Debate Watch & Howard Dean

A couple of big events to let you know about (besides tonight's Candidates Gone Wild)....

If you're in the Portland area on Tuesday, the Kulongoski campaign is hosting a debate watch party -- free beer, free pizza, lots of Democrats. Doors open at 6:30, debate is at 7:00. It's at "Club Kulongoski" 128 NE 7th. More info.

On Wednesday, Governor Howard Dean will be in Portland. He's headlining a rally with Governor Kulongoski, Senator Wyden, Congressman Blumenauer, Secretary of State Bradbury, Treasurer Edwards and lots more folks. It's at 6 p.m. at Montgomery Park, 2710 NW Vaughn St., Portland. Tickets are ten bucks, and save time by getting 'em online. More info at the DPO.

  • Righty (unverified)
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    Howard Dean is going to help Ted? Yikes.

    I thought Saxton's campaign had expended itself in the past few days, but bringing this wacko in will alienate Ted from many of the mainstream voters and conservative Democrats.

    The Green candidate isn't registering, so it would seem Ted doesn't need to worry about the wacky left and should look to the center.

  • LT (unverified)
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    I thought Saxton's campaign had expended itself in the past few days, but bringing this wacko in will alienate Ted from many of the mainstream voters and conservative Democrats.

    As someone who is more of a Howard Dean fan than a Ted fan (Ted disappointed me in recent years, Howard hasn't), I have to object to that statement. What is a "conservative" these days, anyway? And why shouldn't a party chair come campaign for an incumbent governor?

    When "Maple Powered Howard" was first elected DNC chair, the Capitol Steps did a song to the tune of "Impossible Dream". Made fun of a number of things like "its weird, but it sometimes appears that I don't have a neck". Also that he was the right man for the job because "I never drink decaf, and I'm an MD" although there were those who thought the Democrats might need a mortician instead.

    People aren't saying that about the Democrats these days. Dean wrote an excellent book titled You Have The Power with such "radical " ideas as "if you are looking for leadership, look in the mirror"--everyone can contribute, and all parts of the country deserve to have an active Democratic Party.

    The debate tomorrow will be interesting--will Saxton finally admit that the legislative branch is co-equal with the executive branch, or keep saying everything that went wrong was the current governor's fault and the legislature has no responsibility?

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    Kulongoski was a no show at "Candidates Gone Wild." Saxton was too, but at least he'd declined long ago. Very disappointing and a poke in the eye to that crowd.

    Then, coming home, there's a mailer from the Democratic Party of Oregon. Is this Kulongoski out-Saxtoning Saxton?

    On the front: TIRED OF SCARE TACTICS? Check the Facts.

    "TROOPS TO THE BORDER -- Kulongoski authorized the Oregon National Guard to deploy volunteers to enforce immigration laws at the border.

    "CRACKDOWN ON DRIVER'S LICENSES -- Kulongoski launched an investigation that identified 11,000 suspicious driver's licenses and demanded proof of residency...

    Is this what we're all about? My goodness...

  • Joe12Pack (unverified)
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    Frank,

    One word: Desperation

    The loose foundation Ted has built his bid for reelection upon is crumbling beneath his feet at a pivotal moment in the race. This one's gonna be close and Democrats are showing fear. IF Kulongoski pulls it out in the end, he can thank votes to third-party candidates tipping it in his favor.

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    Kulongoski was a no show at "Candidates Gone Wild."

    At least to provide the official answer: He felt it was inappropriate to attend an event like CGW after spending a day at the funeral of a fallen Oregonian soldier.

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    And they'd already known Kulongoski couldn't make it tonight, which is why he was not listed in the last e-mail they sent out.

    Although I'm not always happy with Ted, I am glad he attends all the funerals for our fallen soldiers. Let's not forget that he has a job to do in addition to running for re-election.

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    Tonight I'm embarrassed.

    I'm ashamed more than I've been in years. Why? Because in a few days when my ballot arrives I'm going to fill in the oval next to Ted's name, and mail it back (actually, I'm going to research the legality of having my roommate do it for me because my personal integrity is going to be so challenged by this act).

    As a sometime student of electoral politics, I know that an abstention or third-party vote is half a vote for Saxton (a man so lacking in any sort of integrity I could never vote for). I would never do that. However, objectively speaking, I must say that Ted does not deserve to win this election. I thought in 2002 I had witnessed the worst campaign ever run, by a runaway favorite against a completely incompetent looney, no less. And yet, despite that narrow victory, Ted has outdone himself this year. Running in a virulently anti-Republican environment against a candidate even more amorphous and non-committal than himself, all Ted really had to do was show up.

    And he didn't.

    Given a chance to speak directly to his base, a supportive, partisan crowd of several hundred, he flaked. Given a chance to energize hundreds to get out the vote, and tell their friends to support him, he chickened out.

    I appreciate what Ted has done in attending the funerals of Oregon's brave fallen soldiers. However, given the somewhat regular rate at which they're falling, it's somewhat disingenuous to assume that the date of a debate won't coincide with a funeral; especially since he has made no effort to challenge the authority of our Idiot-in-Chief to deploy those soldiers to the war in Iraq (a point that actually won some applause for his wacko opponent, Mary Starrett).

    Yes, I'm relatively young (Neil v. Norma is the first guv election I clearly recall), but never in my life have I seen a more inept campaign. And never in my years of voting have I been more chagrined at the knowledge of what I must do when the time to vote arrives.

    Sorry, right-wing loonies, there's no way I'll vote for your guy (or gal). Nor will I abstain or vote for some third-party chump. My vote is begrudgingly going to Ted, and I'm going to hate myself for compromising my integrity, but I'll loathe Ted that much more for making me do it.

    When the Dems retake the House, I trust Jeff Merkley and Peter Courtney to get some good legislation through for the Governor to sign or veto. Though I know he doesn't have the competence nor the integrity to use his office to initiate any legislation on his own, I do believe I can trust Ted to pick up a pen and sign off on the hard work of others. That's more than I can say for Ron so...

    Ted For Governor!

    I guess...

  • Bert Lowry (unverified)
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    Ted seems to be a very rare thing in politics today: an able and effective office-holder, but a bad campaigner. Usually it's the other way around.

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    Although I'm not always happy with Ted, I am glad he attends all the funerals for our fallen soldiers. Let's not forget that he has a job to do in addition to running for re-election.

    While I also respect the governor's attendance at those funerals, Mary Starett --of all people-- won a lot of points with the "Candidates Gone Wild" crowd with her denunciation of the war, and her promise to bring the National Guard home. It was an opportunity missed for the governor, especially when we talk about the importance of energizing younger voters and reconnecting them to the political process.

    Nate's right...he flaked. He cancelled long after I and my friends bought our tickets. One has to wonder if he attended a funeral the morning of his scheduled $250 a couple appearance with Al Gore, he would similarly bug out?

    Very disappointing. And, ironically, Saxton had more of a presence with the life-size cut-out they had of him. Didn't have time, I guess, to gin one up of the guv.

    The Democratic Party of oregon is missing a fundraising bet not selling "Ted for Governor...I guess," bumper stickers. I for one would buy one, and I suspect they'd sell like hotcakes.

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    Whoa, those rum & cokes sure make me feisty. Reading over my post with hindsight though, I still agree with the overwhelming majority of it. There's only one regret. In the last full-sized paragraph I'd substitute "initiative" for "integrity." I don't doubt the integrity of the gov. I was reaching for words and chose poorly. However, he's displayed very little initiative during his time in office, so let's go with that one.

  • youarenuts (unverified)
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    Dear Righty, Hahaha! Howard Dean is a wacko? Um, looked in a mirror lately? You seem pretty darn goofy to me. Thanks for exposing how ridiculous you and your kind have become.

  • courtney (unverified)
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    Debate AfterParty

  • notchomsky (unverified)
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    Howard Dean was a conservative governor of Vermont. The fact that he is consistently presented as a "far-left whacko" is due to the bipartisan accedence to that description. The DLC was more concerned with control over the party in '04 than it was in taking a principled position on the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and that's why Dean's candidacy was destroyed.

    As for Kulongoski, Nate Currie was correct, sans apology.

    <h2>Nate was not correct about the value of voting his conscience, though. Voting your conscience is not the same as voting for a Republican. As long as this is the best Dems can come up with, you will always be losers, even if you win.</h2>
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