OR-GOV: Chris Dudley gets in. Bruce Hanna gets out. Who's next?
Kari Chisholm
On Wednesday, Chris Dudley announced that he's running for Governor of Oregon. He joins Republicans Bill Sizemore, John Lim, and Allen Alley in the race.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- A former NBA center has formally announced he is running for Oregon Governor.Chris Dudley, a 6'11" Yale graduate, made his official announcement in North Portland on Wednesday. Dudley told supporters he wants to slow the growth of the state budget, and says he considers his lack of political experience a plus.
Dudley played in the NBA for 16 years, including two stints with the Portland Trailblazers. He currently lives in Lake Oswego.
Of course, it remains to be seen how GOP primary voters react. From Willamette Week:
One interested observer was former State Rep. Jeff Kropf (R-Sublimity), who is the state director for Americans for Prosperity and a morning talk show host on KUIK (1360 AM). Kropf heads the tea-bagger movement in Oregon and is a leader of the GOPs conservative wing.Kropf says he has not decided who he’ll support in the GOP primary ... Kropf and the rest of Oregon is waiting to hear where Dudley stands on abortion, which remains a litmus test for many GOP voters.
Where does Dudley stand on abortion rights? At the O, Jeff Mapes got the answer:
Dudley also shrugged off the abortion issue, which frequently comes up in Republican primary races."I'm not running for governor to change our abortion laws," he said. "I'm comfortable with where they are."
When asked whether he would support legislation on such issues as requiring parental notice for a minor seeking an abortion, he replied, "I would look at anything that is brought before me and make a decision based on how it is written."
We'll see how Jeff Kropf and other hard-right Republican voters react to that.
Meanwhile, House Republican leader Rep. Bruce Hanna announced that he's not running for Governor. Mapes:
Oregon House Minority Leader Bruce Hanna got on the phone Wednesday with GOP political leaders around the state to tell them he wasn't going to run for governor.
So, who will the conservative candidate be? Can Bill Sizemore get beyond his legal problems and make inroads with the base? Will Jeff Kropf leave behind the talk show and run himself? Is there another conservative Republican who looks in the mirror and sees a future Governor? Three months to filing day...
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connect with blueoregon
Dec 17, '09
As the Navy SEALS say: "Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock..."
Your attempt to hijack 1/6 of the American economy has failed.
Brian Baird has seen the handwriting on the wall.
Your false prophet, Obama, has failed.
The elections of 2010 draws near.
Judgment day is at hand.
We are coming...
Dec 17, '09
Are you real posters, or is this some kind of test blog, where bots post? I guess all the spam and troll crap answers my question, or you hold a world record. The autogenerated text is pretty good, though. It comes pretty close to a real discussion. Does Mandate Media do the software, or just market it?
Not too bad.
Dec 17, '09
Gee, I'm really not sure James, are you really the third? Or the 6th, or the 9th? What sort of sense of pretense requires you put "III" after your name?
Does it make you feel special? Don't you think it's rather silly?
You're still going to get you asses kicked this year.
Dec 17, '09
Time for bed, Wunderblunder!
Dec 17, '09
Dont worry blues, I am not running for anything. I am having too much fun being a community organizer for freedom!
Dec 17, '09
So, if you are the real Jeff Kroph; what do you think of the Chris Dudley candidacy? Seems pretty vague on the details and pretty long on the 'Remember me, I played for the Trail Blazers' angle to me.
As far as I'm concerned lack of political experience is a minus, not a plus. That would be like saying it would be a plus to have my 87 year old mother play center for the Trail Blazers. No experience----- no big deal. Just get in there and do whatever you think is right.
Dec 17, '09
"I am having too much fun being a community organizer for freedom!"
Sadly, I can't tell if this is ACTUALLY Jeff Kropf or a spoof of Jeff Kropf. Or him spoofing himself.
Either way, the right sure does toss that word "freedom" around a lot. But never in any context other than their wallet.
"Your false prophet, Obama, has failed. The elections of 2010 draws near. Judgment day is at hand."
Same problem. I can't tell if this is an actual conservative or a spoof of a conservative. I can't tell if the "judgment day" reference means that this is an actual bona-fide religious doodad or maybe a reasonable conservative channeling a bad TV show script?
You conservatives... Funny stuff, but you've got a problem if people can't tell the difference between you and your caricatures.
And why is it that Republicans always think that Democrats see Obama as some kind of prophet? I never understood that.
Republican: OMG, You think Obama is a prophet or something! Democrat: What? Republican: Yeah! You want to MARRY him! Democrat: Well, I voted for him and he certainly draws a crowd, but -- Republican: Admit it! He's like a GOD to you... you probably dream about him every night. I certainly don't. Democrat: (rolls eyes) Yeah, whatever. Republican: I knew it.
Dec 17, '09
"Dudley also shrugged off the abortion issue, which frequently comes up in Republican primary races.
"I'm not running for governor to change our abortion laws," he said. "I'm comfortable with where they are.""
Thanks for playing, Mr. Dudley -- the GOP will have some lovely parting gifts for you.
8:21 a.m.
Dec 17, '09
Thanks for playing, Mr. Dudley -- the GOP will have some lovely parting gifts for you.
Ding! We have winner!
8:22 a.m.
Dec 17, '09
Repubs probably are as excited about Dud's candidacy as Blazer fans were with him at center every time Shaq rolled into town. Duds was a serviceable center, but he was a toy Shaq played with (feel free to go search YouTube for that video). Dudley against either Bradbury or Kitz in a debate will be close to the same: he's gonna get posterized.
8:28 a.m.
Dec 17, '09
I vote blue and will not be voting yet another T.V. star into a public place of authority that is way over their head. Then again, who is prepared to be governor unless the have been there before? Go Kitz. Having said all that at least the limp, anemic and a little crazy right arm of the body politic in Oregon is thinking "about higher education, saying he would push for the adoption of former University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer’s recently announced plan to break up the current centralized university system and allow each campus far more autonomy. 'I would embrace Frohnmayer’s blueprint,' Dudley says." http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/12/16/chris-dudley-officially-joins-gop-govs-race/
Dec 17, '09
Jeff Kropf for Governor!
@SpoofDetector -- "Either way, the right sure does toss that word "freedom" around a lot. But never in any context other than their wallet."
Sort of like the statist kooks toss "choice" around, but, only when it has to do with death ... e.g. pro-choice and right to die.
Sick.
Dec 17, '09
Posted by: Not going to say | Dec 17, 2009 8:28:04 AM
I vote blue and will not be voting yet another T.V. star into a public place of authority that is way over their head.
While I agree with the obviously sound sentiment, generic rules will bite you in the ass. I've been spending some time reading what Al Franken actually did this year- bother to get the actual texts- and it is quite impressive. From legal construction to framing leg to mechanics and politicking, he's performed like a veteran.
To be fair, I was looking to make your point, but he seems to have been quite the standout. Looking back, Bill Bradley was also "just an NBA star", and proved to be a real stand-out for NJ. Of course he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Jesse Ventura (who wasn't terrible after election) credited his electoral victory to the sentiment you express. People don't like to be told how they should/shouldn't vote, and definitely don't like being told they're throwing their votes away. Vote. Sorry, not in Chicago anymore.
One has to conclude that ignoring the "stars", just because, is as personality centric as voting for them, just because. Libertarians don't care about personality- just the facts, ma'am. As he hasn't staked out a position on much of anything, he's not worth assessing.
I do think celebrity ability should be considered, though, as celebrities. Was it Eastwood or Newman that used to say of Ronald Reagan, "maybe I should run; I know I'm a better actor". As I said on this day one, his free-throw shooting should be an issue. You can teach a dog to make a free throw. Anyone that can't 25 years into his career has simply not spent enough time on task. That speaks to character
Dec 17, '09
I remember when "Big" Jim Thompson was guv of Illinois. Cost the state about triple on security because he was 6' 10", I think it was. Big too. Dudley would cost some that way.
Posted by: Unrepentant Liberal | Dec 17, 2009 7:57:01 AM
So, if you are the real Jeff Kropf; what do you think of the Chris Dudley candidacy?
Has to be the real deal. I mean editors were soooo careful to edit a post signed "Phil Knight", a ways back, to say "not really"- and it's such a unique name- that this must be the real guy! How likely is it that the editing is completely inconsistent or that some get greater scrutiny?
Dec 17, '09
You're still going to get you asses kicked this year.
I'll believe it when I see it.
Dec 17, '09
a leader of the GOPs conservative wing.
Is that the right metaphor? A huge wing and a vestigial one would be pretty useless, no? A fiddler crab comes more to mind.
Posted by: Geoffrey Ludt | Dec 17, 2009 9:33:23 AM
Jeff Kropf for Governor!
Speaking of unbalanced, it's a Ludtite! Eat shit and bark at the moon, you home schooling troll!
Dec 17, '09
Just a reminder of how "conservative" Jeff Kropf acted when he was a legislator:
http://radioequalizer.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_archive.html
Now in Oregon, a state representative is so eager to host talk shows, he didn't even wait for his term to end or to resign, he jumped right in.
From the Salem Statesman-Journal comes a report that Republican Rep. Jeff Kropf missed a key school-funding vote because he was busy filling in this week for KXL host Lars Larsen. The ego boost was more important than the public duties he was elected to execute.
Reportedly, Kropf already hosts a weekend show on the station. What are sitting politicians doing on the air in any capacity other than as guests?
Yes, Jeff Kropf is such a fiscal conservative that he skipped out on his official governmental duties to make a little extra money on the side.
12:08 p.m.
Dec 17, '09
If I Say I'm Not Saying This Does't Exist:
At least I know I don't exist! If that is the case, my opinions don't exist either and further if that is my state of being you are just a figment of my imagination.
On a serious note, you made some good points about learned stars doing well in politics for the people. It just doesn't sit well with me just how much of a "show" modern politics are and the explanation point is put on that when "True Lies" Arnold can run a state bigger than most countries into the ground, for example.
12:27 p.m.
Dec 17, '09
Unrepentant Liberal & Peri Brown --
That's the real Jeff Kropf.
Dec 17, '09
"Dudley ... says he considers his lack of political experience a plus."
Yeah, those darn Democratic elites, always acting like experience, judgment, and wisdom matter. Paging Gov. Schwarzenegger and Gov. Ventura!
1:30 p.m.
Dec 17, '09
As I was reading through the O's story this morning, I was thinking--Dudley's going to have to bring more game than this. And then I turned to the op-ed page and saw Jack Roberts saying the same thing. I still think Dudley is the fave to win the nomination (given the current slate), but at some point he's going to have to answer policy questions with more than vague pablum. That's when we'll see whether he's a serious candidate or not.
After the primary, the Dems are going to start asking a bunch of hard questions: are you with the teabag wing?; do you agree with national GOP who tried to kill health care?; how do you plan to perpetually cut taxes yet still fund schools and other services you say are mission critical?
But now all he has to do is beat Allen Alley and Bill Sizemore--not exactly the most formidable candidates he could face.
Dec 17, '09
Wonder what folks think of this:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/17/805539/-OR-Gov:-The-Threat-of-Chris-Dudley
2:05 p.m.
Dec 17, '09
Jeff, I don't think Chris necessarily has to get into discussions about the tea-baggers or national health reform. I know in the age of syndicated talk radio and cable news shows, politics seems to get more nationalized than ever. But there are plenty of state issues that are crying for attention: tax reform, jobs and economic development, land use and the environment, transportation funding, etc.
I'm not sure voters are looking for specific answers, but I do think they want candidates who know the questions and can prove they are thinking seriously about them.
Dec 17, '09
Chris Dudley-1560 SAT Score. He attended Yale University from 1983 to 1987 and earned degrees in Political Science and Economics. He was the recipient of the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 1996, and USA Today's Most Caring Athlete Award in 1997. Has paid more oregon income tax then all of Blue Oregon.
Dec 17, '09
After the primary, the Dems are going to start asking a bunch of hard questions: are you with the teabag wing?; do you agree with national GOP who tried to kill health care?
At what point in the campaign do the candidates have to respond to questions from the opposing party? (Answer: never.) Campaigns are now rigid, tightly controlled advertisements. Even in the debates, candidates answer the question they want to answer, not the one they were necessarily asked.
I think it's a mistake to dismiss Dudley. If he's willing to put much money into the race, he'll win the primary. The idea that the Oregon Rs won't ever nominate a moderate has only been tested with milquetoast moderates. And it's never been tested after the kind of slaughter that happened at the polls last November. Leaders like Kropf are obviously going to demand more ideological allegiance, but that doesn't mean that R voters feel the same way. I think the average Republican voter is going to be looking for a win -- any win -- and Dudley is their best hope.
6:00 p.m.
Dec 17, '09
meg:
Are you actually making the argument that because Chris Dudley has had more taxable income, that he is somehow better than everyone else, including all those at Blue Oregon? Bha! You must be from the campaign -- let Lake Oswego keep their SUVs and the chump change they would pay more in taxes if 66 and 67 pass. Plus, if you personally ever had access to mind-numbing wealth you would know it does not come with an IQ or good judgement and isn't going to make you happy. Be happy with what you have peon. Or am I the over-educated peon pointing out to another peon that they will never be upper-class in any sense of the word with garbage like that? Keep sucking up to those billionaires and believing what they tell you! You'll go far!
Dec 17, '09
"I'm not sure voters are looking for specific answers, but I do think they want candidates who know the questions and can prove they are thinking seriously about them. "
Jack, I think it is a mistake to generalize about voters. There is a subset of voters (regardless of their place on any political spectrum) willing to tell friends, "I asked a specific question. X answered, Y did not. I am voting for X"
Just because not everyone thinks that way doesn't lessen the power of such folks talking to friends. Anyone who has ever lived through a recount knows every vote matters--even the votes of people that don't think the way consultants and activists want / expect them to think!
Dec 17, '09
Since Meg and "Not going to say" raise the issue, what are the chances we might hear Dudley's views on 66 & 67 before the end of January (or ever...)?
If Dudley were able to give a serious explanation of his opposition or support (i.e. something that rises even slightly above a laundry list of talking points), then he'd have at least one voter convinced he deserves a serious look.
3:41 p.m.
Dec 18, '09
Jack, I think health care is going to be a local issue in this election, and the votes happening now in Salem will play a role in the next Oregon gubernatorial election. As for teabaggers, they're not a national phenomenon. Chris will have to contend with them, just as every candidate will in 2010--I think that's the lesson of the NY-24 race.
For a long time it was conventional wisdom that the Democrats had a problem with insane wingers in the party. I think the trouble they've had is small potatoes compared to the trouble the GOP is going to have with their wingers. My guess is that Dudley won't excite them; that means he'll definitely have to deal with them.
7:28 a.m.
Dec 21, '09
Jeff, I agree that health care will be will be an issue in the governor's race, I'm just not sure it will be framed as "Did you support the bill Congress passed (or didn't pass)?"
Dec 21, '09
Posted by: Jack Roberts | Dec 21, 2009 7:28:12 AM
Jeff, I agree that health care will be will be an issue in the governor's race, I'm just not sure it will be framed as "Did you support the bill Congress passed (or didn't pass)?"
Boy, you're going to pull 3rd party voters with that one! Dems loved "did you vote for the Patriot Act" so much, they want another such debacle.
For the record, your party voted for corporate interests in both cases, the two biggest cases for doing something for constituents that will ever cross the dias. You were warned a year ago that bidness as usual would be your end.
So long.
Of course you'll win a few more. The Democratic Party of America has done so much to build up right wing talk radio, that you'll be able to play the "you can't vote for them card" a few more cycles. But, as sure as polar bears, you're headed out.