Again...

As policy, smarts, and connections go - the man is a 10

As personality and charisma go - the man is a 3

I'm looking forward to when he finds his beat and starts loosening up a little. We're trying to take Goliath down (regardless of what the polling info says).

Looks like Merkley had quite the 18-24 year old representation at the rally!!!

He is currently kicking some butt in the facebook group race. 270 to 237. Whatever happened to Novick's supposed superior net presence?

He is currently kicking some butt in the facebook group race. 270 to 237. Whatever happened to Novick's supposed superior net presence?

Yeah, but I heard Novick totally swept the Friendster Straw Poll.

And Smith is still holding down the MySpace Music vote.

Looks like Merkley had quite the 18-24 year old representation at the rally!!!

Did they also write his speech?

Most of the college presence at Merkley's announcement was a group of students from Willamette University, following one vehement Merkley supporter. Oregon public universities just came back into session, and now we'll be able to see which candidate stirs more support amongst college students.

Steve Novick already has an ample following at Portland State and University of Oregon and the more he goes to college campuses, the larger his support base becomes. When Steve visited Portland State today, he got great responses.

As students hear Novick's inspiring story and deeply progressive message, his already growing support will surge.

Being one of the Willamette students at the Jeff Merkley kickoff rally, I can attest that the large contingent of college dems that attended were like-minded individuals seeking change in Oregon. Their main priority was sending Gordon Smith home, not following any "vehement" supporter.

Glen typed about Merkley: "He ain't no David Letterman but he is charming, sincere and human. He gets the job done. He's smart and informed. What's not to like?"

Novick isn't running on the platform that people shouldn't like Merkley. But you describe Merkley as if the goal here is to elect a serviceable replacement for Smith. The goal should be to elect a truly inspiring progressive politician, if there is one in the race.

That person, folks, is Novick. Watching Merkley speak and knowing Novick as well as I do, I'm more and more convinced that Novick is the one who would most effectively shake things up in Washington. He's the one with the charisma.

Merkley certainly has a place in electoral politics. But this nation NEEDS Novick right now a whole lot more than it needs one more solid, but charisma-challenged progressive. We have a number of them already on the Hill, and look at all the good they're doing right now.

Example? Consider the Dems' efforts in stopping the War. If Novick were in the Senate, I bet he'd be publicly exposing the Democrats' failures to stop the war, not just playing the "blame the Republicans" game. Merkley? I suspect he'd vote against funding but wouldn't rock the boat with his rhetoric; he wouldn't make it any harder on those who support the funding to continue to keep this war (and this "surge") alive. That's speculation on my part, but I suspect in your hearts, most of you get my point.

Let's face it. Americans need some folks in politics who aren't professional politicians. If you don't believe me, just watch the way YOUR party, the Blue party, is handling the war issue in Washington. It is an insult to all Americans that the party can stop the funding but won't stop do so, and then they have the gall to blame the war on the GOP. Disgusting.

The goal should be to elect a truly inspiring progressive politician, if there is one in the race.

The speech was fine, and the "Merkley backstory" we got to here was a compelling one. But there's a lot more to governance than stump speeches, and Merkley has clearly shown he knows the plays to move the ball down the field and score inside a legislative body. Novick gives a great speech and has an impressive record as an activist, but at the moment the onus is on him to prove he could actually be effective at the job his seeking. With Merkley, there's no doubts on that.

Wake me when you get to the YouTube of Merkley trimming his nails. Let me know if Steve Novick is alive also since you seemed to have anointed Merkley.

Jamais Vu:

You talk about Merkley being "effective" but the Senate is filled with "effective" Democrats -- in terms of possessing serviceable political skills -- and yet they still can't pull the trigger on leaving Iraq. Also, you raise the issue of stump speeches. I'm talking about appearing on national news shows, which a Senator can, and making the arguments that change the debate. You jettison Novick, and you jettison one of our nation's only chances at real change.

Most of the Merkley arguments that I read here sound like they're being made by Conservatives. He's the "safe" choice. Personally, I think the Democratic Party is sounding more and more like the Republican Party used to sound before it became taken over by the reactionaries.
Maybe my problem is that I really do support change -- not merely fighting back the GOP to maintain the status quo.

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