Everybody loves Barbara Roberts
Kari Chisholm
This post updated below...
Candidates at every level are sending direct mail, airing TV and radio spots, and hitting the doors. Combined, there's millions being spent promoting dozens of candidates.
But the person who's likely getting the most "face time" with Oregon Democrats? That's gotta be former Governor Barbara Roberts. Every time you turn around, one Democrat or another is touting an endorsement from her. Heck, even Howard Dean and Barack Obama put her front and center in their presidential campaigns in this state.
Just yesterday, Greg Macpherson started airing a radio spot featuring Roberts - and Kate Brown rolled out a new TV spot. Check 'em out.
Macpherson:
Brown:
Why is Governor Roberts everywhere?
Well, that's easy. Because she's beloved by Oregon's Democrats. I can't share any specific polling numbers, but I will say that just about every poll I've seen over the last few years makes it very clear: Among Democrats, she's the most popular politician in the state.
Update: Among Democrats, she's the second-most popular politician in the state. (Folks I trust who have knowledge of the poll numbers assure me that Senator Ron Wyden is the MOST popular politician in the state - among both Democrats and the electorate-at-large. But he doesn't endorse in primaries, which is why you don't see his name anywhere during this primary season.)
Which is ironic - given that she left the governorship relatively unpopular after just one term. But Barbara Roberts is a Portland liberal that doesn't scare the bejeezus out of Democrats in the purple and red parts of the state. She's a grandmotherly sort that knows how to fire up a crowd. Having been there and done that, she can speak seriously about experience - and yet no one doubts her passion for change.
And given how hard she works on behalf of the candidates she endorses, I'm always thrilled when we're on the same side. Go Barbara!
[Full disclosure: My firm built the websites for Greg Macpherson and Kate Brown, but I speak only for myself.]
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May 15, '08
::rubs toe in dirt, embarrassedly::
i, uh, really don't have an opinion on barbara roberts.
i moved to oregon in 1994. kitzhaber is the former governor i think of first, to be honest, when it comes to popularity.
sorry kari.
i just wonder, given the big influx of population into the state over the last 15 years, how many voters are in the same position i am? too (relatively) new to be affected?
May 15, '08
Come on, Kari... Surely you can find a better way to post on your three clients who are in the closest races.
Trishka, you're not alone. Not only have a lot of people recently moved here, but most people who aren't top-tier activists probably won't remember a one-term governor from the Bush I administration. Hey -- as great as she is, voters just don't have that kind of memory. Probably everyone that posts on BlueOregon knows her by her first name, but Jane and Joe Voter on the street?
I do like Barbara Roberts, but this thread is a pretty good example of circular logic:
[Barbara Roberts endorsements are big news] ---> Because ---> [Barbara Roberts has been making plenty of endorsements] ---> Therefore ---> [Barbara Roberts endorsements are big news] (begin again)
2:24 p.m.
May 15, '08
Barbara Roberts is everyone's favorite, and if you watch her in action, you can see why. John Kitzhaber, for you newcomers to Oregon, was not that popular. He just isn't that appealing, in my opinion.
2:26 p.m.
May 15, '08
I moved here from Texas in 97, with Ann Richards as aa personal favorite. I met Governor Roberts last year, Richards is exactly who she reminded me of. I LOVE to hear her speak and it didn't take me long, over the last year, to realize that every time an event happened around an issue that I care about, Governor Roberts was there. I only know so much about her actual term in office, but I greatly respect and admire the passion that she has for what she believes in, particularly her commitment to getting those who come after her, engaged.
May 15, '08
While I am neutral on Barbara, there are some older people who will remember her solely because she bores a resemblance to a Warner Brothers cartoon character of the 90's - Babs Bunny - and, unfortuneately, these older people will still think she still has the same personality as that cartoon (which she really doesn't) and will still not take her seriously. I can't forget how many neighbours kept yelling "babs" at her. yes, she is a good speaker, but there still is this unfortunate cartoon "stigma" on her.
2:30 p.m.
May 15, '08
Hey, hey... easy there, local mom. We can love Barbara Roberts without dissing John Kitzhaber.
I'm a huge Kitzhaber fan, too. (Heck, on several occasions, I personally tried to convince the man to run for president.)
I do find it interesting how often they're on opposite sides, but that's partly coincidence, partly differing styles, and partly (I suspect) something to do with their history.
As for JHL's snarky... Well, I'd rather try and find new and interesting things to say rather than copying and pasting letters to the editor... but that's just me.
Take it or leave it. If you stop reading my posts, I'll still sleep well at night.
2:32 p.m.
May 15, '08
Hey -- as great as she is, voters just don't have that kind of memory.
Oh, and maybe you should read my post. Once again, the poll numbers I've seen are consistent: She's the most popular politician in Oregon among Oregon Democrats.
2:32 p.m.
May 15, '08
I like Barbara too, and she may even be my favorite Oregon Democrat, but I have trouble believing she has the same cachet as Kitzhaber. Part of that is because he's more recent, as trishka argues above. Also, I think he was more iconic (the boots, the jeans, the 'stache). Though he was not especially effective, thanks to Republicans in the leg, he is still known for being "Dr. No" to most of their worst ideas. He was practically teflon when in office, running up pretty significant victories over his opponents, who appeared hapless as they tried in vain to pierce his shield of independent down-home Oregon charm. While Roberts has more appeal to many of us in the "activist class" thanks to her work and support for Democrats largely behind the scenes, I have trouble imagining that she is as beloved among the rank-and-file and casual Democrats as Dr. Kitzhaber.
[For those keeping track, Kitz has endorsed Kroger and Merkley for AG and Senate respectively. To my knowledge, he has not made an endorsement in the SoS race.]
2:41 p.m.
May 15, '08
Kari - You can disagree. I do think, however, that Barbara Roberts was more beloved than John Kitzhaber. I said nothing about his success as a governor, just that he is not that "lovable" as a political figure. In my opinion. I thought this was all a matter of opinion!
2:47 p.m.
May 15, '08
I'll echo Kari. I'm a big fan of Kitz too.
The reasons why I first grew so fond of both former Govs are fundamentally different. Kitz I loved because of his political "F you and the horse you rode in on" attitude, but I find his personality rather boring.
Barbara Roberts is the opposite. Not that she was a wimp politically - far from it. But rather it's her personality which I find utterly irresistably charming. And it's her sizzling personality that transmits so well in political ads - thus her huge popularity among candidates.
3:26 p.m.
May 15, '08
That's odd, Nate, because Kitzhaber cut a TV ad for Novick.
3:38 p.m.
May 15, '08
Darrel is correct. Kitzhaber has endorsed Novick.
May 15, '08
Barbara Roberts' endorsements don't mean what they used to.
Her judgment has been seriously called into question. Howard Dean and Kelley Wirth self destructed. Roberts endorsed Wirth in the midst of her very public, very apparent self destruction (that culminated in vehicular assault, methamphetamine addiction, and sexual harassment), against superstar Rep. Sara Gelser.
Who will be the next on her list of endorsements to self destruct? Hopefully not Brown, Merkeley, or MacPherson. Those were good choices. Maybe Obama? Have you heard? He's running for Chief Executive Evangelist in Kentucky: http://race42008.com/2008/05/12/barack-obamas-pitch-in-kentucky/ Why don’t they use that lit in Oregon?
And running for chief sexist of the auto industry. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juy9NwI8_i0 A word of advice, Barbara: next time, get to know your candidate first. Sweetie. Oh, sorry, I call everybody that.
May 15, '08
I am looking forward to meeting her tonight at the Obama HQ in Oregon City. A couple of my friends had the opportunity to hear and speak with her in April at the Women for Obama luncheon. Neither were in Oregon when she was governor but both remarked on how engaging, warm and invigorating she was.
Becky, sweetie, I am sure we have all "endorsed" someone in our life who has disappointed us. Maybe its because my folks were from Chicago but I do use that phrase some .
5:04 p.m.
May 15, '08
Kitz I loved because of his political "F you and the horse you rode in on" attitude,
Unlike you Kevin, I find a Fuck You attitude reprehensible in a politician whether he's a retire Demigod or a backroom Iago running for US Senate.
A very recent example of why everyone loves Barbara.
I arrived early to a recent Merkley event and made eye contact a few times with Roberts but neither of us approached the other. About an hour in, Jeff was doing the Politician Pachinko game around the room, and I came in for 23 seconds of attention. Roberts came up and really needed to interrupt. Jeff ain't the guy to to turn you off in mid sentence like the vast majority of Politicos in Oregon, so Roberts solved the problem by turning to me, shaking my hand with the trademark michevious grin, and then wisked Jeff away while I basked in the glow.
Total pro and does it with respect to all parties.
May 15, '08
I like Barbara personally, but few seem to remember that during her term, Ballot Measure 5 passed. While I don't blame Barbara for BM 5's passage, neither she nor Portland School Superintendent Matthew Prophet (remember him?) hurt the anti-Measure 5 campaign immeasureably. It was Barbara Roberts who, nearly in tears, pleaded with the public NOT to vote for BM 5 because "people will die." It was this kind of extremist position, the sky is falling and people will be killed by this measure that worked to convince Multnomah County to vote FOR BM 5. Since then, we've had BM 47, BM 50 not to mention all the Measure 11 and son's/daughter's thereof.
The folks who like Babs seem to forget that she was a piss-poor Governor who simply wore her heart on her sleeve a bit too publicly. Unfortunately, few remember this and so her endorsements end up being far more meaningful than they should be.
6:22 p.m.
May 15, '08
No, MrFearless, you are plain flat wrong.
Ballot Measure 5 passed on November 6, 1990.
You know what else happened that same day? Barbara Roberts was elected Governor.
Ballot Measure 5 passed BEFORE she was Governor, not "during her term." She just go to be the Governor who had to implement it.
6:30 p.m.
May 15, '08
I happen to be one of those people who moved here after Roberts' term (summer of 2000), and I'm one of those who really likes her. I come from Texas and just loved Ann Richards. She was one of my favorite politicians and was one of the first I worked for before I was even old enough to vote. Upon meeting Roberts, it was obvious why her and Richards got along so well.
I've had the chance to speak with her a few times (at events like the women in politics event that Kate Brown and others sponsor). She was very friendly and personable and had some great things to say about her experiences with Ann Richards.
I have to say that there have only been two people I've seen get almost as good as a response in crowd of Dems as Dean and Obama have, and those were Barbara Roberts and John Kitzhaber.
7:14 p.m.
May 15, '08
I have professed my deep love for Barbara Roberts many times here and elsewhere. But I confess that when I see some of the candidates she endorses (and I am not just talking about Merkley here), I feel she is more driven by personal affection than by any actual assessment of relative merit.
That is her prerogative, of course, and I love her anyway.
8:30 p.m.
May 15, '08
What's up Katy, worried that someone's going to "obliterate" your candidate in Oregon?
8:34 p.m.
May 15, '08
Somewhat off topic, but John Kroger has a new ad up on TV. Yet it hasn't been linked to on BlueOregon.
I think someone should change that.
8:44 p.m.
May 15, '08
Steve, I only see one spot on You Tube and the Kroger Web site. Would you post a link to it?
May 15, '08
...was Barbara Roberts who, nearly in tears, pleaded with the public NOT to vote for BM 5 because "people will die."
On a hot afternoon during the 5th Special Session earlier this decade, I was driving home from work and listened to an OPB interview. There were so many special sessions because every time a revenue forecast came out, it was worse than the one before---and Republicans controlling the legislature wanted to use gimmicks and borrowing to balance the budget rather than specific budget cuts or revenue increases. It was an interview with a Ways and Means Chair who would later become famous and switch parties. Fella by the name of Ben Westlund.
Q: Why is it taking so long to pass a budget ?
A: "Because Barbara Roberts was right about Measure 5 in everything but the timing".
I was at the 1990 election night party where we celebrated Barbara's election as Gov. As I recall, the celebration lasted about an hour, then we got the news Measure 5 had passed. There was a saying at that time that Measure 5 was really Gov., not Barbara Roberts.
May 15, '08
Funny, I can't think of an effective Oregon governor, since, maybe Tom McCall which is funny because in a state where the legislature is biennial, the executive should be the one running the show.
Not that I blame the Govs in question. I blame the absurdly easy initiative system in Oregon which essentially allows the legislature to take a pass on every serious issue and forces the Gov, the SoS and the AG to enforce some of the most asinine laws ever written. It is the initiative process which has kept Oregon from an equitable funding mechanism for school districts, it is the initiative process which has driven budgets to the floor in the mistaken belief that there was flab to be cut from higher education, mental health, public safety and infrastructure. All fueled of course by the mistaken belief that taxes in Oregon are too high.
9:19 p.m.
May 15, '08
Unlike you Kevin, I find a Fuck You attitude reprehensible in a politician whether he's a retire Demigod or a backroom Iago running for US Senate.
Well you gotta put it into context, Pat. When Kitz was Gov I was disgusted with both major political parties and pretty hardcore about being NAV. The "fuck you" attitude always plays well with those who are already angry and looking for an outlet for their anger - not at all unlike what we've seen from the candidacy of a backroom Iago running for US Senate. The one thing that I feel has always distinguished Kitz from run-of-the-mill angry politicians is that I've always seen him as honest, perhaps to a fault. Not necessarily right about everything, but at least honestly wrong when he wasn't right. And I happily rewarded that with my vote every time he was on my ballot.
Had it not been for the patently dishonest HR2 smear I may well have ended up a Novick supporter because he at first appeared to be of the same mould. But his coopting of the Oregon Republican's HR2 smear reminded me of what so disgusted me about both major parties. And that pushed me towards Merkley - who I found is exactly the kind of politician that I'd wanted all along. Honest, ethical and really, really smart. A fighter, but a SMART fighter rather than an ANGRY fighter like the aforementioned backroom Iago.
In most respects I've been a one-issue voter since 1990. Honesty and ethics trump everything else for me. Which is why for the very first time since then I decided to re-register as a Dem - to vote for Merkley and Obama. It was really, really nice to actually vote for two great candidates rather than voting against the lessor of two evils as I'd become used to having to settle for election after election.
9:32 p.m.
May 15, '08
Yep, Barbara Roberts was robbed by measure 5. She might well have been a great governor without that albatross.
Old timers remember her very well, she did a lot of getting out and around in the state during her political career even in years when she wasn't running. I first encountered her long before she became governor when she was working the crowd at a pancake breakfast in Amity. I'll bet half the commenters on this thread don't have a clue where Amity is. Barbara knows though.
9:48 p.m.
May 15, '08
I think Barbara Roberts was at the first Bus Project thing I ever went to, in Salem. She knew my best friend by name. Never in the multiple times I've either spoken with her or heard her, was she ever anything but sincere and friendly and passionate about making peoples' lives better. I love her to death.
Even better, since she's retired from public service, she pisses me off a lot less than Senator Wyden does.
And @upthread, if Howard Dean ever self-destructed, make mine a double.
9:58 p.m.
May 15, '08
Hmmmm.... I don't see it either. I wrote that just after I got off the phone with someone from the Kroger campaign saying they were up with a new ad. Maybe its on air, but not yet on youtube. I withdraw the request until I can get something from them one way or the other.
May 15, '08
You're right. Barbara Roberts was, is, a beloved figure in Oregon and Democratic history. She got started in government just trying to advocate for her disabled son. She was governor during a very tough time. And she was right about Measure 5. People did die. I can testify to that. I knew mentally ill people who did die from the lack of services and resources because of the impact of Measure 5. Those people couldn't advocate for themselves and had no lobbyists or campaign money to give. Barbara Roberts is a true progressive. I applaud her.
May 15, '08
Doretta:"I'll bet half the commenters on this thread don't have a clue where Amity is. Barbara knows though."
Hey, I do. Driven through it many times. In my mind it is the home (nearby) of that fabulous fudge made by the Brigittine monks. Lucious...
2:30 a.m.
May 16, '08
Somewhat off topic, but John Kroger has a new ad up on TV. Yet it hasn't been linked to on BlueOregon.
The post is ready to go in the morning. Let's not get too demanding about timing around here, ok? We're just not staffed to get news up in the hour it breaks.
5:15 p.m.
May 16, '08
Um, that was a stupid error on my part up there. I have no excuse. I meant Novick. Ugh. Hopefully I'm not to stupid to check the right box on my ballot. Sheesh...