Dem bench team looking better

[funflower]

I think dems in Oregon are getting a strong, more electable farm team. I've been fairly impressed w/ Greg MacPherson (son of Hector the land use man), Alan Bates, Larry Galizio for starters. They were all elected from districts that are not that solidly democratic, and they are all pretty qualified. We shouldn't have a republican senator from Oregon, especially one as conservative as Gordon Smith. Some of these stronger, non-Multnomah, non-Lane reps might be able to send him back to Pendleton one of these days.

Anyone have any thoughts on our hopes for retiring Gordon and holding on to the governor's mansion (basically, strengthening our pool of potential statewide office holders if the R's ever get a clue and stop nominating far-righters)?

[0rganism]

1. Gordo is going to be difficult to dislodge

Our best hope is that he gets bored or disgusted or something more lucrative comes along. Failing that, he's going to be around for a while. Strangely enough, conservative as Gordon Smith may be, he's a freaking moderate by current standards, and has been fairly successful at painting himself as a centrist during the elections.

Here's the technique: pick one or two issues that pander to leftists, such as ANWR and hate crime protections for GLBTs, use those to establish his moderate creds, then go along with the GOP agenda on everything else. Combined with the immense amounts of money the GOP will funnel in to hold his seat, we're at a substantial disadvantage as far as getting a real centrist or (dare we dream of it?) a progressive into his seat.

There's really only one thing I can think of that would make Gordo vulnerable: caving on federal legislation that overruns the Oregon "right to die" laws. If he does that, it can be used against him to win over some of the Libertarians, and then a Democrat might have a chance.

[kaitykaity]

2. And $$$$.

Don't forget the $$$$. Gordo outspent Bradbury
by 6 to 1 in 2002.

[funflower]

4. Dems didn't really try in 2002

Bill Bradbury has run some great campaigns in the past (his TV ads are actually entertaining), but I didn't think that campaign or, from what I hear, the national party really gave it their all in 2002. Everybody just seemed to roll over and give up 6 more years without a fight. Nobody wants to go negative about Gordon. I'm not saying he's not a decent guy, but he votes too conservatively for Oregon, and all anyone sees during election season is nice, gentle Gordon wearing a sweater and talking about Matthew Shepard. The man is no maverick liberal republican but people think he is.

[kaitykaity]

5. The Dems wanted Kitzhaber to run.

When he backed out, Bradbury was the backup. Not a real
good place to start from. And it's tough to run a competitive
campaign at such a huge financial disadvantage. The results
were actually closer than the should have been given Smith's
6 to 1 spending on television advertizing.

The Dems were reeling in 2002 from the stolen election of
2000 and the politicization of 9/11. The unity meme was out
in force, support the preznit in the War on Terra.

[funflower]

8. Bradbury v. Gordon

I realize all of that. I heard the national dems didn't back him up; they just rolled over. I think Bradbury would probably poll better statewide than Wyden does, and he beat Smith (true Gordy was not an incumbent then). After BillB was elected from a rural area, not Portland.

[kaitykaity]

9. Why are you repeating yourself?

I guess I will too then.

I already told you about the shell shock from the stolen
election. the huge disadvantage in $$$, the politicization
of 9/11, Kizhaber not running.

It was a legitimate campaign either way. The Bradbury
people did the best that they could with what they had.

What more do you want?

[funflower]

10. At the risk of repeating myself

I want money from the DNC.

[funflower]

3. He voted to nix the global gag rule

Another example of a liberal pet issue. What really fried me (among other things) was when he voted against Clinton in the impeachment mess.

[stevedeshazer]

6. There's only one person in Oregon that could knock off Pea Packer Smith

[funflower]

7. So why doesn't he run?

Emotional attachment to Tom DeLay? Doesn't like the Russell Building?