who are we going to get to run against gordo in '08?

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

I know it's early, but I think we need to start thinking about this now. We need a dem who has either name recognition & doesn't have to raise a gazillion dollars just so people know who s/he is, or we need to find someone now & start touting him/her. Wyden was known because of his work at the state level & was able to fairly easily jump to US Senate. The idea that gordo puke puke smith could possibly win again makes me want to well, puke. In '02 gordo puke puke positioned himself as an independent when in reality he had voted w/the repugs something like 90% of the time. (There's a web site-who's name I've forgotten-where you can check it out. Can anyone help me with that?) I think we should paint a big bulls-eye (figurately, of course) on gordo puke puke's forehead. In 2000, Gore barely squeeked by dumbya. In '04, Kerry kicked dumbya's butt. There should be no way gordo puke puke wins in as blue a state as Oregon.

So, any names?

[Qutzupalotl]

1. Who's that fellow who just announced he's challenging Kulongoski

for the next Democratic Governor nomination? Someone from Lane county...can't remember his name. Perhaps he could be persuaded to run against a Republican instead of knocking out a fellow Democrat.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

2. I heard that.

Geez, I can't believe I can't remember his name. I remember just being disgusted that he would announce this early that he was running against Kulongowski.

I would hope Kitzhaber would take gordo puke puke on, but since he declined in '02 I don't know why he would take him on in '08. How about former governor Roberts? She has name recognition & could raise buckets of money. She's pres of some college back east, but maybe she could be persuaded to come back. I don't know, I just think Dems should get on this now & start building some one up.

[oneold1-4u]

24. A woman 4 sure

Not long ago, Mandela told Oprah, when she saw him in Africa, that more women were needed as leaders throughout the world!
Let's give it a jump start and maybe be the state strong enough to put a woman democrat from any state at the top. The ex first lady can't fill a space because she still has the same old mistake on her skirt-tails!
Make a study of strong Dem. community leaders and check them out THOROUGHLY, male or female. We can't afford to follow Republican principles and put more crooks in high political office.

[election_2004]

60. three possibilities....

Darlene Hooley, Susan Castillo, or Vicki Walker?

[anitar1]

62. I think Vicki Walker is strong, but it would take a ton of money.

The Pugs are going to leave no stone unturned to protect Gordon. BTW there is a gov. site where one can go to check voting records. Can't remember the address but not hard to find.

[iLoveKPOJ]

31. What about newcomers?

Do you think someone with passion and integrity, although little government experience could take it? A real grassroots candidate.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

32. I would love a newcomer.

The problem is s/he is going to have to raise buckets of money to compete w/gordo who has a huge war chest plus connections. A challenger is going to have to spend tons just to get name recognition. Plenty have done it though. Wellstone was a grass roots effort. There have been others, too.

Do you have anyone in mind?

[newyawker99]

49. Hi iLoveKPOJ!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ploppy]

57. Sorenson

He is a dope. IMHO

[kaitykaity]

3. Bradbury didn't have a snowball's chance in hell.

I volunteered for that campaign, and it was a total loser.
It was right after 911 and the pukes were just hammering
on the national security BS.

But more than anything it was the $$$. Gordo outspent
Bradbury like 6:1. It wasn't even close. (Bradbury won
reelection for Secy of State this time fairly easily, so it's
not like he can't win statewide office.)

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

6. I volunteered for his campaign also.

Actually I worked for forwardoregon, which was sort of a branch of the democratic party. We campaigned for all Dems. It was my first time volunteering for an election. I was so disgusted by dumbya I figured it was time to step up to the plate.

You're right; it was a loser campaign. gordo puke puke ran around calling himself 'independant'. Independant my ass. The guy votes strictly repug line.

[jsw_81]

4. How about Hooley?

She has done very well in a moderate part of the state and has dispatched several strong GOP challengers in recent years.

My dream senator would be DeFazio, but I think he's just a bit too liberal to win statewide.

[doubleplusgood]

5. I'd love to se Defazio run

against gordo in 2008. And isn't his congressional district quite "red" in character ?

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

7. I like either Hooley or DeFazio.

Both excellent choices. So, let's start yukking them up.

Media coverage now would give them a real heads up. Incumbants have such wide name recognition that challengers have to spent tons just to get in the game.

I will absolutely scream if that ass gordo wins relection. I couldn't believe Bradbury got whomped so bad in such a blue state & I don't want it to happen again.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

9. oops!

Hooley & Defazio are no good. Both of them are up for re-election in '08. One of them would have to give up their seat & if they didn't beat gordo puke puke they would lose out.

I think it needs to be someone from the state level. I wonder how Vera would do? She's had some critical health problems,though.

[Lenape85]

8. In fact, his congressional district went for Bush in 2000

http://uselectionatlas.org/USPRESIDENT/img.phpyear=2000&st=OR&type=map_cd

(Note: colours are reversed)

If he can win this district, just think about the rest of the state. He's progressive enough to energize the Portland/Eugene axis, but he's pro-gun, which will work well in other parts of the state. If Kerry the pro-gun control moderate-liberal can win Oregon, just think of what a gun-nut progressive could bring to Oregon.

[sandnsea]

10. He voted for the AWB

He's not pro-gun. It's just that he doesn't run as anti-gun. Nobody seems to be able to take him down on guns though. Most people really have no clue what their Congressman's record really is. You wouldn't believe the number of people who told me they were voting straight R except DeFazio. :crazy: They vote on perception and the perception here is that DeFazio is pro-veteran, pro-working man and pro-senior citizen. And Independent. That's why he wins. And you can't discount the Eugene vote, he picks up alot there that he loses in Douglas County. A state wide campaign against a well-funded Smith would be a tough battle. Somebody like Wu would have a much better chance. Even though I would love to campaign for Peter, he's the best Congressman I've ever had.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

11. Wouldn't Wu have to give up his US house seat?

He would be up for re-election in '08, so he'd have to give that up to run for Senate. Same as DeFazio & Hooley. If they lost against gordo puke puke, they'd be out. Also, I'm afraid Wu's sex scandal will play even bigger next time.

[sandnsea]

12. I wasn't recommending Wu

I was just saying that DeFazio would have a very hard time winning state-wide because he's the most liberal Congressman we've got. Someone more moderate, like Wu, would have an easier time. Although DeFazio would be an outstanding Senator, I agree with that. I don't know who would be good to run. I do think we should start hammering Smith at every turn though. He's such a typical Republican, doesn't get anything until it happens to him and even then, can't expand the wake-up call to other social circumstances. I was completely disgusted with his Senate floor scene, he supported locking kids up instead of helping them in the first place.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

13. I agree;

let's hammer gordo at every turn.

As far as locking kids up instead of helping them; isn't this the guy whose own son committed suicide? What compassion gordo shows to others. He did get a major increase in funding for emotionally at risk children after his own child committed suicide. You're right, he did zippo before that even knowing his son was and had been treated for depression for years. Since gordo puke puke could afford counseling I guess he felt everyone else who inherited a frozen food factory could too.

[sandnsea]

14. Yes, except he didn't do zippo

He supported federal legislation that locked kids up. Until after his own child committed suicide, exactly right. I didn't know he inherited a frozen food factory. Do you know what he said at a food bank in Eugene? We don't have real hunger, just people who are afraid they might not have food. And some reference to people using food banks instead of getting jobs. It was unreal. Trying to justify making all that money off food when so many don't have any I guess.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

15. Smith Frozen Foods

Also, cousin to Morris King Udall and Stewart Lee Udall to fabulous Democrats from Arizona. Morris did incredible work to end strip mining & with Native Americans & Stewart was Secretary of the Interior under Kennedy & Johnson. They're probably humiliated, except I think they're both dead. Turning over in their graves then or churning up their ashes.

[sandnsea]

16. Didn't make the connection

"U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., for his contract proposal to workers at his family's company, Smith Frozen Foods. Jobs With Justice says the contract "does not have a wage increase, health and safety language, or language guaranteeing respectful treatment. It also proposes that poor workers pay 90 percent of their health care benefits."

We need to see a whole lot more of this kind of thing though.
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2004/12/20/tidbits1.html?page=2

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

17. and he won reelection. unfuckingbelievable.

makes me wanna puke. It also absolutely disgusts me that voters can be so ignorant.

What do you think of Vera? Could we get Kitzhaber to run? Maybe Barbara Roberts would come back if we begged.

[sandnsea]

18. I'd like Kitzhaber

I wasn't here when Roberts was Governor, so I can't really make a judgment. Katz? Miss CIM/CAM? No thank you. She also strongly supports school to work and that philosophy has hurt our education system more than anything else. You can't say we're going to have a lower standard for kids that go to work out of high school and then wonder why our kids aren't educated. My kids just went through CIM/CAM, it is a joke. Also, we'd get alot of land use battles going on, gay rights battles, eek. I think she'd have a harder time getting elected than DeFazio.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

19. As a former Oregonian, I think Kitzhaber would be a great candidate

He was elected to the governorship twice, he had the guts to stand up to the Republicanite legislature, and those cowboy boots certainly don't hurt in winning over the rural voters. :-)

Sad to say, Barbara Roberts was absolutely savaged by three recall attempts led by the Clackamas County mafia. I talked to some of the recall advocates, and they were blaming her for things that were either started under her predecessor or were the result of Federal policies. They just plain didn't like her and accused me of being a "feminazi" when I said that their charges didn't make sense.

I wouldn't be surprsied if being on the receiving end of such mad dog proto-freeper hatred soured her on ever seeking elective office again. (Oh, and by the way, the recall attempts came during a time when her husband was dying of cancer.)

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

20. Hey Lydia!

I remember the recall events, but Oregon was a bit more red than. I was also hoping that time would soften some of the stances from the 'she's a feminazi' crowd. Also, Barbara has name recognition. You worked on Bradbury's campaign & you know how bad he got whomped in Multnomah County which is like 70% Democratic. You're probably right that Roberts won't come back. Too bad. We really need someone like her.

I doubt Kitzhaber will run though. He won't leave his 'beloved Rogue River'.

There's gotta be someone. Gordo has got to go!

[oneold1-4u]

25. Barbara Roberts

Check on all the best she did or tried to do for Oregon and what the republicans did to her might work on her behalf. We have to use some same tactics and not always be soooo nice. We have to throw some BS back at them or they will go on calling us all losers!

[MissB]

21. I don't think Kitzhaber will run

But what do I really know? :shrug: He was considering running in '02, but backed out so that he could spend time with his wife and son. He and his wife divorced soon thereafter.

Last I heard, he started The Kitzhaber School at Lewis and Clark- works on environmental issues, I think.

[Amaryllis]

33. And he said this election was a lot better than 2000, and those that think

there was a problem are just bloggers who use exit polls as evidence, nd exit polls are almost always wrong.

[jzilla]

34. second that!!

Pete rules! One of the best congressmen in the usa!

[newyawker99]

50. Hi jzilla!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Robert Oak]

23. Eugene, extremely liberal area n/t

[Ken Burch]

30. Second the suggestion of DeFazio!

He could be the next Wayne Morse, only without the crankiness.
(but don't use that as the campaign slogan.)

Could somebody let me know if a "draft DeFazio" website starts up?

[Blue Belle]

37. NOT Hooley...

She voted for the bankruptcy bill, is co-sponsering the pro- preditory lending bill... she's just a Republican in DLC clothing.

Don't discount DeFazio. He still wins in a VERY red district... People respect him and he could pull conservative voters.

[Robert Oak]

51. here here, no Hooley

I posted info about Hooley over a year ago and got flamed.

Hopefully people are waking up.

The problem is she has to be realistically challenged in the primary
never mind not losing the seat in the general.

What a bitch and why she can get away with being a member of
the corporate party...there's barely any realistic way to
get many of these cats out of their seats once they are in!

[funflower]

56. It would be really easy to lose Darlene's seat to the repugs....

:scared:

[Robert Oak]

22. great post, I agree Gordon Smith needs to go and is vulnerable

He's a completely bought and paid for corporate favor party guy.

His voting record is completely a lapdog for the neocons and special
interests.

DeFazio I think would be great, he's very outspoken, known
and has gotten some things done.

But, I hope the DNC is targeting Smith. OR is a blue state
and also likes Senators who speak up...it's ridiculous
this guy has the seat.

Anybody involved in the DNC in the Oregon level?

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

28. I'm not involved with the DNC in Oregon.

I guess I should be, huh. I promise I'll go sign up this month. You come back & ask me at the end of the month & kick my tush if I tell you I forgot. Okay? I know I'll wait until the last minute.

best

[Robert Oak]

52. u sign up?

Guilty me. I should too.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

53. My bad.

No. We've had a family thing going on. That's my story & I'm sticking to it. I'll do it next month. Really.

bad girl. bad girl, bad girl.

best

[Caoimhe]

26. How about Bud Clark?

He always cracked me up. I will never forget the poster of him flashing the statue in downtown Portland. Gotta love someone with a sense of humor.

Seriously, I don't have any names yet to replace Gordon Smith, but indeed we must do our best to unseat him. Unfortunately he is an entrenched Repuke with tons of funding at his disposal. Any chance in hell he could be unseated will bring pukes from all over the country at Karl Rove's direction to spin everything in Smith's favor and villify any opponent. A candidate would need to be squeaky clean and have experience, which are hard to come by traits.

Kitzhaber was a good Governor as was Barbara Roberts, but I don't know how interested they would be. Kitzhaber would definitely help put the focus on affordable health care in this nation, and we need a champion of that cause, along with so many others good causes.

:kick: repukes~!

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

27. We still have that poster-

I chased Bud all over town to get him to sign if for a present for my husband.

You're right; the slightest hint gordo could be ousted would bring out the repubs, but they'll have voted with dumbya which should work against gordo. Oregon is blue.

[anitar1]

63. I think Kitzhaber would have a chance of taking

Gordon. Plus he is a Dr, which seems to impress the pugs. He has much more of a presence than Smith.

[0rganism]

29. Deborah Coleman, perhaps?

She's the former CEO of Merix, a printed circuit board foundry, and former CFO of Apple, among other things, and well-known in tech management circles. She could go toe-to-toe with Gordo on business acumen, and she's currently one of the top Oregon donors to Democratic candidates and causes. She could run on revitalizing Oregon's high-tech manufacturing base, providing a stronger voice for progressive Oregonians in Washington, and get a lot of headway from the overall bush malaise.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

35. I'm gonna give this a

:kick:

We need to seriously start thinking about it now that gordo puke puke has shown us all what a true repug he is by voting to end the filibuster.

best

[Robert Oak]

36. he is corporatracy 100%

Who is involved with the OR DNC? He needs to go, badly and I think
getting this outrageous voting record out in front he will go.

[funflower]

55. "A vote for Gordon Smith is a vote for Bill Frist and Tom Delay."

How's that?

:headbang:

[0rganism]

38. Here's another trippy nomination: Tom Potter

Well, why the hell not?

Tom showed he can work miracles with Very Little Money. He handily crushed a well-funded Francesconi. Granted, that's an order of magnitude different from running against the RNCC in a statewide race, but Potter seems like the kind of guy who can hold his own.

I've seen Vera's name tossed about in this context, and I am 100% sure that Potter has a better chance of knocking off Smith than Vera Katz.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

39. isn't Potter a repug?

For some reason I always thought he was.

[0rganism]

40. If he is, he can knock Gordo off during the primaries :)

Rare kind of republican, tho -- not in the bush mold, that's for sure. He'd be more of a Teddy Roosevelt republican, probably.

My impression was that he's an independent, although he may have been a republican at one time.

[funflower]

45. Potter is a democrat.

[funflower]

46. Potter: That's a very interesting idea....

His police chief credentials and lack of a long political resume would both be positives outside PDX. His main controversial liberal issue is his unequivocal support for gay rights; however, Gordon has played to the left somewhat on this, which would make it harder for him to marginalize Potter on this one. Also, it would be perceived as mean to make an issue of this, as Potter's daughter is a lesbian.

Potter would DEFINITELY play better statewide than Vera.

Whoever runs needs to expose Gordon for the rightwinger that he is. I hear liberals say that Gordon seems to them to be a "thoughtful" and "intelligent" republican. He may be thoughtful and intelligent but he votes like Jesse Helms, and Oregonians deserve to know that.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

47. I've heard the same BS from liberals:

gordo is 'thoughtful', 'independent', yada, yada, yada.

I had an idea for a commercial. Two liberals are talking & one says that she's probably going to vote for gordo since 'he's a true independent'. The other points out exactly how many times gordo voted w/the repugs & dumbya. As long as the Dem candidate's name isn't mentioned the ad could be run by in 527.

Speaking of 527's, Moveon was very active in Oregon in '04. I'm hoping they'll be just as active in '06 & '08.

best

[funflower]

48. Excellent idea. The unveiling of Gordo needs to start early, too.

People need to have time to realize they really are looking for someone else to represent them in DC.
:bounce:

[anitar1]

64. Gordon isn't thoughtful, he is shifty eyed.

And his voting record is bad. He is no independant.

[lupita]

41. I want Kitzhaber...n/t

[funflower]

42. Barbara would be best and other thoughts

We need someone w/ name recognition and statewide appeal (no Mult. or Lane liberals).

We need to convince the DNC that Gordo can lose so that they will make it a priority.

We need a campaign that is willing to point out some negatives about this pleasant, sweater-wearing, Mormon country boy. People need to understand that, for all of his likeability, the man IS NOT an independent republican, and he DOES NOT represent Oregonian views.

Kitzhaber: won't run.
Darlene: Hmmm. True, she's a bit of a DINO, but much better than having a Fristian representing us. She's already been elected from a rural area. On the other hand, she's 70+; does she even want the job?
Peter D: Great if there is someone else who can hold the 4th district. That's something we need to think about anyway, as DeFazio is not immortal.
Bill B.: I like him a lot, but things didn't go so well last time (no thanks to the DNC).
Barbara: She would be great! Who's going to convince her to go for it?
Susan Castillo?
Piles of Multnomah County dems: strong but not electable statewide.
Kulongoski?
Suburban/rural dems: Greg MacPherson of LO? Alan Bates of Roseburg? Brad Avakian?

It's a bit concerning to me that we don't have more obvious names to throw out.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

43. I agree;

we're throwing out the same names over & over again.

You know, I've always thought the repugs do such a better job of mentoring the next generation of repugs to run. Dems seem to just wait around for manna from heaven. Were you here when the business man from Bend, Harry Lonsdale, ran? It's as if the Democratic Party just let him do it all by himself. He gave it a hell of a shot but couldn't unseat Hatfield. I just never got the impression the party was helping him at all. He was so close.

[funflower]

44. Gordon s/b easier to beat than Hatfield.

He's more of a true repug and nowhere near the Oregon institution that Hatfield was. We just have to find the right person to go after him.

[funflower]

54. I think Peter Sorenson is the guy who has announced against GovK, or

at least he has a website. Apparently, Vicki Walker is also thinking about it seriously. IMO, neither of these is stronger against the repugs than Kulongoski.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

58. It doesn't matter. Senator Smith is unassailable.

His position has been strongly established in Oregon, and while he isn't considered a "RINO" by Republicans, he is independent enough that the average Oregonian centrist isn't going to switch. Certainly not just because of some Democratic party rhetoric. (Ron Wyden is in an almost identical position on the other side of the fence.)

About the best we can do is to run something strong enough that we might keep him from campaigning for other people. But that's hard to do, because real credible candidates don't like spending a year of their lives just to pin someone down.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[0rganism]

59. That's certainly the conventional wisdom

and, IMHO, for good reasons. Gordo's going to be a tough nut to crack in 2006. That's why I don't like the idea of sacrificing DeFazio on the altar of futility.

To have a real shot at winning we'd need someone with lots of time, independent wealth, established reputation, and nothing to lose. Unfortunately, those are almost invariably republicans...

[funflower]

65. The longer Gordo stays, the harder he will be to dislodge, and the less

responsive he will be to constituents.

[election_2004]

61. I want to know more about Deborah Coleman....

Would she be perceived as "too liberal" for Oregon swing voters?

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

66. Kick.

Now that gordo is a turncoat to his own party, think he's burned off some of his base? Or have all but the hardcore run away already?