Flashback

In honor of today's absurd "leap of faith" Oregonian endorsement of Ron Saxton, we thought we'd look back at the endorsement the Oregonian made in October 2000:

But something else goes to the heart of our preference for Bush. To be successful, the next president must be more than the sum of his views on the issues. He must have a talent for listening, setting priorities and he must be authentic.

During his tenure as governor, Bush has shown he can listen. He has been almost self-consciously bipartisan in Austin. His selection of a group of strong advisers -- Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, foreign-affairs expert Condoleezza Rice, innovative Indianapolis mayor Stephen Goldsmith, Montana Gov. Marc Racicot -- shows both moderation and a willingness to consider a wide range of views. ...

And Bush is not stupid. Dull men do not achieve what Bush has achieved in Texas. They do not reverse their political party's decades-long callousness toward the poor and people of color, as Bush has done. ...

Neither candidate in this campaign has captured the public imagination the way a Roosevelt, Kennedy or Reagan might. But on a range of topics, and in a variety of ways, we think Bush has shown he has the intellect, character, fortitude and talent to be a better president.

Clearly, the Oregonian is a great judge of character. If you like George Bush, you're gonna love Ron Saxton.

  • Righty (unverified)
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    Let me get this straight...

    Because the Oregonian endorsed Bush in 2000 and now endorses Saxton, Saxton and Bush are the same in essentials?

    But didn't the Oregonian endorse Clinto in 1992 and 1996?

    Saxton seems much more like Clinton than Bush - ambitious, no principles, etc.

  • Garrett (unverified)
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    I think they endorsed Clinton both times and Kerry in 04. Unfortunately it was their only 3 endorsements of Dems for President ever. I cancelled my subscription years ago after I moved here when I quickly realized it was a terrible newspaper.

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    Righty Because the Oregonian endorsed Bush in 2000 and now endorses Saxton, Saxton and Bush are the same in essentials?

    Well duh, you stupid chickenhawk troll. Saxton, like Bush, has run a campaign that is little more than well financed hit pieces that seriously misrepresents his opponent's record, dodges questions raised by his own advertising, has been caught in numerous lies, runs as a moderate so-called "compassonate" conservative (while giving out coded messages to his supporters that he's anything but), and is a darling of the so-called "mainstream" (moderate Republican) press who engage in absurd double-standards.

    The only good thing is that as governor, he won't be able to ignore terrorist attacks, and manage to lose one war by starting another on a web of lies. Instead all he can do is completely annihilate higher education.

  • CIA (unverified)
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    while giving out coded messages to his supporters that he's anything but

    Wait! Let me get my secret de-coder ring so I can understand the message Ron Saxton is sending me through this commercial on my TV screen.

  • linus (unverified)
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    Saxton doesn't meet my criteria...

    Vote for those who oppose the war.

    Don't vote for those who are for the war.

    It's as simple as that, and has nothing to do with which party they belong to.

  • linus (unverified)
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    Saxton doesn't meet my criteria...

    Vote for those who oppose the war.

    Don't vote for those who are for the war.

    It's as simple as that, and has nothing to do with which party they belong to.

  • Mister Tee (unverified)
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    Teddy K has done a great job opposing The War. He was for the war before he was against it? Does he think we should restore Saddam Hussein to power, or just let him out of jail with a polite, "No hard feelings, buddy", $50 dollars, and a bus ticket to Revenge City.

    Linus: blanket, thumb, nappy. Off to bed!

  • Rogue and Poet (unverified)
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    To beat a Bush or a Saxton you simply have to have a better candidate and a positive message. Frankly, as a conservative I have yet to meet a conservative that truly likes Saxton. Nevertheless, Kulongowski is just not a better candidate.

    As far the "war" being the single issue; What do we do about the horrific treatment of women under the rule of the religious right in the arab world, or the slavery and torture that occurs in that culture. Those people need a shot at something better and our servicemen by and large believe in giving those people a shot. I've met many returning soldiers and they believe they are on a purposeful mission. I can understand the concern that it's all about the oil, or that we've made mistakes, but pulling out and letting those people burn in that hell of intolerance should not be a choice we make easily.

  • Buzzzzsaw (unverified)
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    I did a perfect spit take with my morning brew of Stumptown coffee yesterday when I turned to the editorial page and discovered the O had endorsed a man who had never held elected office, who offered voters the most deceitful and deceptive campaign in recent memory and who provided ZERO specifics on what his grandiose scheme to return efficiency to government really means.

    This was the last straw. The last time I will drag this sorry ass excuse for a newspaper from my driveway and sort through it only to find feeble-to-no coverage of local stories, culture pieces that are a day late and a dollar short, and political endorsements that are an outrage. I have cancelled my subscription to the Oregonian and encourage others to do the same.

  • Righty (unverified)
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    You drink coffee at Stumptown coffee? I heard that many claim it has the best cup of joe.

    I have always been partial to Costello's Travel Cage, but I walk by Stumptown every day to my office.

  • Peter Noordijk (unverified)
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    I should be astonished at the O's endorsement, but having endured their 2000 endorsement of Bush- based largely on the same "logic" they used for Saxton, I am not too surprized. Sarasohn told a group of us then that the endorsement process isn't democratic- they meet and discuss then the editor decides who to endorse. The endorsement of Bush overruled the editorial staff and i suspect the same thing has happened here.
    Saxton's commercials tell us everything we need to know about him. No illegal immigrant voters- ever have voted- I called his campaign to find out who or when someone had voted, they had no information on it. The "report card" he claims says Oregon's education system fails is for higher ed- and it is because of unstable funding and he is against all the recommended changes. Saxton is fundementally dishonest, will say anything to anyone at anytime to get elected, just like W. And just like W. maybe he believes that he can magically cut taxes and increase spending without driving up a deficit. Or maybe they are both liars.

  • Stan Pdgorny (unverified)
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    So how does a sittin' gov'nr blow a 12-point lead with the 'lection still a month away?

    Right, shoot th' messing'r an' pertend the message ain't at fault.

  • Sally (unverified)
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    <h2>Pitiful. And weak. Here's your analogy: four years ago The Oregonian endorsed Kulongoski. Looks like they learned their lesson both times round, doesn't it?</h2>
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