Oregon GOP: A Voice for the Forgotten Upper Class
Charlie Burr
Willamette Week's online Murmurs has a blurb about a cancelled event planned by the College Republicans:
The Oregon Federation of College Republicans had planned to mount a riposte to the left-leaning Oregon Bus Project by staging a Limo Project that would have canvassed gated communities and McMansions for state Senate candidate Jim Torrey in Eugene and state House candidate Shirley Parsons in Tigard. "Rather than traveling in buses—like our liberal adversaries—we ride in style, baby," federation president John Swanson had written supporters about the project slated for last Saturday. Sadly, Swanson subsequently emailed the federation's 20 chapters around the state that the fun was canceled because "folks were concerned it would give a bad image—you know, the whole GOP 'rich person' appearance."
No word if the group's soup kitchen/shelter for the third homeless is still on.
[Update: The Benton County Dems also have a link to the following quote from RNC Chairman, Ken Mehlmann, in response to a question about why GOP leaders are no longer "the straight talkers, the adults." Said Mehlmann, "I think, greed, cynicism, all of those things caused us to do it." [The Daily Show, 6/14/06]. See DNC website for more.]
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10:50 a.m.
Jun 15, '06
Holy crap! What kind of tin ear do you have to have for THAT to seem like a good idea?
11:14 a.m.
Jun 15, '06
I was in high school in Arizona when Terry Goddard and J. Fife Symington II (Just take a guess as to who's the R and who's the D in this lot) were running against each other for Governor. Symington had a $1000 per plate dinner in a wealthy suburb, and Goddard's team got on it and had a free hot dog barbecue in an urban park on the same evening. I remember hearing about it on the news and being really impressed by the D candidate (Goddard) for being the "regular guy." So these things really do matter.
Epilogue: Arizona being what it was in the 80's, Symington won and went on to be a terrible Governor, hired his beautiful but everything-challenged mistress in a high-paying job, was investigated by the feds for misreporting income and other shady dealings, ripped off union retirement funds through bad development deals, yadda yadda. What can I say. He was a good R. Now he's a chef.
1:36 p.m.
Jun 15, '06
Don't sell J. Fife short, he was the third of Arizona Symingtons!
I lived in Flagstaff for a little bit during J. Fife Symington III's tenure, and remember being truly amazed that a self-respecting politician would identify himself that way.
Jun 15, '06
This proves that conservatives just aren't funny (unless they're named P.J. O'Rourke).
"Even Dennis Miller?" "Especially Dennis Miller."
2:47 p.m.
Jun 15, '06
Oh, was Governor Fife the II or the III?
I went to school with the next younger Fife, who's maybe 35 now and I thought he was III. Maybe he's IV.
Anyway, Fife IV was a dimwitted Harvard grad who was unsupportive of the environmental movement because he said we'll all be living on Mars pretty soon anyway. Then he was arrested for urinating in public. He's probably a Senator somewhere now.
Poor Fifes I, II, III and IV. What can we expect from someone with such a cur-sed name.
Bring on the limos.
Jun 15, '06
Jason Fife for Gov!
Jun 16, '06
What I like best about the Limo Project is that the right wingers are copying us (by us I mean the Bus Project), and badly. My first thought on seeing it was, "obviously they didn't read Lakoff's book."
Using people power to defeat money power is OUR frame and the way we're going to win. They can mail and buy ad time all they want, but with organizations like the Bus putting people on the pavement we can counteract that.
As chair of the Lane County Bus Project I see the enthusiasm and energy that our members bring to the process and know that it translates into serious votes. But its more important than that, we're changing the way Oregon does politics. Come November, win or lose, nobody can deny that getting people on the doorstep talking to voters does more for Oregon overall than any high priced ad campaign could ever do. And so if the young republicans want to engage in that process and start actually talking TO people instead of AT them, I'm all for it. The fact that they even considered a limo and knocked us for having a bus (actually we have 2) is a testament to where their values lie. And then the fact that they couldn't even fill a 10 passenger limo shows where the energy lies.
But lets do it - get on the doorstep and talk to people. Next Saturday (6/24) in E. Multnomah Co. people have a chance to do just that. go here to sign up
and then party like its 1999 at DRIVE. (BTW we still had an Oregon Health Plan in 1999.....)
james mattiace Chair, Lane County Bus Project
Jun 16, '06
They'll learn. Oh, will they learn. This November.
10:06 p.m.
Jun 16, '06
Remind me, who was that talking about limousine liberals? Cappucino conservatives reveal who the real elitists are -- let's say thanks for their honesty.
Jun 16, '06
Maybe the College Republicans were infiltrated by "Billionaires for Bush" or the Cacophony Society. Has to be a spoof. Where are those two guys now who insinuate themselves into WTO meetings and such?
Jun 17, '06
Never trust anyone under thirty whose only goal in life appears to be licking the bathroom floors at GOP fundraisers.
<h2>A mind is a terrible thing to waste.</h2>