OR-GOV: Greg Walden, out.
Kari Chisholm
According to the Associated Press, Congressman Greg Walden has made it official: he's not running for Governor in 2010.
According to KTVZ, he told KBND radio that he can best help Oregon from DC:
“But I’ve come to the conclusion that I can probably do more right now at the federal level,” he said, “because so much of the problems we are encountering starts and ends with what’s happening in Washington right now, with these high deficits killing jobs.”
That last phrase was apparently spoken without any self-aware irony. After all, it was Vice President Dick Cheney that said in 2002, "Reagan proved deficits don't matter".
The Bend Bulletin's Keith Chu shares the analysis from political scientist Jim Moore:
“It clearly is bad for the Republican party, unless they can find a stronger person,” Moore said. “It means the Republicans have to redouble their efforts to find a stronger, more credible candidate than the ones they have.”
This also, of course, makes it very tough for Democrats to win Walden's congressional seat, as he's easily turned back all previous challengers.
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Nov 24, '09
Walden is unelectable in a statewide election, and he knows it.
Seems to me, Oregon's house districts should be redrawn to make the 2nd more competitive for Democrats. Five House districts could be drawn that each had a slight Democratic lean...not enough to all be safe, but enough that we could win them all if we behaved like a good Party and earned it.
If we get a sixth district, I'd be torn between making them all competitive or making five safe blue districts and one GOP district that we would never, ever take.
Nov 24, '09
As i have written here before, Greg Walden is not anything if he is not a political wimp. He doesn't commit to anything unless he is assured he will win, and somebody else will do the work for him. In the 2nd district he has both of those things. What other job could he get that the pay and benefits are so good?
Nov 24, '09
"Walden is unelectable in a statewide election, and he knows it."
How so?
Nov 24, '09
how is walden unelectable but kitzhaber and bradbury are?could one of you liberals please explain to me that?what have kitzhaber and bradbury ever done thats so great and better than walden?
Nov 24, '09
Walden makes a statement about deficits and you link it to Dick Cheney? Pretty thin.
Nov 24, '09
What's wrong with linking the deficits quote to Dick Cheney? When did Walden stand up to deficits in the past? Did he criticize the Bush administration for cutting taxes while waging a war?
And where is his evidence that "high deficits are killing jobs"? If the stimulus plan had not been passed, there would be far fewer jobs in America right now, such as teachers, road pavers, construction workers, etc....
This just shows that Walden is a hack. He knows that a Republican, especially from Eastern Oregon, has a very low shot at winning a state-wide election in Oregon and why give up a safe House seat for that?
Nov 25, '09
OR-GOV: Greg Walden, out.
of touch. At least he tacitly admits it.
Oh, poor little trolls! Your outpouring of grief is truly heart wenching.
Nov 25, '09
There is no way he can win, period!
Dec 9, '09