I'm (Still) For Obama and Merkley
Jeff Alworth
A year ago today I wrote a post in support of Barack Obama. Having been a political junkie since I was 16, I have regularly had the experience of jumping on a campaign early and finding my interest wane--either the campaign falters or the candidate develops into someone other than who I expected. But every once in a while, the blind squirrel finds the nut. 
My early impressions of Barack Obama turned out to be right on the mark:
- "He's qualified." Experience is only a proxy for how well a candidate will govern. If Obama's proved anything in the past year, it's that he has the skill to manage a massive campaign, and the strategic foresight to chart a winning strategy.
- "He's right on the issues." With three good liberals, it never was an election about the issues; but looking forward at a race against McSame, Obama's looking great.
- "He's right on tone." When the media, Clinton, and McCain were all hammering him, it would have been politically expedient to abandon his approach and go on the attack. That he refused to do so under that intense pressure says volumes about how he'll govern. Along the way, he may realign American politics.
- "He'll be strong in the general." Fortunately, this will now be a testable hypothesis. I expect Obama to pass it with flying colors--and about 58% of the vote.
- "He's inspiring." Well, duh.
Merkley - He'll Beat Smith
Jeff Merkley hadn't announced his candidacy a year ago. But ten months ago, even before he announced, I ran a series of posts (first, second, third) about why I thought he'd be a great candidate. Again, I feel vindicated in my early impressions. Those three posts are too voluminous to recap, so instead, I'll make the case I've been making to friends who've asked me for advice on this race.
Novick and Merkley differ on almost no issues--both are great progressives and both have long records of fighting for progressive causes. Merkley is a better bet as a senator because of his impressive record at pushing legislation through as the Oregon Speaker of the House--but I know that doesn't convince everyone. So here's the clincher: he's the guy who will beat Gordon Smith. As we have seen in recent polls, Smith is very weak--he's polling below 50% against both Dems, and his approval has been in steady decline for months. His seat is ready for the plucking.
The evidence that Merkley's the best candidate to run against him is clear. The election won't be decided in Multnomah, Lane, and Benton Counties--voters there will back the Dem. It will be decided in rural and swing counties like Deschutes, Jackson, and Marion. The Dem doesn't have to carry these counties to win, but he must be competitive. Steve Novick has run a fantastic campaign, but he's run as a classic Portland liberal. The first order of business was to beat Merkley, and Steve has needed urban liberals to tip the scales. But where does he go in the general? Merkley has run his campaign with an eye toward Smith, and it will show in his rural support.
I'm 40 years old. I've never had the chance to vote for the presidential candidate I wanted to win the primary. I've also cast ballots against sitting Republican Senators four times, and each time the Republican won. I expect that record to end with the election of Jeff Merkley. It's a great year to be a Democrat, ain't it?
Vote Barack and Jeff!
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May 14, '08
Nice attempt to link Merkley (the machine candidate in the race) to Obama (the inspiration candidate).
Well, I'm still for the closest analogue to Obama in the race -- Novick!
(And by the way, I've been for Obama all the way ever since I saw him in 2004. He and Novick are by far my favorite politicians.)
May 14, '08
Good summary, Jeff. I like your anecdotal, yet comprehensive, analysis of the Democratic Primary ballot.
I know Jeff Merkley will send Gordon Smith back to the pea packing plant in Pendleton. Recent polling also suggests that Merkley is the best shot for us Democrats--he's within THREE points of Smith in a general head-to-head matchup!
What's more, it will be easier for Jeff to ride Obama's coattails, as he's proven he can get along with Barack Obama.
You can't say that much for the other guy.
May 14, '08
Good thing you did not express support for Clinton & Merkley. Blue Oregon would have a riot on it's hands.
May 14, '08
"What's more, it will be easier for Jeff to ride Obama's coattails, as he's proven he can get along with Barack Obama.
You can't say that much for the other guy."
Ironic that you would whip out your list little of Novick's quotations. It reminds me of the lists of Jeremiah Wright's quotations that the politics-as-usual crowd whip out to derail Obama's campaign.
Keep going negative against Steve Novick if that's the best argument you have for the inspiration-challenged Merkley. But please, don't do it in the name of Barack Obama. He stands for precisely what Merkley does not when he compiles Steve's "greatest hits" of impolitic remarks.
May 14, '08
The SurveyUSA polling from April 7th and May 12th that Merkley and Obama are both resonating very strongly among the youngest voting block SurveyUSA identifies - 18-34 year olds - which has long been an aknowledged base of support for Obama.
Jeff and Barack both surged by double digits among that group, Jeff by a whopping 24 points and Barack by a strong 16 points. Meanwhile Steve only gained a very slight 3 points to trail Jeff in the latest poll 22% to 28% respectively.
6:30 p.m.
May 14, '08
So much for Novick's self righteous "positive campaign", Novick dropped a last minute hit piece mailing today.
May 14, '08
I don't know where to put this, but congratulations, Blue Oregon. I just read on The Raw Story that you will be blogging the Democratic National Convention representing our state. I like the way they've selected blogs from each state and not just the big name ones.
7:18 p.m.
May 14, '08
bdunn,
Would that be the one Weigler sent out demanding that Canter apologize for making the same basic "communist" joke that Novick did and that Novick supporters have (before Matt Canter did)?
8:01 p.m.
May 14, '08
Nice attempt to link Merkley (the machine candidate in the race) to Obama (the inspiration candidate).
I think it's a fallacy to consider the Oregon senate race an analogue to the presidential (though of course everyone's done it). Novick's the underdog, like Obama, but Merkley's the guy who brings people together behind closed doors to get deals made, like Obama. They are three different candidates. We probably do everyone a disservice by trying to pigeonhole them.
May 14, '08
"He's qualified." Experience is only a proxy for how well a candidate will govern. If Obama's proved anything in the past year, it's that he has the skill to manage a massive campaign, and the strategic foresight to chart a winning strategy.
With this criteria, George W. Bush was "qualified".
"He's right on the issues." With three good liberals, it never was an election about the issues; but looking forward at a race against McSame, Obama's looking great.
The way I see it, the biggest difference between McCain and Obama is Iraq and given that you folks won't have Bush to "kick around anymore" --Iraq is going to matter a whole lot less (especially if the signs of progress we've seen so far continue into McCain's presidency). Really, many libs will probably be pleasantly pleased with "McSame's" Presidency -- he's all about "big government solutions". McCain or Obama -- they'll both have us side by side in the rice fields.
"He'll be strong in the general." Fortunately, this will now be a testable hypothesis. I expect Obama to pass it with flying colors--and about 58% of the vote.
I wouldn't be so sure. As much as you libs hate Hillary now, she's made some real points about his electability -- this is THE reason that the uncommitted supers haven't "flooded" to his campaign. McCain has been a little too milquetoast to properly capitalize on Obama's weakness "with the hard working, white, Americans" (to paraphrase a quote I heard somewhere) so, I doubt were going to see a Reagan vs. Carter style landslide on behalf of Senator McCain -- maybe 52% (if I had to pick a number out of the air like you did).
May 14, '08
WHY has MSNBC/NBC, CBS (& FOX & CNN) been putting out --PRO-Obama/Anti-Clinton PROPAGANDA...everyday all day long -since last November?
ANSWER: Because Obama is PRO-Nuclear & he voted FOR the Cheney Energy Bill; Clinton is NOT Pro-Nuke & Voted AGAINST the Cheney Energy Bill.
GE owns MSNBC/NBC, Westinghouse owns CBS...& Thanks to the Cheney Energy Bill they are planning to reap BILLIONS in profits (Risk-Free) from building 29 new nukes AND from 30-40 years of HIGHER ELECTRICITY RATES. (GE & Westinghouse have also been pumping $Billions of ADVERTISING dollars for all their PRODUCTS - Into Every FORM of MEDIA, for generations.)
Other participants in Cheney's NExt Big MONOPOLY POWER ---ENERGY RIPoff--- Excelon Corp. of ILLINOIS, Entergy (owners of many utilities in the Southern States); 3 consortiums of nuke industry corporations.
McCain voted for the Cheney Energy Bill & has already said on the campaign trail: "I have to remember to say...its absolutely necessary for...us...to build nuclear power plants."
Cheney, GE, Westinghouse et al...Are running Obama AND McCain for President.
Last week's NEWS: The governor of South Carolina is refusing to allow the Federal govt. to ship 30 TONS of plutonium into South Carolina---until the Feds provide him with a written agreement that the Feds will --- REMOVE --- the plutonium from South Carolina---in the event their plans to produce FUEL are unsuccessful.
(Looks like the govt. wants to move 30 TONS of plutonium from the western states to South Carolina to locate it closer to the 29 nukes to be built in many of the Eastern a& Southern states.
(See Map at NY Times LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/31/washington/31nuclear.html?_r=1&oref=slogin )
(BTW a microscopic particle of plutonium, once inhaled, will kill you from lung cancer in about a week.)
Plans to build those nuclear power plants are well advanced --- with licensing hearings already scheduled for the first few.
If you think nukes are ok... just GOOGLE: Rocky Flats Denver plutonium, and, Hanford WA nuclear waste.
OBAMA = NO Experience Getting CHANGES made:
Obama claims 7 years experience in the Illinois legislature - Working Across the Aisles, Bringing people together to get good CHANGES passed -as exemplified by 26 good bills with his name on them.
A Chicago reporter says all 26 bills were passed in ONE Year and they were NOT Obama's.
http://wweek.com/editorial/3418/10516/
EXCERPTS: But what’s interesting, and almost never discussed, is that he built his entire legislative record in Illinois in a single year.
Republicans controlled the Illinois General Assembly for six years of Obama’s seven-year tenure.
Then Emil Jones Jr. (became the Senate Majority leader), He became Obama’s kingmaker.
Jones appointed Obama sponsor of virtually every high-profile piece of legislation, angering many rank-and-file state legislators who had more seniority than Obama and had spent years championing the bills.
During his seventh year in the state Senate, Obama ... sponsored a whopping 26 bills including many he now cites in his presidential campaign when attacked as inexperienced.
Working Across the Aisles/ Making CHANGES = ZILCH
Taking Credit for Other People's Work/ INTEGRITY = ZERO
Obama's book "Audacity..." confirms those 26 bills were passed in the last year Obama was in the Illinois legislature--when--Democrats had a majority: Quote:
"After two terms during which I labored in the minority, Democrats had gained control of the state senate, and I had subsequently passed a slew of bills, from reforms of the Illinois death penalty system to an expansion of the state’s health program for kids. I had continued to teach at the University of Chicago Law School, a job I enjoyed, and was frequently invited to speak around town."
May 14, '08
Elme, you forgot to mention the International Zionist Conspiracy.
9:07 p.m.
May 14, '08
I totally agree with you on all the points you made about Merkley's candidacy. I think he's got the skills and he will be able to beat Smith in November. The last SUSA poll showed that Merkley enjoys a 13 point advantage over Novick outside of Portland. That's another sign that Merkley is already building a strong statewide coalition to beat Smith. We're going to get Portland on board with whomever the Demo nominee is, so we need a nominee who can appeal to rural Oregonians and moderates. The great thing about Merkley is that we don't have to sacrifice progressive values to nominate the most electable candidate.
There is something to be said for Merkley's skills as a legislator. Right now, we don't have many progressive coaltion builders who can unite the Democrats around progressive legislation. Merkley has done that time and time again in Oregon, and we really need that kind of effective leadership in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
9:08 p.m.
May 14, '08
Geoff, just for fun, you might go back and read the original article, which had detail on all those points.
But given that you observed that "The way I see it, the biggest difference between McCain and Obama is Iraq," I doubt very seriously that we have a fruitful dialogue in our future.
May 14, '08
Will somebody get poor elme some water.
I decided after 04 to always vote for the candidate I most wanted to hold the office, not the one I thought was most likely to win. And what I want in the Senate right now is an ass-kicker. An honest to goodness loudmouth who will rankle the delicate sensibilities of Washington and call a duck a duck when a freaking duck walks by. Washington DC will not change if we send another aw-shucks jellyfish to the Senate. When things like the FISA bill come knocking I don't want the guy whose gonna wring his hands and then roll over. I want the guy who goes and TV and says "Fuck this. This is tyranny!"
I'm voting for Obama and Shorty McLeft Hook. I think you all should too.
May 14, '08
The debate aptly summarized:
On the one hand,
" And what I want in the Senate right now is an ass-kicker. An honest to goodness loudmouth who will rankle the delicate sensibilities of Washington and call a duck a duck when a freaking duck walks by. "
On the other hand,
"we need a nominee who can appeal to rural Oregonians and moderates. The great thing about Merkley is that we don't have to sacrifice progressive values to nominate the most electable candidate.
There is something to be said for Merkley's skills as a legislator. Right now, we don't have many progressive coaltion builders who can unite the Democrats around progressive legislation. Merkley has done that time and time again in Oregon"
Either is a valid point of view, and a week from today (unless there is a recount) it will be important that those who hold either of these points of view is considered a real Democrat.
"You're supposed to see things my way" doesn't usually get people very far. Both points of view are valid.
9:53 p.m.
May 14, '08
easy call on Obama; whether he's been winning (the SC speech), losing (NH & Yes We Can) or getting trashed (the "race" speech), he demonstrates his extraordinary capabilities. i cannot wait for his acceptable speech in Denver (which i believe will occur on the 45th anniversay of the "I have a dream" speech) and his inauguration address. these should be memorable.
and while i'll be glad to vote for Merkley in November if necessary, i am still supporting Steve Novick. i think he'll drive Smith nuts and, with the "coattails" that Obama will have, take back the seat and go to the Senate with the kind of energy and unique abilities Jeff Merkley, as terrific as he might be, simply cannot match.
the one Dem in all the races i've grown to loathe is Greg Macpherson. his infantile behavior, not to mention his lack of any thing i find worthwhile supporting, makes voting for John Kroger easy. the only good thing is with no R in the race, if Macpherson wins the nomination, we can ignore him for the rest of the year. and even not bother to vote for him in November.
May 14, '08
I think both candidates have ran a hard nosed campaign and will be in fighting form for November. Part of me hopes that Novick loses and not for anything to do with the Senate or Merkley or anything else.
Rather I hope Novick loses because it will make him stronger for the next go around. Regardless of what people think about Novick or his supporters the guy is a dynamo and has a bright political future ahead of him no matter what happens in this vote. For a guy with no political candidate experience to wage the type of campaign he has ( a credible charging style) should give everyone pause and realize...this guy is a star.
It just so happens that his campaign was against a guy like Merkley who can't ignite the room the way Novick can but is very solid and has a record to prove it. I don't agree with Novick on international trade and aide and I certainly don't agree with Merkley on the passage of the drivers license law but nevertheless these two men have big roles in the Oregon Democratic Party for years to come.
May 14, '08
yeah, I'm really excited about the candidate who refers to female reporters as "Sweetie" too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4STLISLdxi4
May 15, '08
"I think it's a fallacy to consider the Oregon senate race an analogue to the presidential (though of course everyone's done it). Novick's the underdog, like Obama, but Merkley's the guy who brings people together behind closed doors to get deals made, like Obama. They are three different candidates. We probably do everyone a disservice by trying to pigeonhole them."
I accept that the analogy is imperfect. What I was thinking about, however, is the idea of Novick as the change candidate. He will provide some shake-up that Washington sorely needs. Actually, it's more like "wake up," to be precise. Also, don't underestimate Novick's ability to get along with people even though he says some occasional impolitic things. I know when he was at Harvard Law School -- which isn't quite like the Senate but it is a place with massive egos -- Novick was universally beloved by people with all sorts of political views. His sense of humor and fundamentally decency is his saving grace. Some who are partial to Merkley deny Novick that, but trust me, Steve is a sweet guy when you get to know him.
May 15, '08
"His sense of humor and fundamentally decency is his saving grace."
I believe I meant "are his saving graces." Too many more typos like that and you guys won't believe I met Novick at law school.
May 15, '08
Thanks for this post, Jeff. I appreciate the civility as you explain your support for Obama and Merkley. Well done. Gee, politically informed and a beer connoisseir, nice combo. :-)
May 15, '08
Hillary Clinton will be our next president.
Hillary will bring prosperity to our country. With Hillary as a president we will have a better future.
Alberto
7:30 a.m.
May 15, '08
I'm happy to see Edwards (well, John anyway, my second favorite Edwards) supporting Obama, and since it's neutral to Obama who the Oregon Senate nominee is (and maybe even if it weren't neutral), I'm still supporting Novick.
It's a canard to say that he and Jeff are (fraternal) twins on the issues
and although I prefer Steve's style to Jeff's, it's very important to me that on the fundamental issues of tax fairness and yes, equal access to civil marriage, Steve Novick is standing in the place I want my Senator to be standing in. But there's a swath of daylight next to him, and to the right of the daylight is Jeff Merkley. Still in Democratic territory, but not where I want my Senator to be.
So I guess what I'm saying is, I want both the convictions AND the courage to assert them even in the face of immense pressure.
I want my Senator to be a guy who would have voted No on HR2 and called it out for the loathsome trap it was.
Someone who knows how he feels about peace in the Middle East and doesn't have to check his calendar to see who he's speaking to about it today.
And someone whose TV commercials don't make me hope he loses just to punish him for his vile ads (this is a good reason to vote for John Kroger, too, now that I think about it).
Yes, Obama.
But yes also to Steve Novick.
May 15, '08
Katy--per Obama calling a reporter in Michigan "Sweetie", he apologized shortly afterwards, and the reporter (not reporterS) in question said she'd been called worse things. Look at the news online.
From what I can gather, Obama uses this sort of "sweetie" address from time to time. Maybe it's sexist condescension, maybe it's a personal tic, or for all I know, it's something people do in Chicago.
I've been called "honey" and "darlin'" by female wait staff (can I say "waitresses"?) in a lot of places over the years, especially in the South. I always cringed inwardly, but I also always assumed it was just a local custom, especially in rural areas.
May 15, '08
Haha, great explanation! Calling profession women "Sweetie" is something they do it Chicago!!!! That's my favorite excuse so far. I wonder if they also laugh about calling professional women "Sweetie" with their male counterparts? I'm sure it's just something they do in Chicago. Brahahhaa.
8:44 a.m.
May 15, '08
Katy,
Your sense of outrage seems a little disproportionate. The word was " sweetie" . If this was the most insulting thing you had to cope with this week, please consider your life extremely blessed. if you are seriously accusing Obama of being a misogynist or sexist over this comment, credibility of real women's issues like healthcare, childcare, equal pay and reproductive rights become diminished and trivialized. As a woman, I find it insulting and counterproductive.
8:46 a.m.
May 15, '08
i think he'll drive Smith nuts and, with the "coattails" that Obama will have, take back the seat and go to the Senate with the kind of energy and unique abilities Jeff Merkley, as terrific as he might be, simply cannot match.
It seems like Novickians share this desire to "drive Smith nuts." I don't care about taking a pound of Smith's flesh or driving him nuts. I just want to beat him. The coattails argument, of course also benefits Merkley--more so, if you believe Obama will drive the youth vote up. Young, idealistic Dems aren't going to cross the line to vote for Smith if they're voting Obama. But older, rural Dems, who would be alarmed by the smart-ass Portland liberal "driving Smith nuts" very likely would be. In numbers large enough to tilt the election, anyway.
8:50 a.m.
May 15, '08
And Stephanie, I know you are unshakeable in your belief that Steve's campaign positions are perfect reflections of the way he'll govern, but you can hold this belief only because Novick has never held office. The sausage factory of the US Senate makes negoatiators of all, and Novick will necessarily compromise on the positions you now exault as superior than Jeff's--which are based on actual legislative experience. In fact, I am enormously suspicious of a Senator who won't negotiate. That's a prescription for total marginalization.
This is another reason why the analogue between Obama and either of the candidates doesn't work. Obama does not have the sharp tongue of Novick and he does want to be a bridge-builder and a compromiser. That's exactly the opposite of what you all say is so attractive about Novick.
9:00 a.m.
May 15, '08
I am in complete agreement with Jeff Alworth's assessments above. His statements validate my support of Jeff Merkley who can stand up against Gordon Smith across the state and would include voters of all ages. Everyone voting in November will not be interested in sending Steve Novick to Washington to represent them.
9:58 a.m.
May 15, '08
Joel (or is it Joel Dan?),
Sometime in the a few years either side of 1980 there was a brief movement in the People's Republic of Cambridge, Mass. (where that joke was ancient before anyone thought of importing it from Santa Barbara to Portland) to adopt the term "waitron" for food and beverage servers of all sexes.
Katy, you've got a point about "sweetie." How does it compare in your book to "obliterate" (as in 60-70 million Iranians)?
Jeff, the "drive Gordon Smith nuts" rhetoric as I understand it is an argument about Steve being an agile campaigner -- a shorthand about the way he can beat Smith, if he's the nominee. To my mind it includes a belief that he will be able to take Smith on on issues like the war in a particularly effective way, that will appeal not just to urban lefties but to suburban, ex-urban, inter-urban and rural people across the state.
And he has some positions that don't fit to his Merkley typecasting, e.g. opposes removing Columbia River dams because he regards preserving the hydropower in the face of global warming as a more important ecolological issue than salmon and steelhead recovery.
10:00 a.m.
May 15, '08
Oh, I forgot small urban and mid-sized urban.
10:22 a.m.
May 15, '08
"drive Gordon Smith nuts" rhetoric as I understand it is an argument about Steve being an agile campaigner.... To my mind it includes a belief that he will be able to take Smith on on issues like the war in a particularly effective way, that will appeal not just to urban lefties but to suburban, ex-urban, inter-urban and rural people across the state.
As far as eastern, southern, and coastal Oregon go, the people that will find Novick's rhetoric and antics attractive are already with us. Educators, ex-educators, and human rights activists will vote overwhelmingly for the Dem Candidate even if it's Sponge Bob Square Pants.
They might prefer some blood and guts payback and scorching sarcasm, but they will also vote for a candidate that actually tries to get the vote of their neighbor Farmer Bob or Real Estate salesperson Judy, and so on.
These are the folks that we need to win the crucial rural vote and Jeff Merkley's the one to carry the fight to them.
10:24 a.m.
May 15, '08
I seem to be a reapeat offender on the italics crime.
10:56 a.m.
May 15, '08
equal access to civil marriage
Repeating that lie over and over doesn't make it any more true than when you first told it.
11:16 a.m.
May 15, '08
As another repeat offender I sympathize with you Pat. What is it about that preview button that makes it so hard to see, anyway?
11:43 a.m.
May 15, '08
it is an argument about Steve being an agile campaigner -- a shorthand about the way he can beat Smith, if he's the nominee.
Chris, that may be the case in some instances, but I think only some. Steve loves to tweak (as do many Steve-backers), and I think the tweaking is as much a draw for some as his position on dry policies.
And yes, they do not have identical positions, though it would be hard to find two humans who did. In a Venn diagram of their positions, you'd have very little outside the overlap. In a primary election, one generally expects much, much more. So, if it's not about policies, then it's about style and electability.
May 15, '08
But how will this new daughter advert appeal to Oregonians who can't have children, or who are morally opposed to children? How does Jeff Merkley's daughter help give health care to veterans?
How does blasting the airwaves with two-year-old blog quotes from Novick tell us anything about what Jeff Merkley will do for education?
2:35 p.m.
May 15, '08
dear Katy
my boss, a professional woman of the first order, uses terms of endearment constantly -- and i'm nearly 20 years her senior. if i used the same terms, i'd be in deep trouble before long. it's all about context. i can use "babe" at times to female co-workers (who are friends) but not at others. what pissed "sweetie" off was not the term but getting blown off. if he had said, "sure sweetie..." and then answered her question, she'd have been fine.
the fact is, many people use those kinds of terms without meaning anything but affection. in England, where i lived for 5 years, "luv" and "dearie" are commonplace; back East, if the waitress doesn't call you "hon" she don't get a tip. we're so used to politicians acting their scripts so perfectly, the merest hint of being a normal person freaks us out. you, of all people, should be sensitive to that: look how Hillary was attacked when she had a natural moment of emotion in NH.
May 15, '08
Katy--I know it's tacky to quote oneself, but given that I suggested one possible interpretation of the "sweetie" comment was "sexist condescension"...geez louise, I guess you're doing some selective reading. Look, if you want to make a case for Obama-as-sexist-pig, then go for it, I doubt that the editors here are going to shut you down unless you become profanely insulting. You could even submit a guest column on the topic.
May 15, '08
Obama's apology:
"Obama left a message on Agar’s cell phone, apologizing for the slight.
“'It’s a bad habit of mine,' he said in the voicemail, which is on the TV station’s Web site. 'I mean no disrespect, so I am duly chastened on that front.'”
Imagine that, he didn't have his spokesman handle it. "Apologize". Clearly not presidential material.
May 15, '08
Evil Twin, you remind me of the saying "so funny I forgot to laugh".
Novick could have run a very intelligent campaign which could have appealed to people who have not been impressed by this campaign: people, for instance, who think veterans are more than a subtitle in a section on defense policy, people who don't see either beer or "robust"/ "acerbic" language as great campaign assets.
A serious campaign would have showcased the poverty video on his website. That he chose for so long to have the "flammable pants" link on the front page of his website instead showed he was only appealing to a certain target audience. The Oregonian front page story about attack ads included flammable pants in their graphic.
As someone who doesn't drink beer, doesn't like Steve's biting language, and definitely thinks veterans are important in their own right, why would I have supported Steve?
Jim Webb can be just as acerbic, but he has actually devoted himself to veterans issues rather than gimmicks.
May 15, '08
LT said: "As someone who doesn't drink beer, doesn't like Steve's biting language, and definitely thinks veterans are important in their own right, why would I have supported Steve?"
Valid argument, LT. I can see no way you'll ever support Steve and you've reminded us of that before. And that's fine. But I do drink beer, I do like Steve's language, and I very definitely think veterans are important (and not just because I am one). And just as obviously as you support Jeff, I support Steve. Cheers! Beat Smith!
May 17, '08
As a 23 year-old just finishing her last few rounds of chemotherapy after an unexpected diagnosis two years ago, the issue that tipped the scales between the two candidates for me was Merkley's impressive legislative work - close with Sen. Ron Wyden - on health care. Though Novick is great, and it clearly doesn't take experience nowadays to qualify one over another, I feel that Merkley could move health care issues along faster and with greater familiarity. I completely respect any decisions to the contrary - I just thought I'd put in my two cents.
See you all at the Obama rally tomorrow! ;)