Morning-after reactions
Kari Chisholm
There will be plenty of time for analysis and recriminations, both deserved and undeserved. For now, some of my initial reactions:
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The election result that will likely have the biggest impact long-term is Jeff Reardon crushing Rep. Mike Schaufler. Notice is served: Democrats who actively work to undermine the will of Democratic voters won't survive when credible challengers are offered in a primary. It helped that Schaufler has personal challenges - misuse of campaign funds, allegations of sexual assault - but the campaign against him was largely about policy.
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Well, it's Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith in the runoff for Portland Mayor. I was, as you know, supporting Eileen Brady. Her campaign was an effective one, but the onslaught from the media was unrelenting. Personally, my biggest disappointment was the non-coverage of Randy Leonard's statement that Charlie Hales was a "showboater" who claimed credit for work that Randy did. In any other town, in any other race, a sitting city commissioner blasting a candidate for mayor in that way would have actually been news - probably front page. At the Oregonian? Nothing. (And let's not even talk about the minimalist coverage given to Hales busted lying in a TV ad.) If you're supporting Jefferson Smith, get ready. The media will be turning its not-exactly-unbiased attention to him next.
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Wow. Those SurveyUSA poll numbers in the Attorney General race were spot on. Congrats to Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon's next Attorney General - and our first woman in the job! Her win is a marked shift from 2008, when the politically-connected but totally-unknown prosecutor defeated the candidate with political experience and Oregon roots. There were race-specific factors, but it seems to me that Oregon Democrats may be less interested in a prosecutor-type for the top post at the Department of Justice.
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There's a shocker in Clackamas County. A full three-quarters of political insiders thought Dave Hunt would make the runoff for the Chair race, and 11% thought he'd win it outright. Instead, he placed fourth - though admittedly in the closest four-way race I've ever seen: Ludlow 28%, Lehan 27%, Savas 24%, Hunt 20%.
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Amanda Fritz vs. Mary Nolan was too-close-to-call heading into election day, and it's going to stay that way. Just a couple hundred votes separate them heading into the general election. This has to be bad news for Amanda Fritz, unless she's able to keep pumping personal cash into the race.
That's just a few highlights. What did you see, hear, or experience on election night? What surprised you?
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6:24 a.m.
May 16, '12
Full disclosure: My firm built Eileen Brady's campaign website, and produced an independent online campaign against Mike Schaufler. I speak only for myself.
7:04 a.m.
May 16, '12
Kari - are you going to endorse in the Portland Mayor race going forward?
I shoulda voted for Ludlow-Lehan based on the lawn signs I saw driving to Madras last week!
7:04 a.m.
May 16, '12
Unrelenting media? I'm pretty sure it was the massive GOTV effort, by many, many Jefferson Smith supporters, talking to thousands of Portlanders, that turned the tide.
7:33 a.m.
May 16, '12
To be sure, the Smith GOTV effort was impressive. In retrospect, it was even more important than anyone realized - as turnout appears to be a dismal 31% or so.
9:50 a.m.
May 16, '12
It should have surprised no one that turnout would be very, very low. Presidential primary moot; no contested federal contests; no high profile ballot measures; AG only major statewide race; persistently high level of undecideds;, etc. etc.
11:03 a.m.
May 16, '12
Yes, of course. The Secretary of State estimate was 40%. 31% means that nearly a quarter of the already-low expected vote didn't show up.
3:16 p.m.
May 16, '12
The question now is, what does a Romney-Obama top ballot race mean for the Hales-Smith race? Who will gain the most from a boost in overall voter turnout this fall?
2:38 p.m.
May 16, '12
The biggest total vote in Multnomah County was was the Library measure that won with 83%. Almost 116,000 out of a little more than 122,000 voters voted on the measure.
7:07 a.m.
May 16, '12
Fabulous news from Jackson County: two "property rights" initiatives are going down by 60%+.
It's also probably a good night for opponents of the CRC highway mega-project (like me).
Mike Schaufler, one of the CRC's most ardent backers in the legislature - and verbal abuser of those who disagreed - lost his bid for reelection.
Tim Knopp won his campaign in part by attacking Sen. Telfer for voting for a gas tax increase. While Telfer was a critic of the megaproject, Knopp's ardent anti-tax stance may make it even harder to find the votes in the legislature for the $450+ million Oregon needs to ante up.
One of Oregon's leading planning and transportation experts and CRC critic Bob Stacey will be joining the Metro Council, as will Sam Chase.
And perhaps most significantly, the CRC's strongest supporter in the Portland mayoral race came in third, while its most outspoken critic made it into the run-off, overcoming a more than two-to-one spending disadvantage and lower starting poll numbers.
Lots to chew on.
Disclaimer: I do some paid work against the costly, risky CRC highway mega-project, and co-chair Bike Walk Vote, which did lots of election work, including supporting Jeff Reardon, Jefferson Smith, Bob Stacey and Sam Chase.
7:15 a.m.
May 16, '12
Brady's campaign "was an effective one"? That's a very odd statement, since when all is said and done she'll likely have spent more money to garnish fewer votes than any local campaign in memory - somewhere in the neighborhood of $60 per vote.
7:31 a.m.
May 16, '12
There will be a lot of time spent - by her team and others - doing post-mortems.
At the end of campaigns, I always try to remember that just because you lost doesn't mean you did everything wrong; and just because you won, doesn't mean you did everything right.
10:06 a.m.
May 16, '12
Yes. And the candidate matters.
I don't know how many people watched the Willamette Week endorsement interview, but Brady was spectacularly bad. I had been considering voting for her until I watched the interview.
10:09 a.m.
May 16, '12
Given where Brady started in early polls, her campaign spent all that money to give away votes. I know several people who planned to vote for Brady when the campaign started but voted for Hales in the end. All of them shop at New Seasons, heard Randy's accusation, noted Hales' inaccurate ads and statements and weren't all that happy with his voting in OR and paying taxes in WA. The reason every one of them gave for their ultimate choice was that every time Eileen Brady had to answer a substantive question the overwhelming impression she gave was that she was not ready to be mayor.
3:59 p.m.
May 16, '12
So if they didn't like Hales and thought Brady wasn't qualified, why did they vote for Hales? Why not vote for Jefferson Smith, who is both honest AND qualified?
4:29 p.m.
May 16, '12
FYI, There are lots of people who don't think Jefferson is qualified to be Mayor.
5:18 p.m.
May 16, '12
Don't worry, Benjamin, your own views are clear and a matter of public record.
6:06 p.m.
May 16, '12
Thanks Stephanie! As you can see I made clear that there are people who don't believe JS is qualified. Certainly opinions vary.
This would differ from your statement which you present as factual, when in actuality it is simply your opinion, which certainly is shared by others.
Just trying to distinguish between facts and opinions.
Thanks again.
7:06 p.m.
May 16, '12
not sure what you're saying here, Benjamin. Are you saying it's a fact that people have opinions? That's how I read it. If so, then ....ok.
7:23 p.m.
May 16, '12
I'm just trying to differentiate between facts and opinions. I wouldn't think that's too much to ask when discussing potential mayors. But that's just my opinion.
9:22 p.m.
May 16, '12
To distinguish between facts and opinions, Benjamin, try putting out some facts that support your statement about Smith.
9:38 p.m.
May 16, '12
My statement was that many people I know feel that JS isn't qualified to be Mayor. Obviously those are many personal opinions. Not sure what you're talking about.
6:45 p.m.
May 17, '12
Haters gonna hate.
8:31 p.m.
May 17, '12
I'm not sure why you all are so fired up. Here's the deal: Factual statement- JS is qualified to be Mayor Opinion- I think JS is qualified to be Mayor and here's why. If JS is all about telling the truth, I would imagine that so are his canvassers. I'm hopeful that all canvassers for any candidate are passionate about their opinions, but mindful of separating opinions from fact. If a Charlie supporter said Charlie has the moral fiber to be Mayor would you all accept that as factual statement? I wouldn't. It has nothing to do with Jefferson or who won the election. It's all about holding ourselves and our politics to a high standard. Be passionate about your opinions, but don't forget that's what they are. I was simply trying to remind Stephanie of that in my original comment and somehow this has been wildly misconstrued.
8:05 a.m.
May 16, '12
Kari, really. We may be hung over but we're not stupid. An effective campaign brought down by rapacious Portland media? That would have turned if only people knew Randy Leonard thought Charlie was a showboater? The charge you're making is that failure to look at Hales' negatives is what caused Brady to drop like a stone in the campaign's final month. I don't see the logic in that at all.
I think Eileen had a viable message, but at a certain point dollars do not cast ballots. The PBA does GOT$, not GOTV. TV ads don't knock doors. There was a core activist Brady community, but it was too small to build word of mouth organically. And if it wasn't obvious already that being the "big money" candidate carries some dangerous freight in this town, woe betide the next person who won't yet heed the message.
I think Brady also simply got outwonked. Up on stage it was clear Hales and Smith had deeper understandings of the City and the way it works. That's not a surprise; she was not a politician and she was proud of it. Turns out primary voters want SOME wonkery; Charlie took the plurality based on the premise of being a safely experienced choice.
The ideas were fine. I think you have to look at campaign strategy and presentation to see where things went wrong. And that's probably why Kari wants to blame the media.
9:27 a.m.
May 16, '12
That would have turned if only people knew Randy Leonard thought Charlie was a showboater?
No, that's not what I said.
I just said that the failure to cover that event as news was my biggest disappointment in how the race played out.
As I said above, there will be plenty of time for post-mortems. I won't attempt to sort it out less than 12 hours after it came to an end.
10:11 a.m.
May 16, '12
Kari,
With all due respect, really?
I have a grudging respect for Randy Leonard, but he's not the poster boy for the non-showboaters of the world.
I know this is probably a tough pill to swallow, but it seems to me that your candidate's performance in some high-profile events would be a bigger disappointment than the lack of coverage of a showboating city councilor calling someone else a showboater.
8:06 a.m.
May 16, '12
The Brady website was nice. The Brady platform was unclear.
I don't believe the flap over whether she was as involved with New Seasons as she says she was made a difference. After all, Hales had the residency/tax issue to deal with (or feign ignorance of). His supporters were willing to overlook that.
My takeaway from the Brady campaign was "say little in an enthusiastic way". It was a clean campaign but, after a nice first impression, it didn't connect. Surely that's the fault of the candidate/campaign and not the voters.
9:25 a.m.
May 16, '12
To be fair, the campaign rolled out many detailed policy platforms and Eileen did offer many specifics. I'll leave it to others to dissect the withertos and the whyfors.
And, disclaimer, I worked with Kari and Eileen in the primary.
10:18 a.m.
May 16, '12
Like I said, the ideas were largely good ones. She had much the same perspective on growing jobs at home rather than begging outside companies to move that Jeff did, and she has experience with mentoring/marketing/lending initiatives that allowed it to be one of the places where she could really speak with authority. I was impressed last night byJefferson's nod to his respect and affection for Eileen as a candidate and person. She handled herself gracefully last night as well, on a night that must have been a real shock based on where they thought they'd be. Eileen herself was not really the problem.
8:34 a.m.
May 16, '12
I am saddened that Eileen Brady did not make it to the runoff.I wanted to like her however I could not make the connection to what her actual platform was.
I am always interested in how people vote and why they vote (or not vote at all) the way they do.
I talked to many people and it seemed people voted based on minimal information. Most people who I talked to had very little knowledge of any of the candidates.I actually took the time to email each of the candidates and I really could not distinquish one candidate from another other than the energy of the people working for the candidate.
The 69 percent non voting rate said a lot about each of these three candidates. There was not a lot to get excited about. And I really wanted to get excited about one of them.
5:57 p.m.
May 16, '12
I'm not a wonk, or even very politically astute, but I did take a little time on the mayor race, although not a lot.
Eileen Brady? In Portland, business connections don't pull a lot of weight in the public mind and may be perceived as a negative, but in the end it was her own lack of knowledge of Portland inner workings that led me to not support her. Charlie Hales? The Oregon tax issue made it a no-brainer. I am just amazed that he could even be in the race, much less leading. After Sam Adams I thought we had developed a nose for bad smells, but silly me. I always liked Jefferson Smith, but might have leaned for Hales had it not been for the tax issue. I just can't vote for Hales, and I am mystified at how he isn't called to account for his actions. Talk about a media blind side, this screams out.
8:35 a.m.
May 16, '12
Here's hoping that Democrats will now rally fiercely behind Charlotte Lehan in the Clackamas County Chair's race and Jamie Dimon in the Clackamas County Commission Position 4 race. The Republican party big money is betting big on taking over the Clackamas County Commission and we need to fight back with a united front.
9:54 a.m.
May 16, '12
That would be Jamie DAMON we want to rally behind. There are some pretty ferocious things we might want to do to JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, but....
;-)
2:26 p.m.
May 17, '12
Yeah, Jamie Damon is conflict resolution professional who actually hails from rural Clackamas County and has done an outstanding job during her short appointed term, and will be facing Tootie "Glock Raffle" Smith in the general. Jamie Dimon is just another Wall Street Weasel, who still ain't gettin' what's comin' to him despite almost daily updates of recent weaselitude.
9:25 a.m.
May 16, '12
Hi Kari, I completely disagree with your analysis of the Rosenblum-Holton race. What absolutely killed Holton wasn't that he was a prosecutor, it was that he appeared to be a drug-warrior who refused to accept Oregon's medical marijuana laws.
Even discounting the trillions wasted on what's really just codified racial oppression (as anyone can see by looking at the disproportionate conviction rate between whites and blacks), how can you elect as your top State cop someone who refuses to defend State law? That the job.
John Kroger, by contrast, sold himself quite effectively as an effective advocate for Oregon values. His prosecutorial emphasis was on enforcing laws that entrenched right wing forces don't want enforced, including environmental laws, banking laws, fair lending laws, etc. Fighting real mafiosos who kill people certainly didn't hurt either - because those are real criminals doing real crimes. Not made-up right wing BS. As opposed to binge-drinking and the hundreds of thousands of nicotine related deaths each year, no college kid in a dorm room was ever killed through cannabis intoxication.
I was leaning towards Holton early in this race because he seemed far more energetic and has a to-do list that I really liked. Rosenblum speaks with a curious passivity that I hope isn't reflected in her work. I'd rather this office not disappear back into the woodwork the way it was when Hardy Meyers was AG. But my vote changed over the drug war. We have to start treating addition as a medical condition - not a crime. As Europe has already shown, this reduces drug usage to a far greater degree than anything the U.S. has done in the last 60 years.
11:44 a.m.
May 16, '12
Steven, I think you swallowed the lies from the pot heads. Dwight stated very clearly that he would enforce Oregon's medical marijuana laws, that he believed in their righteousness, and that he would work with the legislature to ensure that patients could get good access to medical marijuana and not run afoul of federal laws. Unfortunately this was not enough for those who want to totally legalize marijuana for all.
However, I do share your view that this was not a vote by the citizens of the state that they do not want a prosecutor as AG. Let's keep in mind that Rosenblum won about 15%? of the Oregon electorate in a primary that excluded independents and Republicans and had very low turnout of Democrats.
12:44 p.m.
May 16, '12
I just checked, Rosenblum won 8.5% of all registered voters and 21% of all registered Democrats. Not exactly a mandate any way you look at it.
5:51 p.m.
May 16, '12
if you want to look at it like that, Holton won 4.5% of all registered voters. All we can do is go by those who vote and, of those Democrats who cared enough, Rosenblum won in a landslide.
5:26 p.m.
May 16, '12
Wow, "pot heads" huh? It would behoove you to stand up and defend prohibition, if you really believe that Democrats shouldn't be demanding reform. What part of the 100 year history of Prohibition in America would you say represents the values that the Democratic party ought to stand behind? Name calling isn't an argument, and it's uncalled for here.
10:05 a.m.
May 17, '12
Mr. Holton picked a fight with survivors: fighters who think outside the box, or we wouldn't be in the OMMP in the first place. I have always been in full compliance with all OMMP rules and regulations, but that didn't stop him from sending me letters. I'm a stage 4 cancer patient. If he doesn't recognize me as qualified to be in the program, he has no respect for it. Period. But more importantly, he's not qualified to make that determination.The fact that he wanted to make it a major part of his job is deeply distrubing.
9:28 a.m.
May 16, '12
The story on Leonard's attack is not that it wasn't covered, it's that it wasn't effective. This election will be a changing of the guard at City Hall. Randy could be very effective at points, but the bluster has worn thin.
11:37 a.m.
May 16, '12
To be clear: Randy was right.
Charlie Hales invented a memory of something that he didn't do, and Randy did.
It wasn't a slip of the tongue. It wasn't a minor inaccuracy in a fact claim. He invented an entire story of bold action in the face of adversity, and told it with great aplomb. Only it wasn't him, it was Randy Leonard. And it was at the very core of Charlie's claim to leadership on school funding.
And I do think that the Oregonian's decision to bury that story under a dismissive headline on an interior page was shameful.
Typically, conflict feeds media coverage. With Commissioner Leonard weighing in, I would have expected a fresh round of media coverage of Charlie Hales's falsehood. In any other city, in any other race, that would have led the news.
Maybe you're right. Maybe reporters are tired of Randy Leonard. But he was right. And it was news.
(And I should point out here - Leonard is a supporter of Smith. Presumably, if asked, he would have made a case for Smith in the story.)
11:54 a.m.
May 16, '12
Kari, you mention the Oregonian. How did you feel about the way the Willamette Week covered the race? As I saw it they did whatever they could to slam Brady and promote Hales, even down to the photos and captions they chose to use.
9:29 p.m.
May 16, '12
Something WW also did against Fritz.
12:35 p.m.
May 16, '12
Another candidate that the O endorsed was Jennifer Williamson who did the same thing as Hales on education only at the state level. WW caught it, but the O never published the story.
7:37 p.m.
May 16, '12
No Randy was not right. He was making a personal attack trying to hurt Charlie's chances plain and simple. Charlie Hales worked to help public schools every day he was in public office. I think he mixed up a few dates. That's the story and quite frankly it ain't that scintilating. The grapes you're hurling today taste pretty sour to your readers. Eileen lost fair and square. Done in by the same media who had undeservedly annoited her the frontrunner? Really?
7:52 p.m.
May 16, '12
No, Marc, go back and watch the tape(s).
He didn't get a date or a fact wrong. That's totally forgivable. If he said he did something in 1998 when it was really 1994, whatever. If he said he did something that saved $7 million when it was really $6.2, whatever.
But he told this very compelling story about how the school year was at risk, so he convened the teachers and local leaders, and working with Mayor Katz he negotiated a deal to trade a couple of weeks of unpaid time from teachers in exchange for a promise of city funding.
A compelling story, loaded with detail, that made a powerful case for his experience, creativity, and leadership on an issue critically important to voters.
There was just one problem: IT WASN'T HIM.
It happened in 2003, and it was Randy Leonard who did all that stuff.
Misplacing or misstating a date or a fact is one thing. Inventing a whole memory from nothing is... well, "bizarre" is one word for it. There are other words that might be even more damning.
Sour grapes? Maybe. But I think any fair judgment on what is news and what is not would include a candidate for mayor making up a story - and the direct criticism from a sitting member of the council for that fantasy.
10:52 p.m.
May 18, '12
It reminded me a little bit of the way Ronald Reagan used to "remember" scenes from his movies as things that he had done in real life.
9:43 a.m.
May 16, '12
I remember posting at the time that Smith got in the race that he had a quiet army of volunteers that were devoted to him and could make a huge difference when it came time to GOTV. It looks like I wasn't to far off the mark.
But even that didn't make all the difference. I'd like to see the numbers on this, but my impression is that Smith got an overwhelming percentage of those who decided in the final weeks of the campaign. He was polling, what, at around 10% just a few weeks back? And then he comes on like gangbusters and swamps Brady.
Now consider if those same percentages hold up for Smith when the rest of the low-information voters come on board in November. Smith could very well win this thing in a blowout.
I'll tell you one thing, a Smith/Hales race will be a lot more interesting to watch than a Brady/Hales race. It will probably come down to whether people want something old(safe) or new(risky).
11:50 a.m.
May 16, '12
You thought we were QUIET? Where on earth did you get that idea? %^>
1:39 p.m.
May 17, '12
" It will probably come down to whether people want something old(safe) or new(risky)."
This is where the argument that we don't want someone who will be doing on-the-job training comes from.
Follow that to it's logical conclusion, and we go down the slippery slope back to city states and feudal kings - in a world where global access is ubiquitous and yet.
Consider for a moment not risking by utilizing new technology or embracing new cultures and opinions as being equally valued.
The People's Republic of Portland is not populated by folks who are risk adverse because it means change or a learning curve.
They are risk adverse to missed opportunity, like stable funding for a public school system decade after decade, like closing Outdoor School or like starving the libraries for funds. They are risk adverse to unnecessary expenses, like a CRC plan that doesn't meet specs and req's, or zoning subsidies that never end or provide a return. That right there is is pretty old stuff.
The concept of "old" or "new" ways were artifacts of the industrial era. Fact is, there is no more "old" or "new" way. That's not the way it is now. People no longer stop learning or changing at some point in their lives. I blame rock and roll for this, because it never dies.
9:48 a.m.
May 16, '12
The Oregon League of Conservation Voters had a good night, winning nearly all of our target races. The Reardon win was especially sweet.
One of the key takeaways was the importance of building a strong coalition. The Reardon campaign was able to enlist OSEA, AFSCME, OLCV, WFP, Bike Walk Vote and many others to put together a strong field and communications effort. Very well run campaign.
Looking ahead to November, we will need an equally strong group effort in Clackamas County. I really can't stress enough how important it is that Clackamas not slip into the abyss. I hope other progressive groups -- including those who were helping Schaufler -- give the Lehan race the attention it deserves. There's a lot at stake in preventing the astroturf Tea Party from taking hold. Portland Creep? Nevada Creep is more like it.
10:09 a.m.
May 16, '12
I think the Nevada Creep did dump a fair bit of money into that slate!
10:38 a.m.
May 16, '12
I see a new campaign idea! Billboards on I-205. Radio ads. "Stop the Nevada Creep"
11:05 a.m.
May 16, '12
Another thing about the Reardon race: This was the first campaign ever run by Reardon's manager, Edward McGlone. What a way to start a career. It's pretty awesome to see the next generation of political talent pull something off like this. Edward ran a nearly flawless campaign.
11:03 a.m.
May 16, '12
Working Families Party had a HUGE night.
11:32 a.m.
May 16, '12
As for dogs that didn't bark, I'm still shocked that Hales' early departure from the City Council hasn't become an issue. His purported relative strength, especially transitioning to a head-to-head with Smith, is experience.
Shouldn't we be wary that his last experience on the Council included quitting early for more lucrative work?
2:00 p.m.
May 17, '12
That, and Hales claim that voters need someone with experience, yet Vera Katz didn't have any city council experience when she was elected mayor. She had legislative experience... but then, so does Jefferson Smith.
12:22 p.m.
May 16, '12
Eileen Brady is a smart, nice, obviously capable person. I encountered her many times at candidate debates and forums, and even though it was clear that I was supporting another candidate, she was always quick with a smile and a greeting (and even the occasional compliment), cordial, and pleasant. I liked her personally very much and it is clear that she loves Portland and wants only the best for our city. Also I met her mom and her mom kicks ass.
That's all I am going to say.
1:01 p.m.
May 16, '12
In the Schaufler race..people misjudged how money and outside endorsements do not mean as much to voters in a legislative district as their impression of the candidates, hopefully formed thru personal contact and thru the impressions of others in the district whom the listen to. All politics IS local.
1:29 p.m.
May 16, '12
It probably also hurt Schauffler that after redistricting, a large portion of the district was new voters for him. Rarely are things black and white and rarely is one issue what carries the vote.
1:04 p.m.
May 16, '12
Reardon clearly connected best to the district and had the local support as well as dedicated volunteers that reflected local values. The Work and Family party and the LCV were consistent with those values. Money could not overcome these facts.
2:42 p.m.
May 16, '12
How I'd love to be a fly on the wall the next time Tim Kaine and Dwight Holton hang out... "Wow, those marijuana folks sure did give you a tough time, huh?"
2:49 p.m.
May 16, '12
In the Democratic presidential primary in Multnomah County, 10% of voters either wrote in someone other than President Obama, or abstained (70,692 votes for the president out of 78,468 total). Does this matter?
3:28 p.m.
May 16, '12
In a word, no. While I'm sure there will be a smattering of write-ins for the Presidential slot on the Nov. ballot, many voters are simply expressing themselves now with a bit of a protest in an election that is a foregone conclusion. While there will always be those that let the perfect idea obstruct a good decision, once those protesters think about the ramifications of a Romney Presidency, most will be casting their ballot for the President.
4:16 p.m.
May 16, '12
Indeed.
Mitt only got 70% of the Republican vote. Does that mean 30% of Republicans won't vote for him in the Fall? Hardly.
9:34 p.m.
May 16, '12
This is not the perfect being the enemy of the good. It is the progressive being the enemy of the corporate war criminal.
9:37 a.m.
May 17, '12
Are you calling President Obama a corporate war criminal?
12:42 p.m.
May 17, '12
He may not be the criminal, but protecting them is just as bad. And on civil liberties I do feel he has done criminal acts, yes. Can't redeem that with a vote.
10:07 a.m.
May 18, '12
IBID.
...and I will add this. Grumpy liberals led by Ted Kennedy mounted a challenge to Jimmy Carter in 1980. Carter survived the Convention, but the damage was done, the tone was set, and Carter was unable to survive the multifaceted Reagan onslaught.
While Jimmy Carter was no progressive, his acumen on energy issues was clear. But in January 1981, Reagan took the oath of office, ripped the Solar panels off the White House and started the Country down the trickle-down economic cycle.
You really want to pout your way to MR. Trickle down on steroids?
10:09 a.m.
May 18, '12
The IBID, of course, refers to my immediately previous comment to Bill Mc
9:52 a.m.
May 18, '12
... and so you would open the door for the ultimate corporate hustler, Mitt Romney?
Frankly, I am tired of the sanctimony and righteousness. Waiting on Mister or Ms. Perfect would be a futile lifelong endeavor. Reality dictates that we must do the best we can with what who is before us, and think of the long term.
The Nov. Pres. election is not page 2 and 3 of a diner menu, it is a distinct choice between radically different candidates.
But you go ahead and stay home, nestle in with your hyperbole, and help pave the path for SCOTUS appointments that will create a generation of corporate friendly decisions.
4:54 p.m.
May 16, '12
Come on Kari. They didn't cover it because it wasn't newsworthy. Randy Leonard has disliked Charlie ever since he forced Randy and the fire union to diversify their ranks (Randy and the union sued the city and lost). As far as being a showboat? I guess it takes one to know one since Randy turned around a few years later, when running for elected office and took "credit" for the very thing he sued to stop. Now that's showboating.
5:13 p.m.
May 16, '12
My impression? Hales got a huge pass in this primary.
And his campaign ran a smart race in keeping him above the fray and the "safe" choice in an electorate that was overwhelmingly older.
He's not going to get it again. The fall electorate is going to be very different and the media attention a lot more focused.
As for Clackamas. I cannot stress how important this fall campaign is going to be for the future of this region.
The amount of money Oregon Transformation PAC poured into this primary is only going to double and all those conservative guns are going to be trained on Charlotte Lehan and Jamie Damon.
We need to organize and organize now.
Full disclosure: Lehan and Damon are clients of mine.
4:49 p.m.
May 17, '12
What a great campaign victory for Ellen Rosenblum and supporters of sensible cannabis laws. Not only will Judge Rosenblum be the first female Oregon Attorney General, but Dwight Holton may be the last state-wide Democratic candidate who doesn't believe that cannabis cases should be considered a low-law enforcement priority. Cannabis Prohibition clearly doesn't work. Our state would be better off redirecting our law enforcement resources and tax dollars towards other, more serious concerns.