O. Why not just run a front-pager announcing that they will not endorse Ted and will batter him nonstop no matter what he says or does.
12:07 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
OK, no more illegal immigration chatter. It's off-topic.
There's absolutely nothing in the post about illegal immigration. Take it elsewhere.
Jun 5, '06
Stella,
I'm sure if Ron Saxton had thought he could have had any effect on illegal aliens in public schools even as Chairman of the Board, he would have spoken up at the time. However, considering the sob sisters who ultimately control public education in this state, he would have been drummed out of office. Get it yet?
I, for one, am glad he bided his time to wait until he could get to a position as governor to have a positive influence on this issue. Kulongoski has turned a blind eye to it and deserves to be replaced this fall.
Jun 5, '06
Steven said, "Only the Business Caucus Party the Young Democrats and were dry, though the latter seemed to be high just on the hormones running around the room."
I'm on the Exec Board of College Democrats (NOT "Young" Democrats) at the UO, and let me tell you, we weren't dry (but we were responsible)- and we quickly discovered the 4th floor had mojitos and more food anyway, being the starving students that we are- though we did get a lot of stuff donated from local businesses :)
Needless to say, we really enjoyed the Convention, the speech, the trainings, etc, and were really happy to be there. Glad to see that people appreciated the precense of young people, whether or not we apparently have raging hormones. I, for one, got really pumped up this weekend!
1:44 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Peck, peck, peck on your immigration views on another blog. The topic is about a weekend with Paul Evans, Ted Kulongoski, Howard Dean and fellow Dems. It's a treat to read Kari's enthusiastic words. Glad momentum is building at the state and national level supporting Democratic candidates.
1:48 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Honestly, Kari, if this website starts getting as popular as you hope it will be, you're going to need to start protecting it from trolls.
I know this can stick in the craw of a lot of ACLU Dems, but the simple fact is that a single troll who has more time than the rest of us who work for a living can degrade a website to the point of uselessness by crapflooding it. Lack of editorial discipline is the reason the USENET usage has fallen off relative to more controlled sites. Why spend time writing a post if your points are going to be swamped by the incoherent ravings moron a--holes?
Anne, I saw no conflict between both of the Oregonian's stories. It is demonstratably true that 1] The "kicker" is horrific for the State economy, and 2] It's electoral suicide to tell Oregon voters that obvious fact.
We Democrats sneer at Republican fiscal mismanagement, but let's be realistic - who is really more in tune with the way Americans manage their credit? At least you can tell a teenager with their first credit card that they're going to have to pay back that "Cash Advance" with interest. But don't even think about telling voters anything that obvious. Not if you want to get elected.
1:54 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Linda: Steven said, "Only the Business Caucus Party the Young Democrats and were dry, though the latter seemed to be high just on the hormones running around the room."
I'm on the Exec Board of College Democrats (NOT "Young" Democrats) at the UO, and let me tell you, we weren't dry (but we were responsible)
OK, so maybe it was more like by the time I got to your hospitality suite, I was too soaked to remember. Sorry ;->
Jun 5, '06
Did Howard Dean say, "EEEEEYAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" at the end of his speech?
2:24 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
There was much more that was fun, inspiring, and educational - but I've gone on long enough already.
Among the inspiring high points of this convention was Dean's televised statement that "we must be the Party which reaches out to all Americans, and that includes Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans."
Given the worth of GLBT American citizens is being openly debated in the U.S. Senate today - leading towards a vote whether to constitutionally render us second-class citizens, tomorrow on 6/6/06 - it was inspiring to hear Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean include all of us by name in his televised speech, including transgendered people.
We are voting and tax paying Americans, struggling towards the legal equality and social fairness we do not yet have. It is inspiring to hear that the Democratic Party leadership respects all of us as such, and is willing to reach out, even if we're a bit puzzling sometimes.
3:09 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Ben, you're all like confused and everything. It's not "EEEEEYAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" it's Yee-Haaww. And that is George Bush's foreign policy position-- not Dean's speech.
Hope that clears it up for ya.
Jun 5, '06
"OK, so maybe it was more like by the time I got to your hospitality suite, I was too soaked to remember. Sorry ;->"
No worries - a lot of people call us the "Young Democrats" but I think that's the high school organization. Glad you had a good time too! :)
-Linda, UO College Democrats Secretary
Jun 5, '06
There was a time when Young Democrats was a statewide organization incl. college students. A friend of mine was involved in it from the time he was about 12 until he left after comm. college to go to Vietnam.
And in the 1980s, there were students from Willamette U. and elsewhere very active in YD.
Don't know about the situation now.
3:44 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Actually, the Young Democrats of America is the official youth group of the Democratic Party. They're often granted special considerations simply because of their membership; many Young Democrat positions on County and State council are waiting for the first person to just show up. We have so few.
You would also not believe what the Democratic party considers "young". The official age cut-off is (drum roll please) 35! Yes, anyone who is less than thirty-six years of age is a "Young" Democrat.
I don't know much about the UO College Democrats, but you could consider chartering your organization as Young Democrats too. That could give you a lot more clout in the State organization if you guys wanted it.
3:52 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
This is kind of of topic, but there wasn't an open thread to post to...
I don't know how many of you knew, but today is certification day for the primary election.
According to the now official results from Multnomah and Clackamas Counties...
H.D. 27:
Tobias Read: Mult-- 359 Washington-- 2458 Total-- 2817 Mike Bohan: Mult-- 204 Washington-- 2527 Total-- 2731
So, according to these now official results, Tobias appears to have won the election by 86 votes.
3:54 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Steven--
Very true. I was one the chair of an official young dems club in Texas.
However, at many events the "young democrats" are categorized as those under 30, or more often as those in college (id needed for discount).
That leaves out so many of those who are indeed young democrats and people we should be encouraging to attend and get involved-- they are the next generation of elected officials and party leaders after all.
4:28 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Jenni, you may not be aware, but the official results are what Mike Bohan needed before asking for a recount. According to state law, you can't re-count until you've first counted.
Given that Multnomah had some known problems on election night, that the three precincts in Multnomah appear to have broken disproportionately to Tobias, that there normally isn't a county preference like this, and that the cost is so low, Mike told me it would be very unlikely that he wouldn't ask for a recount just to be sure.
No "Democrats in Disarray" story for the O. to report on though. Both Mike and Tobias have come together and jointly promised to endorse whoever Democratic voters chose. With that kind of statesmanship, I just wish we could find a place for the guy who does get edged out.
5:22 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Both Bohan and Read are great guys - and I'm hopeful that Mike Bohan will find his way to office some other time. Losing close is tough, but I hope it's not discouraging.
That said, I just want to correct this statement - that the three precincts in Multnomah appear to have broken disproportionately to Tobias, that there normally isn't a county preference like this
Of course there are all kinds of vote breakdowns like this. Mostly, it has to do with where the campaign put effort in - and where the candidate is most well known.
For example, Sam Chase won precinct #1025 with 54% of the vote. No surprise - he lives there.
Also, Jesse Cornett beat Rod Monroe in four of his precincts with 55% of the vote, but lost in nine precincts with only 44% of the vote. Probably had a lot to do with where Rod lives, where Jesse walked doors, etc.
Large votes swings from precinct to precinct are certainly to be expected, for lots of reasons.
Jun 5, '06
Hey Blue Oregonians - Before this thread closes, I want to thank everyone who helped make the 2006 State Convention a roaring success. I've been hanging around state conventions (first as a reporter, then a legislator, and lately a party "hack") for 30+ years. This was by far the best convention I've ever seen. Credit those (not me) who did the heavy lifting -- our incredible staff, the 100 hardworking volunteers from Lane County, plus the extraordinary Eugene Hilton employees, for pulling off a three-day event that involved more than 1,000 people. Then the delegates ... all I can say is, Wow. Republicans, grab your ____ and kiss it goodbye!
One personal note: I have chaired the DPO for going on 8 years, longer than any one before me. It has been a thrilling and satisfying ride. Add 2 years at the helm of the Lane County Dems before that, and I've had way more than my 15 minutes. But in response to a prior post, the "rumors" of my retirement are in fact premature. I do have a fulltime job as a lawyer in Eugene and Roseburg representing injured workers, and I spend most of my "free time" helping steer the party around shoals and sand bars. Plus there is the vegetable garden and the grandaughter ... you get the picture.
What comes next is the November election, then sometime later I will decide my next step. The party will reorganize in January 2007. Whether I ask for another term or not, I'm sure I'll find a way or two to stay involved. After a full day of rest after the convention, I'm more jazzed than ever.
Politics does, after all, get in the blood.
7:00 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
Steven--
Thanks for the clarification. I had been told several days ago that there was already a recount. I'd heard this from several people over the course of a few days.
It's not that unusual to have a break like that between counties. Larry Galizio won Washington County by 0.6% of the vote (157 votes out of more than 26,000 cast). In Multnomah County, he won by 30%.
According to the abstracts, there are two precincts in Multnomah County in the HD 27 race. While Tobias may have won by 30%, you're talking about 566 votes total in the race. In Washington County approximately 5000 votes were cast-- that's almost 10 times as much.
When you have that few of votes cast, every vote makes up a larger percentage of the total of votes won by a candidate.
This sort of thing happens all the time, especially when you have a county that is known for bring fairly liberal sharing a house district with a county that is a bit more conservative.
7:05 p.m.
Jun 5, '06
And don't forget about all the hardworking volunteers from outside of Lane County as well. There were a number of them. I know of several from Multnomah County, but I'm sure there were people from other counties as well.
It's always a lot of fun volunteering at these events, as you get to meet a lot of new people when you work registration or credentialing. Counting the votes on our principles and legislative agenda was interesting as well-- the scene around the table reminded many of counting chads in Florida. ; )
Jun 5, '06
Just wanted to say how proud Lane County was to be able to host the convention, it was truly an amazing event. Kudos to all of the hard work that the staff of the DPO did to organize it. The trainings were incredible and everyone that I spoke with left energized and ready to work to take back the Oregon House and grow our majority in the Senate. We have some stellar candidates here in Lane (Vicki Walker's speech on Sat was powerful) but I was really impressed with Paul Evans not only in his Sat night speech but in how well he facilitated the foriegn policy plank of the platform. Everyone I spoke with regardless of their original position when they walked in the room felt like the process was fair and that they had good concensus. He is an amazing candidate and as long as the people in his district meet him and hear his story, he can win.
Thanks to all of you who came to Eugene this weekend and for giving me and the 100 or so Lane volunteers a chance to make this the best convention ever. Also thanks to those who came up to the hosp suite, it was a blast.
All the best Val
PS Steven, I appreciate the thought but being a mini-van driving soccer mom, having a career and chairing the DPLC is about as much as I can handle right now. Jim E makes being DPO chair look easy but it is a lot of work and I think that once Jim steps down we will need someone else with the political capital to easily reach out to our elected officials/progressive interest groups/political hacks and also someone with the ability to get the message to all parts of the state. Jim's shoes will be hard to fill.
Jun 6, '06
My guess is the break between counties is because Mike Bohan is a well known activist in Washington County and not in Multnomah. A lot of the people in those two Multnomah County precincts probably just saw the endorsed Tobias and voted for him.
As for precinct breaks, I bring you back to 2000 when I was in college in Iowa. Grinnell 1, which was the precinct that contained the campus, recorded 250 votes for Ralph Nader. The rest of the county recorded 37 out of about 8,000 votes cast elsewhere in the county. Is that an unreasonable break, I think not.
Jun 6, '06
Kari, listened to you on KPOJ this morning. Always good to hear from you. I feel compelled to say though that I will never see Ted as a "Proud Labor Democrat". While he was the Attorney General his own Asst. AG's formed a union and he sued them up the you know what. By the time the case was at the Oregon Court of Appeals, Hardy became AG and dropped the case right away.
Jun 6, '06
Steve Said:"I don't know much about the UO College Democrats, but you could consider chartering your organization as Young Democrats too. That could give you a lot more clout in the State organization if you guys wanted it."
The UO College Democrats is the Democratic Parties way to be seen on college campus's around the nation. In Oregon there are College Dems at PSU, OSU, SOU, Lewis and Clark, and University of Oregon. We have had meetings of over 60 people and have hosted event such as the "state of confusion" where anyone was invited to come to the bijou and watch the state of the union while throwing popcorn and nerf balls at the screen. We try and get young people interested in politics. We have a strong base of 30+ members that come to meetings, canvasses and help setup events and we will be even stronger next year. As a group we have knocked on thousands of doors for Senator Walker and Chris Edwards. As for changing to Young Dems to be part of the party... We already get training directly from the DNC. We also work closely with the DPLC and the DPO chairs (Jim Edmundson) daugther is our current co-chair.
At the conventin we setup a state federation of college democrats that will further expand the college voice in the party. Although things are just getting off the ground, expect us to have doubled in size by the next convention. Both the state federation and the UO college dems will be more visible in the upcomming years and I hope we can all work together to get more democrats elected.
-Travis Smith Vice President UO College Dems Communications Director OFCD(Oregon Federation of College Democrats)
4:25 p.m.
Jun 6, '06
Travis--
<h2>Glad to hear it. I look forward to seeing more college students involved.</h2>