No Senator Richard Ellmyer??!? The PCPs of SD 22 have done the state of Oregon a grave injustice.

Please not Shields. I have trouble enough convincing my friends that I don't belong to a socialist party. If we put another law enforcement hating, voter ignoring, thug hugger in the Senate, we'll lose all credibility with law and order centrists.

Go Karol!!!

Boy, if they'd used instant runoff voting they could have been voting for five minutes and drinking beer while the votes were counted that much sooner.

St. Louis, not California, TJ. Sheesh. And I've been working on public safety issues in the North and Northeast Portland for 13 years, MLW. You don't live in the neighborhood do you? Because around here, it is possible to want to catch criminals, hold them accountable and still respect the 4th and 6th amendments to the US constitution. And believe in redemption and evidence-based programs like MRT to help offenders change their way of doing life, so that they take responsibility, begin to think about more than themselves, stop burning bridges, and turn their lives around once they've paid their debt to society.

And if you would like to know more about what works in reducing recidivism, the rate at which offenders return to crime, feel free to watch Dr. Ken Robinson's testimony at the the Public Safety Strategies Task Force website here. You might find we agree on more than you think, MLW.

Do any of the three have ACORN ties?

So a white guy, Chip Shields, got more votes than 2 black womyn? What a bunch of racist bullshit. I bet the votes were rigged. Was ACORN somehow involved in this?

Let’s hope someone trots out all of Ms. Bowman’s blogs posted to BO, particularly the “Bad Take-out” essay where she equated a disappointing order of fast food as evidence of racism, so voters can get an unfiltered glimpse into her thought processes and qualifications for office.

Carla why do you hope someone belongs to an organization with clear ethical problems that our political enemies can use to attack our candidate? I am sure R's don't want their candidates to be birthers or teabaggers.

MLW: Although I am certainly not a fan of politicians who think they know more than the voters like Chip Shields, Chip at least strikes me as a person you could have a rational conversation with. Bowman seems to be a person who thinks most cops are racists. I would rather have a D that I disagree with than one who is less even keeled.

I would not be suprised if the media has a field day when they find out that these 3 well versed people (The 3 Blogateers?)all contribute to BO. Good or bad press, it's a heck of a coup for BO. Maybe more people on all sides will be checking this puppy out in the future.

Wow, sure a lot of slams against Ms Bowman here! I've been listening to her on KBOO for years and am quite impressed with her breadth of knowledge, her connections to the community, and her overall reasonableness.

There's a certain mentality that equates ANY recognition, ANY discussion of race and ethnicity as evidence of some sort of "grievance personality". What a crock. Hey folks, if you want to walk around willfully ignoring the way that society actually operates, I can't stop you, but I'm sure not going to join you.

Any of the three candidates mentioned would be acceptable to me.

mlw: why exactly would it be shameful to belong to a socialist party? A meaningful socialist option actually exists in every other country with democratic institutions.

Damn, if we actually had a socialist party in this country, I'd line up to join!

"if we actually had a socialist party in this country, I'd line up to join"

They have something simular in Canada - the Bloc Quebequois. I hear Montreal is nice this time of year....

Eric Parker, you are all wrong about Candian politics. The social-democratic party there is called the New Democratic Party, which commonly picks up about 15% of the vote nationwide and has managed to control provincial legislatures from time to time, especially in western Canada. The Bloc Quebecois (you misspelled the name) is a Quebec nationalist party whose central goal is secession of Quebec from the confederation.

Ned--2 questions: 1) Where is the ACORN headquarters in Oregon, if there is one?

2) Do you have evidence ACORN somehow recruited Mult. Co. pct. people?

One must be a pct. person to be involved in the process.

The takeaway: by almost a 5-1 margin, the party believes Chip should be our next Senator. As the state's district with the highest percentage of Democrats, what the party thinks should count for something (though it shouldn't be the final word).

Chip's got a huge amount of support from leaders in the African American community (for example, the head of the African American Chamber of Commerce).

I don't personally know any of the three candidates. I have been put off by some of Bowman's posts, but I also know people who speak highly of her, so I wish all three candidates well. But can we talk about race as it affects this seat?

Seems to me that this seat is screaming for an African-American candidate, all other things being equal. That last part is the kicker. Shields should be a shoe-in, but given the lack of diversity in the legislature, he needs to stand head and shoulders above his competitors in order to get the job. Does he? Is there anyone who knows Shields who is willing to argue that his presence in the Senate is worth having just one African-American legislator in Salem -- and a Republican at that!

Miles - everyone presumes if Shields is selected as the Senator that his replacement in the House will be African American. Given the quality African American candidates already announced for that seat, there's no reason for that not to be the outcome.

So the total number of minority legislators wouldn't change. That's what there are a wide variety of leaders in the African American community who are supporting Shields.

So there's no trade-off needed. And no, not everything is equal - Shields is very impressive.

Jel-N - I don't know the other candidates. I do know that Rep. Shields was the primary motivating force behind the M57 repeal. Regardless of the merits of the argument about M57, immediately repealing something the voters just passed with the recommendation of the Democratic leadership is a terrible idea. I know how that story ends - with the R's back in power.

Rep. Shields - I wholly support your re-entry programs, (including, Kari, his jobs program). However, you have made it abundantly clear that you think that your personal preferences on crime and punishment are more important than those of the voters, and, frankly, your advocacy of HB 3508 used dishonest budget figures as a scare tactic. It doesn't matter if your "right" in some absolute sense if you use dishonorable tactics to get to the end you are seeking. I oppose you because you do not understand and respect direct democracy. The voters of Oregon strongly believe in direct democracy. Until you accept that once the voters have spoken, the conversation is over, your continued ascension in the party will only weaken the party. This "ride it into the ground" attitude was what doomed the Bush administration. It's not any more attractive when it's my own party.

Jel-N - I don't know the other candidates. I do know that Rep. Shields was the primary motivating force behind the M57 repeal. Regardless of the merits of the argument about M57, immediately repealing something the voters just passed with the recommendation of the Democratic leadership is a terrible idea. I know how that story ends - with the R's back in power.

Rep. Shields - I wholly support your re-entry programs, (including, Kari, his jobs program). However, you have made it abundantly clear that you think that your personal preferences on crime and punishment are more important than those of the voters, and, frankly, your advocacy of HB 3508 used dishonest budget figures as a scare tactic. It doesn't matter if your "right" in some absolute sense if you use dishonorable tactics to get to the end you are seeking. I oppose you because you do not understand and respect direct democracy. The voters of Oregon strongly believe in direct democracy. Until you accept that once the voters have spoken, the conversation is over, your continued ascension in the party will only weaken the party. This "ride it into the ground" attitude was what doomed the Bush administration. It's not any more attractive when it's my own party.

As a PCP at last night's meeting, I felt really privileged to be part of such a great process (kudos to KC Hanson and Wayne Kinney for running a tight ship) that produced three stellar nominees. Our Multnomah County party is at the peak of its fighting strength!

Honestly, I do not think that Karol Collymore will get it and I will be stunned if she does.

First, if Commissioner Cogen has any future political ambitions, then his choice in selecting a former employee, Karol Collymore, will hound him until he decides to no longer lead a public life. He may get elected in Portland to the School Board, but kiss those Gubernatorial, US House and US Senate prospects goodbye.

Second, the presence of Jo Ann Bowman more than downplays the lack of minority finalists. 2 out of the 3 finalists are African-American and Female.

Third, I believe that Jeff Cogen is well aware of the long lasting, negative affects of nepotism. If Karol Collymore gets the seat, then Jeff Cogen will be tainted with nepotism thus lowering his reputation in the eyes of many regardless of the life he chooses after Multnomah County.

It's an assumption that the PCPs and MultCo Commissioners will appoint an African American - hence no need to compete on fundraising, grassroots organizing, etc. until one is up for reelection.

So it's totally different from recent elections.

LT - the site that shows ACORN offices all over the nation appears to be a sham. Dead email boxes that yield no response. I've not visited the site recently - time to explore it further, one supposes.

Good luck to the BO III.

Yup, Dan. During the elections and shortly thereafter I emailed to the ostensible local office web. No response. Support web has the look of a fast fixer upper generic page. Those of us who have built little online universes know what to look for when there is a look and feel going on, but not a substantive existing thing.

Did not appear to be a real local web tied off that national site leading to a real brick and mortar organization on the ground.

Can try again.

Buckman Res wrote:

"Let’s hope someone trots out all of Ms. Bowman’s blogs posted to BO, particularly the “Bad Take-out” essay where she equated a disappointing order of fast food as evidence of racism, so voters can get an unfiltered glimpse into her thought processes and qualifications for office."

wow I read this and laughed, I thought 'no, it can't be that bad'.

Then I read the article.............

With Van Jones gone, having Bowman in elective office would be a great gift to Republicans. Just sayin.

That fact that she was even seriously considered is scary enough.

One----"The takeaway: by almost a 5-1 margin, the party believes Chip should be our next Senator. As the state's district with the highest percentage of Democrats, what the party thinks should count for something "

OK, where did you get the 5-1 margin---the pct. people voting?

Those of us who have been involved in party politics from the pct. level up get tired of hearing "the party decided".

That is only true if there was a vote, and in Democratic politics if there are active members of the party who disagree with the vote they are allowed to say so without being told "the party decided".

As a HUGE fan of Margaret Carter, I believe her replacement should know a lot about the legislative process or learn very quickly, but something is more important. She was one of the great legislators and was gracious to many people. Manners, as a friend used to say, cost nothing and reap large rewards. A reputation for being angry can cause trouble. (I'm not talking demographics here, just manners.)

As angry as Russ Walker gets, he could have the cure for every problem in this state and no one would listen to him because he sounds like a bully.

On the other hand, anyone see that speech Sen. Carter made in full Ways and Means near the end of the session when the subject of the Back to Basics budget came up?

She wasn't a bully of the Russ Walker sort. She just laid out her position on the potential legal problems with that budget proposal in a way that older people would describe as "giving them what for!" and many adults would describe as "laying down the law" to kids about why what they want is either impossible or ill-advised.

It is a skill to say strong things in a way which lets people know where the person stands and what information they base their statements on without coming across as rude bullies. Perhaps it is a skill which comes with age. It is certainly a skill many parents and teachers develop.

I like much of what Chip has said here. Karol might be a refreshing change. Much as I have always admired Jo Ann, there is a fine line when it comes to persuasion (which winning an appointment requires) between being seen as a strong minded, outspoken advocate and been seen as too intense, too outspoken, etc. Nothing to do with race or gender--I gave that speech to many young people in my years as a substitute teacher.

It will be interesting to see who the county comm. choose. I recall years ago when a friend tried out for an appointment to the legislature and thought he had a chance because of long political experience. Except the county comm. in that county thought maybe he came with "baggage" and they liked someone else better. That's the breaks--sometimes things happen that way.

Best of luck Chip, your voters are making a wise choice in supporting your appointment. Chip has been a tireless advocate for those whom are unable to advocate for themselves...Chip is a great choice for the people of SD22. All the best.

LT - suspecting your friend's "baggage" might have been of the "inadvisable secrets" variety. The sort we decried Edwards for exposing our part of the electorate to so deep in the game... more than "the breaks", it's what we expect when it's not our buddy who'd do a great job.

Leo Schuman wrote;

"White-skinned folk need to listen"

I think most people deplore real racial incidents of any kind.

otoh, trumped up 'racial' incidents are like the one who cried 'Wolf' too often.

Leo Schuman wrote:

"to write about the constant uncertainty"

I'm not interested in paranoia and projection.

If you wanna talk about real problems, let's talk.

But when the problem is between one's ears, it's their problem not mine.

Joe WHITE, indeed.

Leo Schuman wrote:

"American society has made a lot of progress in race relations over the past 50 years, thanks to those with the nerve to talk honestly on the subject."

It's because Republicans overruled the Democratic segregationists of the Solid South who had held back blacks for 100 years since the Civil War using Jim Crow and the KKK.

Yes, the KKK was a Democratic organization terrorizing blacks, Republicans, and anyone else that opposed the Democratic political establishment that held the South in a death grip.

If you're going to 'talk honestly' about it, let's tell the honest truth about the Democratic devastation of the black race.

"Race" has been debunked as a concept by geneticists. Erm.

Perhaps Ms Bowman just needs a biology lesson from you then.

No Joe, you need the lesson.

That's it?

Confronted with 100 years of institutional racism by Democrats and you respond by trying to pick a semantic bone. Amazing.

Well, I guess if there's no 'race' then there's no 'racism' for Ms Bowman to worry about either.

Shields is a rich white carpetbagger who will drag the Democratic party into the law-enforcement hating drivel that will eventually cost our Party its majority. No group - particularly minority communties - can afford to operate on the extreme margins of Oregon politics. We are the Democratic Party, not the Socialist Workers Party. They have a party. If they like their philosophy, join them.

One clarification: Racism is the use of social, political, or economic power to empower bigotry based on skin color.

Wrong. Racism is the hatred of another based solely on their ethnic background.

This subject is important and has been trivialized far too often lately by those with political agendas. It’s critical to understand the true meaning of the term in order to distinguish actual incidents of racism in society and when someone is simply trying to manipulate people.

Yah, Psych of the Minority Experience AND my own life among the tribes - it's "otherness" that activates bias and bigotry. It is simply that in America, our sickness is most-recognizable on our flagship bigotry: colour.

However, intertribal anomies relate to otherness, not always colour.

Good catch Buckie, and Leo, thank you for biting back. This Joe guy seems to be a fairly angry, hate-filled fellow. He might need to get laid. Or maybe laid differently. Dunno.

Quite a history lesson going on here where both Joe and Leo point out correct parts, yet in different eras. Joe is correct that the Democrats from Andrew Jackson's tenure as President with the Trail of Tears on through the Reconstruction after the Civil War up to the 1960s were overtly racist. Leo is correct in pointing out the obvious about the Republican Party for the last 40 or some odd years.

I guess the real question is not whether racism exists. The question is, what will a post-racial America look like?

I envision White people not feeling ashamed of their skin color due to what their great, great grand cousin did during the 1800s.

Currently, I see far too many White people taking on the sins of their forefathers and bearing them as their own. This practice is not only self loathing, but it is utterly illogical and racist to a large degree. Racist in that individuals will use your shame to make you follow their political ambitions. Illogical because the child is not and never should be responsible for their father or any of their fore bearer's actions.

White shame is the 21st version of primogeniture. This time, the sons and daughters are getting all the shame and none of the wealth.

I live smack in the middle of SD 22, and I hope to God that Carol Kollymore remains Jeff Cogen's ace flunky.

I live in District 22 and I have been happy with Margaret Carter. I can't imagine replacing her with a white guy unless there were no African American women qualified. Jo Ann Bowman is emminently qualified as a three-term state legislator. She is also charismatic and very easy to work with--unlike some of the odd characterizations I've read in this comment thread. She's also naturally wired to help and to problem-solve. I have sent her students (of all races) who needed help, who needed work, who needed law school financing even, and she has helped each of them. I have asked her to come speak to my PSU class Participating in Democracy and she stole their hearts with her great stories and encouragement. I worked with her on a 10-month project in which she led her volunteers to register 60,000 voters. My role was tiny, but what I saw was a person who knew how to recruit and inspire. I think Chip Shields is great and I wish he also had the grace to step aside on this one and defer to Jo Ann.

Just came back from a post-Sundance ceremonial season get together of my local hoop. Environmentalists, lodge pourers, attorneys, doctors, sex addictions theorists, ditch diggers and loons.

A flyer was passed around during announcement cleanup time - JOanne Bowman will be on the ticket of an event which main-features Noam Chomsky Oct 2-3.

Thought those of you who know her and enjoy her contributions would like to know this. It's a veritable who's who of activism and advocacy, that roster.

Leo,

I believe what you say is true if your family lineage is one of old wealth from the South. Personally, there is no aspect in my lineage that is old wealth or any aspect of it. My family both maternal and paternal is solidly Blue Collar Kennedy Democrat as they called them in the 1960s. I know nothing of the sense of guilt or shame that comes from a background of privilege.

What I do see in the Pacific Northwest are many East Coast transplants, many of whom are living off of trust funds with a fervent dislike for their parents to the point that they want to be different from them in career, religion, lifestyle and everything else. Many of these folk exhibit a tremendous sense of White Guilt to the point that they become caricatures of it.

There will always be children of privilege who grow up never having to worry about money. Their burden is and always will be making a mark for themselves in the world so that they come to respect themselves as having made it their own way regardless of whether they castigate themselves from their family or use their familial resources to their advantage in whatever endeavor they choose.

Society will have an opinion either way. My opinion is that we are all dealt a deck of cards in life and regardless of that initial dealing of the cards, all of the moves made after are solely up for the individual to decide, external factors permitting.

Buckman Res wrote: "Wrong. Racism is the hatred of another based solely on their ethnicbackground."

No, that's bigotry. "Racism" is institutionalized bigotry: bigotry plus power.

Nice try but wrong again Leo.

Bigotry occurs when one ascribes negative attitudes, characteristics, behaviors, traits, etc., to others based solely on their ethnicity, religion, place of origin, political affiliation, sexual preference, speech pattern, skin color, or any other factor in their personal makeup.

One does not need political or economic power to be a racist, only hatred for particular ethnic groups. One can hold bigoted views without being a racist.

Think of it this way, racism is rooted in hatred, bigotry is rooted in ignorance.

Again, it is important to understand the distinction between racism and bigotry so as not to be manipulated by unscrupulous people who would seek to divide others for their own political or professional advantage (i.e. the recent remarks from former President Carter).

I know this will meet with absolute silence. Could you PLEASE stop with the Black White Black White Black White? INCLUDE NATIVES TOO. For once in your lives, blue oregon people, GET BIG and expand this discussion if you are going to go on and on about racism, institutional, structural and otherwise..... to include more than just black people?

I'M BEGGING!

Kari,

There was a topic? Really?!

Oh, yeah, SD 22....how silly of me....looks like that topic ended some 50 comments back.

Leo - I can see your point. Hell, I get nailed by Rez folks if my verbiage is not "on" enough, intertribal differentiations prevail to a numbingly subtle degree.... it's a bottomless pothole for all to fall in. :)... it's dangerous for all of us! :)

I think the general irritation bordering on hostility indicates a lack of true commitment to fostering communication and inviting a willingness to keep trying. But it also is a symptom of exhaustion. I think also, it's a reaction to writing that comes out as a bland statement of "I KNOW THUS AND SO. I BELIEVE THUS AND SO. THUS AND SO IS FACT." instead of a more-fluid way of expression that allows for discourse back and forth. Blogging lends itself to arrogant-seeming expression.

I may have missed your one post, friend, but it is a post in a desert of postlessness, so to speak.

I do see your point about your focus on the black reality. But up here on BO, that's all we hear anytime ethnicity and poverty, ethnicity and access, ethnicity and ..... come up. It's the default setting on blue oregon. The alternate setting is: hispanic.

I just wish we could see people mix it up. REALLY mix it up. And if we did it with effort long enough, the actual template of consideration would be shifted. I truly believe it. It takes effort, sustained, at first, but is worth it. It's about altering a habit, not wrongness or right. It's just about honestly addressing a lazy lazy habit of thought.

IN fact, we never hear about Asians - when I ilved all those years in SF, I was typicaly in the deep heart of Asian districts. Doing AIDS work, I was amazed at how absent they were! They are heavily private and also internalized into their Associations. We don't hear about Islanders either...

Anyway, I thank you for considering natives, and being willing to accomodate the fact that the most recent census stats available on one of the LARGEST tribes is as of the year 2000 (was researching Rosebud last night in preparation to facilitate sending a semi truck full of toys, coats and athletic gear to Rosebud) - the only way you could reliably be realtime is to be hooked into the moccasin telegraph yah... and it's not a blog... but at least we have to open the set to include natives and others until it's a habit and begins to bring in the information we right now lack as a result of not having the habits that bring it in.

Just a thought.

And, I want to say this again: you all seem to have no trouble sticking out your necks to talk Black. So....... let's see you make that same effort with the non-top-three! And anyone out here with special interest in breaking that lazy habit, be kind to the ones who are trying. Encourage it. Share information, focus on what is apt and be willing to do cross - comparisons. The impact of genocide as enacted on the tribes is similar in many ways as to that upon Freedman descendents; but it also differs in specific ways as well. Inevitably. And maybe some folks here would be interested to learn, to further develop and update their models of understanding.

<h2>I'm a geek for this junk: "who needs a man, we're talking Psychology of the Minority EXPERIENCE."</h2>