He's probably just turning in signatures and making a press event out of it to gain more publicity. I could not see him dropping out of the race--though it would be a dream come true.

He's probably just turning in signatures and making a press event out of it to gain more publicity. I could not see him dropping out of the race--though it would be a dream come true.

The announcement will reported be broadcast by Legislative services here, but not live.

They will air the interim Education committee meeting and then put the press conference on after that. Perhaps 3pm and should re-air periodically after that as the video loops.

Torridjoe -

Its obvious Westlund is dropping out because he's decided he can't win.

So if he does pull out, Westlund would be giving up a three-month statewide platform to talk about the issues he cares passionately about – such as health care and tax reform.

If he wanted to talk about issues, he could have started a blog. Until he became a serious candidate with a chance of being elected governor, his views on tax reforms and health care were irrelevant. The only press coverage he was going to get was speculation on how he was effecting the real race for governor.

This is evidence for what many of us here have been saying here for a long time - the non-partisan middle is not a political base.

Coyote,

Don't you mean buy signatures?

Oh yeah...and shut your trap.

Coyote,

You know who you are...you're that little fat kid back in the 5th grade that no one liked and in order to hang out with the cool kids anytime you got any information you would yell, "I have a secret, I have a secret."

You don't know anything special...you aren't special...you are a tool of various Republicans who just use you and throw you away like toilet paper.

Well I believe it's time to flush.

[comment from someone impersonating lars larson deleted - editor.]

Hey Lars,

Nice to see all the geeky, fat kids have shown up.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_081006_news_westlund_gov_.16599d7.html

State Sen. Ben Westlund drops out of Ore. gov. race

02:30 PM PDT on Thursday, August 10, 2006

Associated Press

SALEM -- In a stroke of good luck for Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski, s tate Sen. Ben Westlund, an independent from Central Oregon, said Thursday that he will drop out of the Oregon gubernatorial race.

Former state Senator Ben Westlund.

At a hastily called press conference, Westlund told reporters that he didn't want to be a "spoiler" candidate -- skimming off just enough votes from the Kulongoski camp to give Republican challenger Ron Saxton the victory.

"We have rekindled Oregon's political center. We have shown tens of thousands of Oregonians that they may once again take the helm of their own ship of state," Westlund said.

Hey Lars. Don't you have a job. Maybe if you put half as much effort into your show as you do trolling around, your ratings might not be in the crapper.

http://www.oregonlive.com/newslogs/oregonian/index.ssf?/mtlogs/olive_oregonian_news/archives/2006_08.html#170828

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Westlund Out of Governor's Race Sen. Ben Westlund dropped out of the governor's race on Thursday, saying he feared he would only play the role of spoiler.

"At the beginning of this campaign, I made a commitment to the people of Oregon that I was in it to win it and that I absolutely would not play a spoiler role," Westlund said at a news conference in Salem.

"Therefore today, with no regrets but some sadness I am here to honor that commitment. I am proud to keep that promise to the people of Oregon--despite the fact I unquestionably could qualify for the ballot--by announcing my withdrawal from the race for governor."

Westlund, a Bend independent and former Republican, said he spoke by telephone with the campaigns of both Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Republican nominee Ron Saxon before the announcement. He did not say why he concluded he could not win the race as an independent. But if said "if you look at the political landscape, you see the path to victory has narrowed.

Westlund has been espousing views closer to Kulongoski than to Saxton. That has led many Democrats to worry that Westlund would be a spoiler who would help elect Saxton.

Westlund's campaign was in the midst of a signature drive to qualify for the November ballot as an independent. Campaign officials had said they were confident he had enough signatures to qualify, but they haven't yet been verified.

-- Edward Walsh and Jeff Mapes

LOL @ Anonymous

Lars: sorry to hear you still have that acid reflux going. Ben doesn't need the job. I am sorry to see someone stepping down who -- to me at least -- was willing to not bow down to silly things like the kicker. Ted tried -- but then his handlers pulled him back.

But as Adam Davis first reported -- most Oregonians don't know and don't care about elected leaders.(47% didn't know how many US senators there are)

Those of us willing to engage or care about these issues are a dwindling minority.

God, Larson is such an inane wing nut.

The problem is that if the GOP selects someone too "moderate" the fringe right trots out Mary Starrett, and if they nominate too far to the right, they have no shot in the general election.

Rock and Hard Place, I guess.

I question the need for the name calling. Can we drop that?

I say it because although it didn't show in high poll numbers, there are a good many folks who believe in sweeter partisanship, rather than bitter. In this very flawed game of politics, Ben did a good thing and tried something new. Any legitimate attempt to look for common ground seems a positive thing to me. Ben may not deserve praise all around, but I don't think he, or anyone else, deserves to get personally slammed simply because of a different political bent.

Having said that, I'd love to hear some political handicapping from others on the race as it now stands.

This couldn't have been in an easy decision -- Westlund and his hard working staff should be proud of their efforts and campaign.

I would imagine running as an independent here or anywhere else is tough, but inasmuch as it forced innovation and creativity, much of their advertising, online organizing, and earned media were impressive.

Ben pushed a lot of important issues; now it's up to the other major candidates to articulate how their plans will best improve health care, education and energy security.

Let me be the first to suggest that Ben Westlund should consider running for the U.S. Senate against Gordon Smith in 2008.

hey Wolfe, Lars, Coyote, and Anon,

I don't like reading your insults back and forth. Knock it off please.

And Westlund had the signatures, almost 3x as many as he needed. This shows Ben to be a stand up guy. He said he wouldn't stay in if he couldn't win it, and he hasn't. Plenty of people across the political spectrum owe him an apology for attacking him as an opportunist. Big Ben is going to be BMOC on campus next session, and if he and Avel Gordly form their independent caucus it'll make things interesting.

I admire the man. I respect the man. And although I was torn about voting for him, I wanted him on the ballot. This gubnatorial election has just become a snoozer. Luckily there are house and senate races to occupy the news below the fold. (or page A23)

Rodney King,

Come on....you got to say it!

Lighten up Rodney.

No, Ben still has his seat. He ran in 2004 and won with 80% of the vote. So thing's'll be interesting in Deschutes County next cycle.

Annie,

That district will interesting because it will be an open seat after Westlund is finally term limited out in '08.

Ben is really angling for an appointment. He's worked both governor candidates to auction off his endorsement.

Like Lane Shetterly, Len Hannon, Max Williams and John Minnis - Ben will be rewarded with his own little fiefdom for his "loyalty."

PanchoPdx,

Term limits won't pass.

And what you call "loyality" the rest of Oregon calls "doing the right thing."

Oh yeah...and speaking of "loyality," how's Charles Starr doing?

It wouldn't do the D's much good to appoint Ben to a gov't job. That senate district is a pretty safe R seat.

Coyote,

I so badly want to illustrate how truly stupid or ignorant you are but all these tree-hugging, Portland liberals would rather we just "Hug it out" as oppose to fight it out like men.

But I will say this. Term Limits may pass, but by no more than 5%. But you forget that the Court is Strongly Dem and the little term limits bill you wrote....is big time unconstitutional.

As for Ben being bought off is crap. You needed Ben the race to get Saxton elected and now your boy is going to go down by double digits. So you want to keep any of Oregon red I would advise you to help Karen Minnis. Her Campaign website is: www.speakerminnis.com

Now go off and spank yourselves with a paddle or do what ever Republicans do.

So Wolfe,

Term Limits will pass but the courts ("Strongly Dem" as you put it) will overturn the will of the people? Again?

I'm glad, at least, that you seem to concede that such an outcome would be political.

"But you forget that the Court is Strongly Dem and the little term limits bill you wrote....is big time unconstitutional."

Interesting observation. If the term limit measure passes, it will be struck down because of the Democratic makeup of the Oregon Supreme Court.

That's exactly the reasoning behind the "Elect Yer Local Supreme Court Judge" measure.

Yet, this is the same Court that struck down Multnomah County's same-sex marriage licenses, 7-0.

• Wes

PanchoPdx,

Oh yeah...Courts are never political.

Sincerely,

Al Gore for President 2000

(And it wouldn't be political...it’s called the unconstitutional. You know...the law...it’s that thing that applies to everyone but your President)

Wesley Charles,

The licenses were..............illegal.

But you don't care about the law as long as we do what you want us to do. I think you should run for Dictator of Oregon.

Is it possible for you to b**** and moan any more than you do?

There's another Minnis diary at dailykos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/2/94248/13221

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