Five Days Out: Open Discussion

With just five days to go until the primary election, there's news breaking every hour it seems. Use this post to post links to news stories, make comments, and discuss anything you want.

(One request: If there's another recent post that's more appropriate, comment there. Let's use this space to talk about campaigns that aren't getting enough coverage. We're looking at you, people obsessed with Merkley/Novick and Obama/Clinton.)

Discuss.

  • redcellpolitical (unverified)
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    Listening to Kevin Mannix on "Think Out Loud" the other day I was left wondering how someone of such crass, if not unethical, standing can find a home even in the most nutsy republican club house?

    Then I got mad at Darlene Hooley for getting us into this mess. Her district truly defines paradox of politics in Oregon; conservative populism vs progressive urbanism. Her district is so important as representative of trends in the state as a whole, that it remains inconceivable that she would announce her retirement in the year her term would have expired. She should have left a year ago, allowing the governor to fill her seat with an interim appointment who could then have the privileges of incumbency to better assure D control of the district.

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    An innocent mistake by Wolfson this morning on KPOJ - he conflated Kevin Mannix and Mike Erickson and it came out "Kevin Erickson."

    I just about peed my pants I was laughing so hard!

    "Kevin Erickson" is a brilliant and succinct summation of the Oregon GOP.

  • Eric Miller (unverified)
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    There are two state races that I find the most interesting and the tightest that have had trouble getting out from behind the national race's shadow. The AG race and d42 house.

    AG race: Kroger running a steep uphill, grass-roots, progressive and reform messaged campaign running very tightly against Macpherson who is running a largely incumbent, non-grass-roots, status quo, almost wholly negative ad campaign. How to choose? The former prosecutor with the bold ideas or the legislative insider who distorts his opponent?

    d42: Kopel-Bailey running closely against Rosenbaum's chief of staff, Gray. Both are intelligent and have what it takes to get things done. Similar to the AG race, the outsider has vastly more real-life experience and a grander vision of how to make our system work better for its citizenry. Though Gray hasn't run with the level of distortive negative attacks that Macpherson has, she is running on her insider experience in Salem, hard work ethic, and positions on specific issues. How to choose? The progressive sustainability economist with a graduate degree in public policy or the staffer insider?

    In both races, it seems to me like an easy choice: this is a year for change.

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    I sense a lot of movement in the local races. I have had at least a dozen friends and colleagues ask me about mayor and senate.

    lots of uncertainty. Not sure if that is usual or unusual this late in the race. and of course, finding a comparably hard fought presidential contest in Oregon at the top of the ballot is going to be nearly impossible.

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    I wish Jules was focusing more on his economic message. Regan is pushing social issues like health care and civil rights which I think is a good fit given her experience, while Jules and Teddy seem to be engaging in a battle over environmental bona fides. For me the differentiator was Jules's background as a sustainability economist, especially given the rough ride the state (and the country) are likely in for over the next several years. I sort of wish he'd hit that a little harder. Really, I wish there was some way we could get all three of these candidates to Salem...

  • Eric Miller (unverified)
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    I think Jules has had to draw a fine line on how to talk about the economy. His overall vision clearly talks about growing a sustainable economy, but he may not want to talk about a tanking economy too much--gotta keep the messages positive. Also, there seems to me to be a perception by voters that "economist" means the same thing as "more conservative" (which I believe is wrong--though most economists are conservative, the two are not mutually exclusive. It IS possible to be very progressive and an economist). In a race to represent one of the most progressive, if not THE most progressive district in OR, none of the candidates are going to talk much about our struggling economic situation. Anyone who reads about this race for more than 30 seconds will see that it's clear from experience that Jules has the best background of any of the candidates to both understand and solve economic problems.

  • PSJackson (unverified)
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    In HD 42 it is all about the womens vote. Regan, being a women, is in a better position to get more votes then the other three males just based on gender. Remember, a simple majority wins in this race. My wife has been getting calls from Regan but not me. My wife has been getting mailers from Regan -- not me. If one of boys want to win, they have to stop fighting over who is greener or better with taxes and go after the womens vote, they need to put kids and wives in the mailers and talk about education, child care, health care and quality of life in SE PDX, not in some forest someplace. All four candidates are running a good race and are great people but the one who gets the womens vote will get the District.

  • skywaker9 (unverified)
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    I diaried my view on the major races here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/15/124552/389/426/516220

  • Eric Miller (unverified)
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    PSJackson, I must respectfully disagree. when you say "women's vote" I think you are talking about women's issues--gender equality in pay, family leave, abortion, etc. While these are certainly important issues, there are plenty of people who believe that these issues are now secondary to the larger issues of the tanking economy and global warming. After all, when you look at all d42 candidates, they are all progressive on women's issues. Yes, Regan has the corner of the market on being a woman in this race, but that won't win the election. The winner will have depth beyond a college degree in women's studies. Further, there is the larger understanding among d42 voters, including women, that a shift from current politics as usual includes getting fresh minds with strong progressive perspective, as well as experience, on the economy and the environment.

    Having the larger vision is what will win the d42 race.

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    I agree that the race is about more than women's issues. That said, Regan Gray showed during the last session, on the paid family leave bill in particular, just how hard and how persistently she will work for something she believes in. Because of this work, she's getting my vote. Oh, and for one more reason -- Oregon's beer tax is among the lowest in the nation -- raising it on out-of-state distributors just a penny or two could fund drug and alcohol prevention programs. Kopel-Bailey opposes an increase on the beer tax.

    And, I think she'll do just as well if not better on issues of the environment.

  • Ed Bickford (unverified)
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    Where are these three legislative referral measures coming from? There are no arguments in opposition in the Voters' Pamphlet, yet they look suspicious to me. How can there be none?

    M51 & 52 were pushed by Kevin Mannix, and seem to be more of his relentless exploitation of people's desire for scapegoats on whom to take out their frustrations in the courts. There is a point where allowing victims to insinuate themself into the trial process will overwhelm the impartiality that true jurisprudence requires; will these allow that? There is no discussion.

    Reading M53 makes my blood run cold; yet the only public discussion I've heard is how the police will be able to save the abandonded doggies and horses before (sob) it's too late! Yet it proposes to reinstitute the practice of law enforcement directly taking forfeited property proceeds to fill their own agency's coffers, opening the way for abuse of their authority for profit. And who thinks laws should be written as broadly as this?

    "... a judgement of forfeiture of property... may not be entered until and unless the person claiming the property is convicted of a crime... and the property... Constitutes proceeds of one or more other crimes similar to the crime for which the claimant was convicted..."

    Again, how does this generate no counterarguments?

  • Heather S. (unverified)
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    Eric,

    I don't understand your attacks on Regan. I think D42 is lucky to have 3 outstanding candidates. I think they each offer stark contrasts however, none of which I believe are bad. But this constant belittling of Regan needs to stop. Say what you want, but she's spent the last 6 years working incredibly hard for people in this state, she has a record of accomplishments, dozens of legislative endorsements and a political mind for getting things done. I'm obviously leaning Regan in this race, but I think it's becoming more and more clear to me and other women in the district that I talk with that these attacks by Jules supporters needs to stop.

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