In trouble in Oregon, Gordon Smith hits the road.

According to The Politico - a new all-politics newspaper in Washingon DC - Senator Gordon Smith will join three other endangered Republican Senators on a nationwide fundraising tour.

The Senate's endangered Republican quartet is on tour -- a nationwide, months-long fundraising road show likely to stop at a hotel conference room near you.

Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he expects to put together as many as 30 joint fundraising events around the country for the four most vulnerable senators of 2008: Sens. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine, Gordon Smith of Oregon and John Sununu of New Hampshire.

[The group] heads out on a two-day stint in late May with stops in Houston, Dallas and Las Vegas, according to the NRSC.

Make a donation to Oregon's eventual Democratic nominee - or to Steve Novick for US Senate.

Discuss.

  • Bill Bodden (unverified)
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    As an independent I lack sufficient faith in the Democratic Party to make a blind donation to whomever the party might come up with to run against Smith. While I admire Steve Novick's history, I doubt that he will be a viable candidate because of the shallowness of the average voter. I would also like to suggest a thread to invite "Democrats for Smith" to explain their positions. I asked one on another thread to do so, but last time I checked he/she didn't respond. It seems they have no more faith in their own party than independents. The one consolation for opponents of Smith is that it appears he recognizes has accumulated enough negatives that he has some explaining (spinning) to do.

  • John Mulvey (unverified)
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    I'm surprised Susan Collins is willing to be joined at the hip with the other three --she's got some integrity and actually is a moderate. Hitching her wagon to those other losers could prove to be a big mistake for her.

    John

  • Bill Bodden (unverified)
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    Check Susan Collins' record. It isn't much better than Smith's. She talked a good game on occasions, but like Arlen Specter when it came down to action, she came up short.

  • Buckman Res (unverified)
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    Make a donation to Oregon's eventual Democratic nominee - or to Steve Novick for US Senate.

    Wow, ol’ Steve must be feeling like the red-headed stepchild of the Oregon Democratic Party right about now. Not much love in the above endorsement.

    With friends like that he doesn’t need any enemies.

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    The DPO does not take positions in primaries.

    Everyone who will run for the Democratic nomination is a Democrat. We don't pick one over the other. We simply support the winner with all the resources we can muster.

    Same goes for the Presidential primaries.

    Sometimes, individuals will take a position, but the Party itself does not.

  • Bill Bodden (unverified)
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    Everyone who will run for the Democratic nomination is a Democrat. We (Democratic party) don't pick one over the other. We simply support the winner with all the resources we can muster.

    The problem here for the Democrats is that independents will be turned off if the Democratic candidate is just another tweedle-dum to the Republicans' tweedle-dee, especially if he/she runs a pathetic campaign similar to those run by Gore and Kerry. Some of us are tired of voting for the lesser evil because the inevitable consequence of that is that you still get evil.

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    ...independents will be turned off if the Democratic candidate is just another tweedle-dum to the Republicans' tweedle-dee

    That's why independents should get involved in the process of deciding who that person will be.

    Select who you want to see in the race in November and donate your time and money. Consider changing your registration so you can vote in the primary -- it's extremely easy to change it back afterwards. Then you definitely have a say in who's there in November.

  • Bill Bodden (unverified)
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    Select who you want to see in the race in November and donate your time and money. Consider changing your registration so you can vote in the primary -- it's extremely easy to change it back afterwards.

    I did the above for Kulongoski for his first run for governor, and the only consolation there was that he was definitely the lesser evil. I would have preferred Jim Hill, but I figured he would be turned down by the racists in both parties. If it weren't for that I would endorse him to run against Smith. For the record, I responded to a call in an earlier thread and donated to Peter de Fazio, but that was more in appreciation for courtesy he showed me when I was campaigning to ban land mines that Smith considers to be suitable for littering around the world. Presumably, Smith is also unconcerned with the hundreds of thousands of cluster bombs the Israelis scattered around southern Lebanon where children are probably still being maimed or killed thinking they are something to play with.

    As for influencing the party oligarchs at the state and national levels, I doubt that people outside of their cabals will have much influence unless they come in overwhelmingly large numbers. Note how the DLC and their cohorts ganged up on Howard Dean despite his immense popularity. And what did they give us? Flip-flop, blowing-in-the-wind, go-with-the-focus-groups Kerry.

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    Make a donation to Oregon's eventual Democratic nominee - or to Steve Novick for US Senate. Wow, ol’ Steve must be feeling like the red-headed stepchild of the Oregon Democratic Party right about now. Not much love in the above endorsement.

    First of all, that one-sentence was published here at BlueOregon -- not by the Democratic Party of Oregon. There's a difference, y'know...

    Second, that was NOT an attempt to suggest obliquely that Steve Novick wouldn't be the nominee... Rather, it was an indication that there are at least two separate places where your "Let's Beat Gordon Smith" money could go right now.

    I'll try and be more artful next time, if you'll promise not to read magic smoke signals where there are none.

    As usual, Hanlon's Razor applies: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

  • JohnH (unverified)
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    Democrats should be able to take advantage of Smith's nationwide tour to nail him. How many wealthy donors will he meet with during the next few months? And how many Oregon voters? Odds are overwhelming that wealthy out-of-state donors will shake Smith's hand many times as often as Oregon voters.

    But from what I've seen Democrats are totally incapable of taking advantage of Smith's aloofness. Maybe it's because most of them are just as aloof...

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    But from what I've seen Democrats are totally incapable of taking advantage of Smith's aloofness.

    JohnH: Consider this a suggestion box. How would you take advantage of Smith's upcoming national tour?

    I mean, really take advantage. How would you go beyond press releases and yakking on KPOJ and blogging on blogs to get the word out to Oregonians? And what would you say? You have no budget, except that which you can raise.

    The floor is yours.

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    Are the O and SSJ sending correspondents on the trip? At a minimum, they should be asked about it.

    But we need not go to the "beyond" yakking and press releases--it's not like Smith maneuvers haven't gone unremarked upon by the Democratic apparatus in the last few years, although things may be changing with Meredith in charge.

  • pat malach (unverified)
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    Have someone in a chicken outfit follow him around.

    OK, that's been done.

    What about having an Oregon resident, proudly wearing an Oregon T-shirt, follow Smith to every far-flung fundraiser with a sign (or suitcase plastered with stickers) detailing all the travel (outside Oregon) that the average Oregonian would have to do just to shake Smith's hand (or bend his ear) while he's campaigning for Oregon's senate seat.

    Maybe put the Oregon resident in a Duck outfit for laughs and greater attention.

    Any volunteers?!!?

  • Bill Bodden (unverified)
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    How would you take advantage of Smith's upcoming national tour?

    Note everything he says and expose the flaws in any arguments he makes to support any votes he cast, especially the war on Iraq.

    Have someone in a chicken outfit follow him around.

    OK, that's been done.

    You have to be very careful using theatrics. They can be effective, but if they are not used wisely and with discretion they will turn many people off.

  • Neal Patel (unverified)
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    Gordon Smith 2008 is in a similar position as John Ensign in 2006. Like Ensign. Smith is vulnerable - Both represented swing states. Both won due to lack of top tier Democratic challengers. Ensign- (Berkley,Goodman,Gibson,Perkins,and Titus took a pass. Smith- Kitzhaber and Defazio have tooken a pass. Bluemenaur has yet to make a decision.

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    for the record, I was not offended by the "send your money to the eventual nominee or to steve novick for U.S. Senate" line. I'm in favor of any post that suggests that giving to novick for senate is a worthy option!

  • JohnH (unverified)
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    Kari--

    Gordon Smith claims to represent Oregonians. Yet during the last Congressional recess, he found time to spend just part of one day visiting Oregonians.

    Now Gordon Smith is going on a national tour to meet wealthy donors around the country.

    Smith makes it a point to hobnob with out-of-state donors and gives Oregonians the short shrift.

    Who does Gordon Smith really represent?

    Gordon Smith--the absentee Senator.

  • (Show?)
    Gordon Smith 2008 is in a similar position as John Ensign in 2006. Like Ensign. Smith is vulnerable - Both represented swing states. Both won due to lack of top tier Democratic challengers. Ensign- (Berkley,Goodman,Gibson,Perkins,and Titus took a pass. Smith- Kitzhaber and Defazio have tooken a pass. Bluemenaur has yet to make a decision.

    One other similarity you missed--as with Ensign, Smith benefits from his colleague in the Senate, who has stated up front that a Smith re-election doesn't bother him enough to actually mention his record to Oregonians and suggest he be replaced.

  • Neal Patel (unverified)
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    Ensign first ran for the US Senate 1998 narrowly losing to Harry Reid. In 2000 when Nevada's other Democratic Senator Richard Bryan retired. Ensign ran for that seat. The Democrats nominated a trial lawyer- Ed Bernstien. Had ex Governor Bob Miller ran Ensign would have lost in 2000.

    Smith first ran in a special election to replace Packwood. narrowly lost to Wyden. ran for the open seat - Hatfield. narrowly defeated a wealthy businessman Bruggere. 2002- Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury ran instead of John Kitzhaber.

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