OR-GOV: Notes on Dudley & Kitzhaber from the folks who've kicked the tires

Kari Chisholm

I'm not typically a fan of newspaper endorsements. But in an election where one candidate - Chris Dudley - has generally avoided public appearances where he'd be required to answer questions from the press and the public (just the one debate), the editorial boards have had unusual access to the candidates.

The editorial boards of the newspapers around the state have had a chance to look the candidates in the eye, ask tough questions, pose follow-ups, and challenge their assumptions.

And what's most suprising to me is just how overwhelming the support has been for John Kitzhaber. They haven't been sanguine about John, certainly he's got a long record, but the reaction to Chris Dudley's readiness for office has been nearly universal.

By my latest count, 19 of 23 newspapers in this state have endorsed John Kitzhaber. From the East Oregonian to Willamette Week, from the Skanner to to the Lake Oswego Review. Here's a few choice cuts (wish I could share more, but too many papers are now behind stupid paywalls):

Oregonian on Kitzhaber:

There's only one way to reduce public anger, and it is not by electing a fresh face or outsider as governor. The answer is to begin to fix the state's deep problems. And there is only one candidate in this race prepared, on Day One, to do what the times demand of Oregon's next governor. That's John Kitzhaber.

Willamette Week on Dudley:

[Dudley] is simply the wrong man for the job. We’ve come to like Republican Chris Dudley over the past several months. ... But there is absolutely nothing in his record that qualifies him to be the chief executive of a state of more than 3.7 million people and a budget of $15 billion.

Medford Mail Tribune on Kitzhaber:

With a minute left on the clock and your basketball team trailing, do you send in an untested rookie, or do you turn to a seasoned veteran who's been in this situation before? We know what we would do, and that's why we recommend Democrat John Kitzhaber for Oregon governor.

Oregonian on Dudley:

Dudley has no public service record. Voters could overlook that if he had experience as a business executive or led a major nonprofit organization. But Dudley's leadership experience amounts to serving as an NBA players union representative and raising money for diabetes care and research. That is not enough. Not when Dudley continues to struggle in interviews and in the one televised debate with Kitzhaber to explain fully how he would address Oregon's difficult problems.

Eugene Weekly on Dudley:

[Health care] is not a simple issue. Nor are the Oregon budget, preservation of strong public education, environmental sanity, job creation and more. That’s why it’s an insult to Oregon voters to suggest that Chris Dudley, a former pro basketball player with absolutely no public policy experience, is equipped to be an effective governor in a tough time.

By Kari Chisholm Oct. 23, 2010