Can't wait for the Kari spinning to start.

what's there to say, really?

that john kitzhaber is a smart man?

seriously. this is big, great news for novick.

Harry posting above is not Harry Wilson.

i have to say my main concern about novick's chances in the primary has been around the endorsements. i'm thinking of all the loyal democrats who always vote, but aren't the political junkies we are searching out info on the candidates months in advance. i'm thinking of the democratic voters who make their decisions based entirely on the voters' pamphlet, and who would be swayed, not knowing anything about either candidate, by the list of endorsements from the party establishment on merkley's side of the page.

i have to say: getting john kitzhaber's name on his list is going to go a long long way towards tipping that particular scale back over to steve novick's side.

and all other election factors being what they are - running the more savvy campaign, doing a better job of getting favorable media coverage, getting his name out in front of the voters as the cool guy who can open bottles with his hook, the excellent job of netroots fundraising he's been doing - this puts him in a terrific position for may.

it really does.

While I was an early supporter of Steve, I think I gotta take a second look at Avakian and Kroger now.

Both Steve Novick and John Kroger back equality for all Oregon families - gay and lesbian families included. None of this delicate dancing about the two-tiered system we have now, with substandard "domestic partnership" for "lesser" Oregon families, and the full rights of "marriage" for everyone else.

And watch - the Merkely and Macpherson crowd will claim that they DO support "equality" for all - because they support "domestic partnership." Only... a domestic partnership isn't marriage. And if it's not equal - it's not equality.

Go Steve! And Kroger, too...

Yes, Dr. John's endorsement is big.

Now Steve should take a page from the Kitzhaber playbook. Stop the clever commercials (he has been "introduced" to the general public) and show he has the qualities of former Gov. Kitzhaber. Talk directly to the camera saying "this is what I would do in the US Senate".

The candidate who will talk in detail about his vision and proposals, and rarely mention his opponent, is an attractive candidate following the Kitzhaber model. (Denny Smith ran some vile commercials, worse than anything which has happened in this campaign, but with all that rich material to mine, Kitzaber was a serious candidate who never derided his opponent and the message to supporters was that the Kitzhaber campaign was to be a positive campaign, not sinking to Denny's level of attack. He impressed general election voters as "the one with more substance".)

Novick has now been endorsed by 2 famous Oregon politicians who started as legislators: AuCoin and Kitzhaber. Very different campaign styles. My vote could well be decided on whether either Novick or Merkley adopts the Kitzhaber campaign style.

Which means, of course, TJ, Stephanie, et al. saying WHY STEVE SHOULD BE the nominee. We know why you dislike Merkley, but that alone is not sufficient reason for those of us undecided to vote for Steve.

Not only that, "vote for me because of what is wrong with my opponent" is the Denny Smith campaign style. Both Mike Kopetski (for Congress) and Dr. John Kitzhaber (for Gov.) defeated Denny Smith by running positive campaigns. Steve talking positively about his beliefs and proposals is very appealing. But will that be the face of Novick for Senate for March, April, and May? Only time will tell.

Congratulations Steve! Kitzhaber endorsement means a lot to me and I look forwarding to casting my vote for you in the Primary. I also look forward to casting my vote either for Merkley or Novick in the general. Both are great candidates and will be fantastic U.S. Senators from Oregon.

so like with bdunn's assertion that all of novick's national coverage is ill-timed, i would ask the question:

if kitzhaber offered to endorse jeff merkley, would merkley respond with a "no thank you, dr. kiss-of-death, i've seen what your endorsement did to candidates in 2006"?

Folks, let's not forget what this campaign is all about. It should not be Team Jeff and Team Steve fighting to the death, it should be about who can best defeat Gordon Smith and all he stands for.

Just now on the Oregonian website:

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120451470487460.xml&coll=7

Judge angrily scolds court, and it responds

9th Circuit case - Sen. Gordon Smith's brother sparks a rare review of a timber sale ruling that he said went much too far

Monday, March 03, 2008 MICHAEL MILSTEIN The Oregonian Staff It was unusual enough when a high-level federal judge -- who is the brother of Sen. Gordon Smith -- blasted his own court for decimating the Northwest logging industry with "blunderbuss" rulings that went way too far.

But the extraordinary scolding by Milan D. Smith Jr. last year apparently got the attention of his fellow judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the top federal court in the West.

They recently took the unusual step of voting to have a full panel of judges reconsider the case that set Smith off. That could rein in the federal courts that Smith -- along with timber industry leaders -- blame for needlessly idling sawmills while they meddle in logging decisions beyond their expertise. ...............

He said he would like to let the Forest Service go ahead with the Idaho logging.

But he said his hands are tied because his own 9th Circuit ruled earlier that courts should examine the science behind Forest Service claims that the logging wouldn't harm wildlife, down to how many owl hoots scientists heard in a timber stand.

sarah, time will tell, i guess.

Any thoughts on what substantive issues might have pushed Kitzhaber to Novick over Merkley?

And by this, I mean, not why YOU necessarily are a Novick supporter instead of Merkley, but actual policy (or other) differences?

Or is it just an augenblick on Kitz' part?

This means two of the smartest politicians in Oregon have endorsed Steve - first Aucoin, now Kitzhaber.

Can't help but wonder if it's Novick's politics that led to the endorsement or the fact that the Legislature passed SB 329 to move toward universal healthcare instead of Kitzhaber's proposed universal health care bill. It is widely known in Salem that the former Gov was NOT happy about that. Just wondering how much payback is involved in this endorsement.

Too bad if it is.

The Barbara vs. Kitzhaber thing is interesting. To the extent it suggests anything beyond luck, best guess is that it has something to do with Kitz's willingness to cut against the Democratic mainstream, whereas Barbara has worked hard to be a loyal party person.

I don't think that's a knock on either leader, by the way, nor a knock on their endorsees. Just a potentially explanatory thought.

Who cares about endorsements? Let the people decide!

(Oh, wait a minute. This is endorsement for my friend Steve.) Ah ... never mind.

Seriously, I'm very happy for Steve as this is a well respected endorser. He also happens to know what I know: Steve would do an amazing job if y'all sent him to my city. He'd make you proud as a fighter for progressive causes that is very difficult to dislike (which is apparent from the way he handled that buffoon on Fox News).

One good example of the Kitzhaber/Roberts divide is the Sam Chase v/ Brad Avakian primary for state Senate back in 2006.

Kitzhaber backed Chase, joined by Portland and Multnomah elected officials.

Roberts backed Avakian, joined by labor, state electeds and the choice & GLBT groups.

Sound familiar?

Kitzhaber is now backing Avakian for Secretary of State.

(Nonetheless, I still consider this endorsement to be a pretty big feather in the Guevara-esque Novick cap).

Kitzhaber says Novick "fully understands that in order to secure the future of this nation we must first be willing to face the facts. And the facts are not always politically popular." ...

That is one of the reasons I support Novick and will make a temporary change from NAV to Democrat. He is more likely to be a straight shooter and much less a "politician" saying or doing what is more likely to be popular.

Can someone tell me why many environmentalists in Portland and elsewhere are supporting Merkley? I just don't get it. Novick is clearly better on the environment.

Jenni, In 1984, Sec. of State candidate Barbara Roberts read the Oregon vote total at the convention (as a Mondale delegate, if memory serves). She said, "Oregon, the state of clean air, clean water, clean politics, casts....".

Don't rely on that word "typically". In 1984 there were 2 unpledged delegates, and those were chosen at the state delegate selection convention---NOT a foregone conclusion who would be elected.

This year district delegate selection conventions will elect state convention delegates, and they will choose state level delegates, unpledged, permanent members of committees (Platform, Rules, etc.). Without knowing who is elected state delegates, there is no way of knowing in the most contested presidential nomination for many years who will be elected by the state convention (regardless of what has been done in the past).

Kari, L or XL?

My favorite part of this endorsement is the last line as reported by OPB "Kitzhaber says despite his endorsement, he would support whichever candidate wins the nomination on May 20th."

And in a statistics heavy field, Merkley has endoresements from 2/3 of the last 3 Democratic Governors to Novick's 1/3. That math looks pretty good to me.

I watched Steve Novick at a past Candidates Gone Wild forum (2004). It was there that I witnessed his vicious sense of humor.

That evening left me with an impression that he will never be able to overcome. His public humiliation of a candidate was inappropriate for the venue and unforgivable. I cannot support such a mean-spirited person who is willing to attempt to destroy another, all in the name of good fun.

The fact that Kitzhaber would endorse Steve and that he would make an appearance in that hokey film for the Adams campaign, only makes me question who I thought Kitzhaber was and what he stood for.

sarah, my time will tell comment was directed at the first part of your post, where you talked about whether or not the national media coverage for steve novick will end up being more positive or negative for him in terms of consequences. sorry i didn't make that more clear.

as to endorsements, i've never said that they don't matter, but rather that they aren't enough all by themselves. a campaign needs to do more than just rack up a list of endorsements, and the fact that i didn't see much in the way of that from merkley's campaign, compared to steve novick's, is largely why i decided to support steve.

his adding a solid important endorsement like this on to everything else he is doing with his campaign is a positive thing, and will go a long way towards counterbalancing the long string of endorsements that merkley has gained.

it's not just about the endorsements. but i don't deny they play a part, like everything else.

"Steve probably got caught up in the mood that was set by the organizers."

Frankly, it was more than one incident that gives me the impression that Steve is unkind. The example I cited was the one that wasn't personal. And, getting "caught up in the mood" sounds like an excuse for adolescent behavior--not one of the personality traits I look for in a senator. We have enough of that going on already. We need grownups who are ready and willing to lead and set an example worthy of following.

Posted by: paulie | Mar 3, 2008 2:51:17 PM And every competitive primary candidate endorsed by Barbara Roberts won.

MMMMMMM. didn't Barbara Roberts endorse Diane Linn? Granted, nonpartisan race, but it was determined in the primary for Mult. Co. Commissioner's Chair.

Kitzhaber's endorsements are typically well thought out, doesn't strike me as the kind of statesman who would piss away an endorsement out of spite, despite "anon" comment about this past session.

Steve is articulate, smart, funny and knows policy. He's interested in truly making a difference and not just being a party hack. Steve is about making a difference.

Frankly, I don't see Merkley's campaign making any great strides, stirring up the party base in any great leaps and bounds other than the "rubber-stamp" groups due to his position as Speaker.

Novick on the other hand, is running a strong grassroots campaign that far exceeds the astroturf that Merkley's campaign has been trying to fertilize. There is only so much you can do to make plastic green grass more attractive.

Why does launching a new beer make Steve a better candidate?

From the latest Novick email:

Announcing the launch of LEFT HOOK LAGER, a clean, all-malt lager crafted in Oregon by Ninkasi Brewing Company, for a different kind of politician who's always found a way to get things done.

Why does having lawn signs make Steve Novick the better candidate?

From the latest Novick e-mail.

"Announcing the launch of Steve's new lawn signs."

A campaign better have more than lawn signs if it wants to win

hey, LT, i posted a question to you over in the other thread, the one about steve novick's national media coverage. you might not have seen it; that thread kind of died. in any event, you didn't answer or acknowledge the post.

i'd be happy to repost the entire thing if you would like.

Why does launching a new beer make Steve a better candidate?

A campaign better have more than lawn signs if it wants to win

LT, for someone who has decades of experience working on campaigns, you don't seem to understand how they work and how a race is actually won. The majority of Americans do not vote based on issues. They do not search out policy positions, they do not weigh the relative merits of each candidate, and they most certainly do not visit a candidate's web page.

Races are won based on lawn signs, advertisements, and gut feeling. Novick's clever ads are exactly what could win him the election. That they leave you unsatisfied indicates that you are not a "normal" voter. A campaign that spent its time appealing to people like you and me would lose every time.

Whoever posted as :

Posted by: LT ... PTSD | Mar 4, 2008 12:39:26 PM

should know that there are those of us whose relatives are being treated by the VA for PTSD and don't find that amusing.

Unless, of course, the slogan is "vote Novick to please juvenile supporters".

As I have written elsewhere (from "WW where's the beef" to an email to a friend who supports Novick), there are reasons to support Steve and reasons not to support him. Snide supporters are in the latter category---what are you folks going to do after the primary?

There are people in this state facing serious problems. And the Novick campaign (the one with its own beer) should be supported because they have really spoken out on these problems? Or just to please snide bloggers?

(hey Miles, that second one was a joke)

Blame me!

what are you folks going to do after the primary?

...Whup Gordon Smith's butt.

What are you gonna do? Sit around and sulk? Put your hurt feelings ahead of what's right for Oregon and the country?

Good luck with that.

LT, did you see my post?

This happened yesterday and already it is on the 2nd page of BO. I have never seen so many posts on BO in 1 day.

(hey Miles, that second one was a joke)

My bad, but I stand by the substance of my comment. So does a young friend of mine who I discussed it with at the latest DPO precinct captains meeting.