Chris Dudley? I'm sorry to say he doesn't bring much to the electoral table in the way of 'Being famous for being an ex-Trailblazer.'

Maybe he should try to get elected to the City Council of Lake Oswego or something more within his scoring range.

Since I first heard about Duds last week, one thing has been on my mind:

How will he rebut charges that he was the worst free throw shooter ever to grace a basketball court at any level?

Are we to the point where Jerry Wilson is considered a successful businessman, or a CEO style we would want in the G's house? Probably would be pure spin, no action. Just stand him up in the corner. Just five minutes a day he thinks about Oregon, then back to the bed.

And Chris Dudley? Didn't like the cross-country lifestyle? In other words, "yeah, some politics now, beats working for a living", was the a priori decision, and, finicky about the choices, thought Guvnor wouldn't be bad. Kinda like center. Stand around, clog the lane and catch the odd issue on the rebound. Right.

Now Steve Shields, might just have something to offer. Full projection mode here, but, just maybe, he gets the bit about blank cheque IT needed to be curbed. At the very least, his corp has a cricket team that plays locally! Sorry, but that's the only hope I can find in this bunch. I can tell you that I will show up at one of his events and ask something about those two questions, though. None of the other have inspired that, yet.

Agreed. Steve Shields is intriguing. I hope to see him at Sunriver this weekend so I can find out more about him.

As for Wilson:

"He's pretty much hoping he can just rely on his announcement - plus further thoughts he may have - going viral on the internet."

That's the most adorable thing I've ever heard. Cross him off the list.

Kari, you're confusing Eichenbaums.

And how many liquor stores, convenience stores, grocery stores, bars and other locations sell booze and cigarettes? Why have you not counted those up and offered them as part of your argument? You and the rest of the prohibitionist crowd keep trying to attack cannabis and cannabis users, the vast majority of which are honest, hard-working, and law-abiding citizens who are responsible and caring. Unlike those who drink ethanol - they're quite the opposite: argumentative, beligerant, aggressive, and often kill others because they chose to drink and drive.

Why is it that prohibitionists cannot open their eyes to the FACTS about cannabis and continue to propogate lies and misinformation? All problems related to cannabis are CAUSED BY PROHIBITION. Did we learn nothing about how prohibition fails during the 1930's? Apparently not.

There is only one solution to the problem (the problem being prohibition, not cannabis) and that is to LEGALIZE, TAX, and REGULATE cannabis once-and-for-all and to allow those who want to choose a safer and less destructive alternative to do so. It is a person's human right to put whatever they want in their body and the consequences should only be the consequences caused by the substance itself, if any. If people commit real crimes while using a substance, then they should be prosecuted for the crimes they commit, not the things they put in their body.

Lighten up. Live and let live. Base your arguments on facts, not fallicy. Legalize cannabis. And this will be a much happier place to live for us all.

"And Eichenbaum was the guy behind the memorable ads from Steve Novick's campaign."

http://www.jsonline.com/business/29456954.html

has a nice picture of Steve Novick.

But lest anyone forget the lesson of last year: There were bloggers who said any criticism of the beer ad was unwarranted---it attracted national attention, so of course it was a smart commercial!

Apparently it worked well with folks in Mult. Co. and a couple smaller counties.

Hiring top consultants may seem smart for an outsider, but what really matters is impressing voters.

And if voters want someone with a legislative background and a voting record, they are more likely to go with Bradbury, Kitzhaber, or Frank Morse if he runs---even if the other candidates between them hire many famous consultants.

The bottom line is impressing voters. Often that means open discussion town hall meetings, intelligent discussion of ideas, a grass roots organization, etc.

Why is it that prohibitionists cannot open their eyes to the FACTS

Will not. Peoples' world views are integrated wholes,and things they NEED to believe in. We live in a society where PE is mandatory, yet everyone can roll their own, uneducated, when it comes to philosophy and psychology. And laziness.

Why do people watch prime time TV? An unrflective, mindless society is going to suck on any level you examine it. This will change, tho, like all things, a) when the proponents die off, and b) when they run out of money. At least you'll live long enough to see both. Us boomers will die with our lives highly attenuated, largely a waste, diminished by prohibition, And that's the way they like it. You can only fight it by promoting rationality IN EVERYTHING. No byes for family/friends.

Bill Clinton expanded the non-violent federal prison population by more than any President. Dems are Reps that,on ocasion, pick a pet group to enfranchise. You ain't their pet, so they really don't care what happens to you. Now make it a gay issue...

Jake's right (of course he would know).

David Eichenbaum is of Struble & Eichenbaum (David Eichenbaum)

Novick used Steve Eichenbaum of Eichenbaum & Associates (Steve Eichenbaum), best known for his work with Sen. Feingold.

I worked with Steve at HP for 15 years in Corvallis. He is one of the old style Bill and Dave type leaders with integrity, values and leadership (not just showboating) skills. He values people and looks to creating structures that are operational for the long term. He's got a great financial sense, and took on some big, hairy organizational problems and helped fix them. He left HP not too long after the Carly reign began. I think he'd make an awesome governor for Oregon with his business sense, financial skills commitment to education, environment and especially people, and his passion for the state.

"I think he'd make an awesome governor for Oregon with his business sense, financial skills commitment to education, environment and especially people, and his passion for the state."

KC, that may well be true. When I hear his actual views on issues/proposed solutions, then I will take him seriously if he sounds as smart as you say.

Pat: Kitzhaber may not be everyone's cup of tea, but he and I go back a quarter century. And every time I hear comments like "he's downright arrogant, dismissive, and frankly rude", it makes me support him more. Maybe that is because I have often agreed with him, even in cases where some Democrats treated those of us who agreed with him in a way which could easily be described as " downright arrogant, dismissive, and frankly rude".

By that I mean people literally yelling in my ear that I was a bad person to have been on the same side of an issue as Kitzhaber.

Tell you what: if we get to some actual discussion of issues (not just generalities) and I think Shields makes more sense on a particular topic than Kitzhaber, I will say so.

But to be told I should not trust Kitzhaber and should look instead to a newcomer others like, I have to say "Sorry, been there, done that, seen that movie before".

I was subjected to "don't trust your old friends, trust this new person so many think is keen" too many times in the late 20th century to fall for it again.

But Pat, knock yourself out campaigning for the candidate of your choice.

DSS - I have helped force the closure of a public menace, Trojan. I have brought over a billion dollars in revenue to Oregon. I have worked tirelessly for 30 years for peace and justice.

What have you done? Please list your accomplishments.

Jerry Wilson

A dart throw at a phone book would render a better governor than Kitzhaber or Bradbury. But they're reliable defenders of the public employee death grip on the state so one of them will win. And the status quo of Oregon, the Mississippi of the West, will be preserved.

Even Lars would be a far better governor. You all would take hate to a new level over any conservstive governor but the State management would be greatly improived.

Mr. Wilson, it was not my intention to diminish your record or speak at all to your qualifications for office. And I do apologize that my comments were more glib and dismissive than necessary.

But I'll wager I've gotten a lot more people elected to office (statewide and legislative) than you have.

So if what Mapes writes is true - that you intend to rely almost exclusively on viral marketing - then I have to conclude that you are not at this point a viable candidate.

There are four elements that have historically been present in states exhibiting third-party gubernatorial victories. In 2010, Oregon will exhibit one or possibly two of these elements. In response, you will have to make a substantial media buy in several markets to show up on polls.

Now as to your campaign's online assets, which I think you will concede are a necessary part of a "viral" campaign...

1. You have no website.
2. Your party's website is sorely out of date.
3. You have no Facebook group (that I can find).
4. In response to an anonymous slight online, you responded aggressively under your own name, which is how most BlueOregon readers will have been introduced to you.

I don't mean to write this to discourage you, but rather to help you understand what a gubernatorial run actually entails. It is not a cheap process. It is not something that can be done virally.

At some point, you'll need to assure us progressives whether you're "in it to win it"... or a spoiler.

Jerry,

Didn't you run for something before? I keep having that feeling in the back of my mind.

Pat, I don't care if you don't like Kitzhaber. You may not believe this, but I will gladly argue with old friends if I think they are wrong. I believe Kitzhaber has to get specific on issues other than health care.

However, about this, "Sounds like you've heard the negative assessments of our once and future governor's style a few times in the past, but have remained a steadfast and unquestioning supporter. Reminds me of my old dad's line. To paraphrase: Kitz said it, I believe it, that settles it. "

The odds of my supporting the Pat Ryan choice for Gov. based on such comments are roughly equal to the odds of my supporting Novick in the 2008 primary after all the times bloggers called me a "Merkleyite" simply because I agreed with a particular public statement Jeff made.

Show me an idea another candidate has which I decide after looking at the idea that it makes sense, and I might become interested.

"You should not like the inevitable Kitzhaber" is no way to attract my support.

Can't explain the prohibitionists, Angie, but lestatdelc, doesn't get progressive, as he admitted recently...

What hooey..."real grass roots politics" whatever the hell that is...

So did you read the entire article?

After more research, Steve's got my ears pricked up! He should do a Willamette River "whistle stop", sailing on the SS Responsible Gov. Think about it...

Wilson has my ear, especially if the dems are dumb enough to place Dr. No on the ballot. Old hand, old approach old problems best avoided.

LT - No, never ran for public office before.

DSS - Your points are well made. Thank you. I am in it to win. I do have a website. It's a work in progress but is live: viva-la-revolucion.org

Jerry

tell me folks you that dudley has no agenda and brings nothing?what have the democrats in oregon like the do nothing governor kulongoski who is so invisible to the average non govt class private sector citizen its a joke doing to get our unemployment rate down and make oregon more business friendly?im sorry we dont need any more democrats in this state that want to give millions more to schools that they dont need when they already get 10,000 bucks a kid.what have the liberal democrats like bradbury,kitzhaber and etc ever done?we need a business friendly republican who will cut taxes on business and actually cut the size of the state govt significantly.kitzhaber sorry never did anything to better oregon,is nothing to jump up and down and throw a parade over and left us in a big mess when he left and what makes you folks so convinced that he can actually lead us out of this bad economic mess?

"I am in it to win. I do have a website. It's a work in progress but is live: viva-la-revolucion.org"

Good to hear it! (I should have looked at your link on your first post.)

Here's a working link...

Should be an interesting race. My two cents worth of advice: 1. Put a Facebook group together (not just your profile). It's the best tool you'll get for free. 2. Get some kind of donation mechanism front and center on your website. You'll need the money later and wish that you started earlier. (No matter when you started, you'll wish you started earlier!)

Good luck! :)

There was a time in the past and there may be a time in the future when Jerry Wilson could have and may have a real impact on Oregon politics but this run for Governor on a third party ticket is not the winner. He probably should keep his money in his matress because I don't think he could buy the race is he spent the whole wad. I do like his platform on the state bank however. Wally Priestly introduced a state bank bill every session which ouf course went nowhere and did nothing except line the pockets of the bank lobby that delivered it DOA. Wilson is correct on the marijuana issue of course except I think he fails to realize all that work will have to be done at the ballot box as the Oregon Legislature certainly lacks the intestinal fortitude to undertake such reform. Look at how the Democratic majority even mangeled some as simple as the bottle bill last session. He does have a web site by the way- just marginally interesting.

Steve Shields has a web site too and I read the whole thing in hopes of finding one specific thing about an issue- good luck there. Another former high tech exec that thinks they are genius level and everything will be great if just we elect him. I see- huh- Can't see why he would gain traction even if he spends his money.

Dudley- sounds like a good foil for any Democrat and a wild card in terms of the internal GOP strife- is he a good Bible beater or not- if he his he can't get elected and if he isn't he can't get nominated-

Well if there is anyone that meanders through my posts you know that Bradhaber and Kitzbury leave me somewhat luke warm- but the choice is still between them after these three crash.

"Steve Shields has a web site too and I read the whole thing in hopes of finding one specific thing about an issue- good luck there. Another former high tech exec that thinks they are genius level and everything will be great if just we elect him. I see- huh- Can't see why he would gain traction even if he spends his money."

Thanks, John!

Didn't we learn from the Bruggere experience that we deserve to hear specifics, not just "I'm great and I am not a politician"?

Don't like Kitzhaber or Bradbury? How about Frank Morse if he runs?

Or would that be too boring because all good candidates have little or no government experience but lots of business experience?

Anyone who believes that--did you support Harry Lonsdale? He had a business background but also specific views on issues.

Frank Morse? I can't really see much there I am afraid but I will admit the current crop in the legislature I don't know much about- mostly milk toast. There's a couple I like.

Morse is a Republican yes? That all but spells BIG LOOSER in Oregon today- Kitzbury and Bradhaber are to sharp to loose- all of the action is in the Dem primary IMHO- does not matter how many spoilers- get a good 3rd Party extremely unlikely and the GOP could finish second if they nominate a ultra conservative Bible beater like Atkinson.

Of course there are always freak occurances out there looming as to make never say never...

Honestly I'd pick Kitzhaber as the winner today- safe enough for the big money not to go into hyperdrive- liberal sounding enough to get the sound bites he needs- no big glitches in his record although not a lot to trumpet IMHO unless you are a fish or doctor- He has already momentum from all of the politco and government types that are afraid they might get shut out, etc. Blah Blah- I'd say get used to it. One thing that kind of irks me is that one would have the ego to even go for a third term-

Like I said you want to see the differences between Kitzhaber & Bradbury our Virginia based consultants came up with the ideal debate question that being:

Gentlemen, all things considered, should angling on the DesChute's River with a barbed hook be classified as a Felony or a Misdeamenor? And look for the sparks there...

Personally I don't vote Republican much unless it is a protest vote.

What I still want to see first out of all of these liberals and "progressives" is a plan to feed and shelter the homeless-

I would also say that Kitzhaber did have good judicial appointments and that commends him. I'm not a Kitz hater- it's to me like been there done that seen that there has to be more to it... maybe not - shut up and be glad it's not Kevin Mannix- the man that elected Kulongoski IMHO

Kitzhaber has to have more than a video, and links to contribute, volunteer, sign up for Facebook.

Frank Morse served on both the Public Comm. on the Legislature and the Revenue Restructuring Task Force. Both groups discussed serious issues in detail.

Which candidate will discuss those serious issues? Or once again will we have a campaign of labels, generalities, and snide remarks inflicted on us?

Hey I don't know Frank Morse and he's a great legislator for all I know- but honestly I'd look for "labels, generalities, and snide remarks" if I were taking bets just as the safe space on the wheel.

If somebody really wants to influence those policies they'd be better off to stay in the legislature because all the Governor can do there is propose, sign or veto. You need a pretty forceful personality and persona as Governor to really influence the Legislature in a serious way- I don't think any GOP Gov would get very far with 2 Democratic houses as there would be bargaining to get veto proof legislation you can bet on that one.

I'm not saying anything about your man but honestly being on hot-shot legislative committees does not impress me much having watched too many of the people's representatives sit there asleep or passing notes trying to figure out which lobbyist they are going out to dinner with or writing their memoirs or planning their ascendency to higher office where the chairs are softer and they don't have to share the stage with the other creatons.

My friends tell me to put away the knives and mellow out.

Frank Morse would be my pick if the election were held today. He's been progressive on a lot of issues without losing the stalwart good sense and fiscal responsibility that used to be a hallmark of Republicans like Tom McCall.

He would make the race about issues... too bad he'd have a tough time getting out of the primary.