Larry Sowa vs. Lynn Peterson
Kari Chisholm
A couple of days ago, the Oregonian's Andy Parker wrote a column about the upcoming Clackamas County commission election. The incumbent is Larry Sowa, elected as a Democrat - but now a Republican.
As Parker wrote, "So, Larry Sowa's a Republican now? When wasn't he?" Fair enough. Sowa founded Democrats for Kevin Mannix and now he's jumped entirely.
Parker seems to like both Sowa and Lynn Peterson, a Democrat running for the seat.
With his strong name recognition and anti-tax record, beating Sowa will never be an easy task. ...Peterson is extremely bright, well-spoken and matter-of-fact. And she's extremely confident that voters battered by complex water, sewer and transportation issues over the past couple of years are looking for someone to stop the continuous squabbling between county and city officials that has pushed Clackamas County even further into the fringes of the region's consciousness.
Of course, he also offers this comment as a compliment to Larry Sowa:
That's always been Sowa's strength. Like any great counter-puncher, he knows how to avoid a direct blow, dancing and weaving, hemming and hawing. But don't ever mistake what Sowa is saying for what he's really thinking.
I don't know about you, but I like my elected officials to say what they mean and mean what they say.
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Sep 17, '05
Are you looking for a pledge of party loyalty or pledge of how someone will address policy x y or z? Does the party switch represent any change at all in Mr. Sowa's attitude toward any particular policy?
If the policy attitude is identical regardless of the passage of time and regardless of party affiliation then it can lead to only one conclusion, that he has been clear all along and that party affiliation means zero (well, zero except for purposes of campaign donations and simplistic head counts of party affiliation).
Anything that evidences a weakness of the folks who control the purse-strings of campaign donations, to influence actual policy choices of decision makers, is considered good in my book. If the only thing that has changed is party affiliation and source of donations then this should mean absolutely no change in policy at all.
If what you are feeling is analogous to an emotional response to love or hate then it will pass, in time, and you can once again address particular policy matters of real importance to the community.
2:17 p.m.
Sep 17, '05
Oh, an important point of full disclosure that was forgotten when I posted this in the wee hours: I'm helping Peterson with her campaign website.
Sep 17, '05
I think Sowa's switching party is just a recognition of the political reality that he wasn't going to win a Democratic primary against Lynn Peterson. Sowa has always been a conservative Democrat who could appeal to Republicans. That made him a very strong Democratic candidate in Clackamas County.
But Sowa has really never accomplished much as a county commissioners. Lynn Peterson is head and shoulders above him as both an elected official and as a candidate. Without being able to appeal to conservative Republicans he wasn't going to win against her. Now he can run in the general election and try to put together his coalition from the other side - appealing to conservative Democrats to go with this Republican base. It might work, but its not likely.
Sep 17, '05
Sowa has really never accomplished much as a county commissioner. Lynn Peterson is head and shoulders above him as both an elected official and as a candidate. Without being able to appeal to conservative Republicans he wasn't going to win against her. Now he can run in the general election and try to put together his coalition from the other side - appealing to conservative Democrats to go with this Republican base. It might work, but its not likely.
For those who vote on candidate quality and performance in office, Sowa will have tough time given the above.