When they finish celebrating, they should sober up and realize that ignoring minority Republicans would be a very bad idea.

Like it or not, a sizeable chunk of Oregon's voters are Republicans, and even those who don't identify with the party share it's antipathy toward higher taxes and policy pronouncements from Salem. If Democrats trample their GOP colleagues and treat them like second-class citizens, voters will notice. An two years from now, the pendulum will swing back.

Good point. After all, when the Republicans took the state legislature in 1994, they treated their Democratic colleagues with the utmost courtesy and respect, They could have rammed through a highly partisan agenda, but instead they took into account the sizable chunk of Oregon's voters who were Democrats and gave proper consideration to their views.

Oh, wait. They didn't. They treated legislative Democrats like outcasts or even enemies, treated Democratic voters with utter contempt, stymied every bit of legislation that didn't have majority support from the Republican caucus, completely ignored the wishes of everyone but their hardcore partisans, and did their level best to ram through a hardline right-wing agenda.

Of course, the voters took notice, and that's why they punished the Republicans for their arrogance by kicking a bunch of them out of office and putting the Dems back in control in 1996.

Oh, wait ...

Elections have consequences.

We should treat the Republican minority exactly the way Karen Minnis treated the Democrats during the 2005 legislative session.

The Democratic caucuses should meet in closed session to confer and debate about legislation and determine what proposals have the support of a majority of the majority. Then we will go into open session. The Republicans will be provided with copies of the new legislation just before we vote on it, and will not be allowed to propose amendments.

People in districts with Republicans need to be on notice that they'd better elect Democrats, if they want effective representation in the legislature.

Jack Roberts, former Oregon Labor Commissioner, was Rick Dancer’s top adviser during the 2008 campaign for Oregon Secretary of State. He wrote an editorial in the Oregonian about where the future of the GOP, especially in Oregon, is headed - or needs to head.

I am a registered Republican, but I consider myself a moderate. I’m not so narrow-minded to the point that I only vote for a candidate just because there’s an (R) behind his/her name. I don’t hold to such a strict ideology that I’m blinded from good ideas presented by people on the other side of the aisle.

I tend to think that we must give credit where credit is due. Sometimes Republicans have good ideas, and sometimes Democrats have good ideas. Sometimes both fall short. It’s kind of like being married. Even though my wife and I are like-minded in many ways, we have disagreed on many fronts over the years. But we haven’t allowed that from preventing progress in our relationship. I wish politics could be more like that.

Anyway, there was a part of Jack’s editorial that really resonated with me:

"In essence, I believe the challenge for the Republican Party is to become more conservative and less right-wing. We need to be a party of sound principles rather than a rigid, dogmatic ideology. If we start listening to the voters and convince them that their concerns are our concerns, rather than lecturing them to think the way we think, we’ll be in a position to take advantage of the tide when it turns."

I don’t want to be a right-winger. In fact, if the Republican Party in Oregon doesn’t make the changes Jack is suggesting, I may just have to register as an Independent. I guess we’ll see what happens

Definitely, Democrats should take the higher road in considering with respect, the concerns and interests of conservatives and Republicans in Oregon. In terms of the overall health of Oregon, they are equal in importance to Democrats and liberals. The CNN mouse-over map mentioned above shows Oregon to still be a very red state. Decisions in the legislature should be made based upon what's in the best interest of all Oregonians, rather than just of one political party or another.

Now that Dems have a majority in the legislature, they're in a better than ever position to take the initiative in doing this. It's ridiculous to repeat the Minnis era offenses and continue to perpetuate base partisan animosity.

Sounds like Jack Roberts is about to be thrown out of the Republican Party, if he doesn't tone down that kind of heresy against the party.

He's lucky he doesn't currently hold elective office, or Club for Growth would primary him for sure!

Definitely, Democrats should take the higher road in considering with respect, the concerns and interests of conservatives and Republicans in Oregon. In terms of the overall health of Oregon, they are equal in importance to Democrats and liberals. The CNN mouse-over map mentioned above shows Oregon to still be a very red state. Decisions in the legislature should be made based upon what's in the best interest of all Oregonians, rather than just of one political party or another.

Now that Dems have a majority in the legislature, they're in a better than ever position to take the initiative in doing this. It's ridiculous to repeat the Minnis era offenses and continue to perpetuate base partisan animosity.

It for the Legislature to remember that this is a very large state with considerable geo-political diversity. The interest of the entire state need to not only be represented but be perceived as being represented. Getting a decent blue vote out here in the sticks will depend on that.

Revenge is petty and childish. While not abandoning the position of strength that the Democratic party has achieved in Oregon, they treat their Republican colleagues with professional courtesy and respect....as long as that courtesy and respect is a two-way thing. If the Oregon GOP wants to carry on the ugly, divisive, attack-politics of the last decade, the Dems should spank them. Hard.

That said, the Democrats should also remember that they represent all of their constituents, not just the ones who voted for them. I'd hope that Oregonians who vote Republican will feel like their concerns are not wholly ignored. Nonetheless, Democrats are in the control seat and they get to drive the agenda - and I'm pretty darned happy about that. I want them to govern by persuasion, not fiat.

As for the Mail Tribune editorial, I'm pretty much in agreement with Douglas K's observations. It's full of poopie.

"Sounds like Jack Roberts is about to be thrown out of the Republican Party, if he doesn't tone down that kind of heresy against the party.

He's lucky he doesn't currently hold elective office, or Club for Growth would primary him for sure!"

Admiral,

You make my point - and Jack's - beautifully. It's that exact attitude that has gotten the Republican Party where it is today: nowhere!

Oregon Democrats (and Democrats in DC as well) need to give the Republicans a fair say in everything that's brought up for a vote. Whether or not any GOP favored policies pass is a different story, but Democrats need to do everything in their power to make sure the conservative minority has the right to speak.

I've been a Democrat ever since I registered to vote on my 18th birthday, and I was thrilled with the results of Tuesday night's election. I know many of us would love nothing more to slap the GOP for everything they've done to this state and this country since 1994 and push our agenda through by force. But we have to be better than that.

If we give EVERYBODY their fair say and we do our jobs, voters will notice and respect the fact that Democrats are in charge. If we trample their voice in the legislature and push through every point on our agenda, voters will notice and vote Republican in 2 years. We had a great session in 2007. We need to repeat that and gain even bigger majorities by doing things right and reaching across the aisle.

Besides, we Democrats don't always have the right answer. Republicans have good ideas too and we need to be big enough to recognize a good idea when we see one and run with it for the good of the people.

Stacy, Ryan: you are now officially the grownups.

Thank you.

r

"specifically articulated jobs" Interesting phrase, in this context. Sounds like one of those that's intended to convey different meanings to different people. As long as it doesn't imply walking orders that would result in wasting a lot of energy taking out revenge on republicans, fine.

Editorials like the one above are ridiculuous. It is absurd to me to hear the political pundits talk about the "blue wave" - ie that many candidates were only elected because they were democrats - while in the next breathe they warn Democrats not to actually govern as Democrats.

After 2002 and 2004 I recall very few papers warning BushCo that they should govern from the middle and not pursue a hard right agenda. On the contrary, most were warning Democrats that they had to become more conservative or else be obsolete.

Now Democrats have a bigger mandate than Republicans ever did and somehow this means Democrats should pretend to be Republicans.

<h2>I'm not at all concerned about Democratic overreaching. Because Democrats actually care to make government work. Republicans haven't wanted that for 30 years.</h2>