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May 21, 2006

What's an Oregonian to do?

I just got done watching Outlook Portland with Nick Fish, a local program covering Oregon politics. Nick's guests were two political beat reporters, one from the Oregonian and one from Willamette Week, the two largest newspapers in the Portland Metro area and perhaps in the state. The Oregonian for sure is the largest in the state. But I don't believe Willamette Week is widely read outside of the Metro area. Anyway, I missed the first half of the show but the second half was about the recent primary election and how those results play into the general election this coming November. In particular I found the discussion of the Governor's race interesting.

Much has been said about how the moderate Republican Ron Saxton tacked to the far right in order to win the GOP nomination over two more conservative candidates, even so he only won 44% in a measly 38% turn-out, and how unpopular Governor Kulongoski is, even with his base. The task facing each man is similar because both, "at least superficially, are cut from the same cloth", which goes a long way towards explaining their respective primary challenges. If they tack to the middle, which virtually everyone assumes is necessary in order to win, then they risk alienating their respective party bases which they absolutely must have in order to win. If they tack towards their bases to shore up support then they risk alienating the middle. In a two-way race that wouldn't pose as big of a problem. But this is a three-way race with the newly minted Independent Ben Westlund clearly staking out the middle.

Kulongoski has already come out swinging by labeling Westlund as "the other Republican" in the race. Both political beat reporters on Nick Fish's show fully expect Saxton to label Westlund as the other Democrat in the race because, although he is a fiscal moderate-to-conservative (supports a cig tax, repeal of the "kicker" law, universal health care, wanted to raise income taxes in '03, wants to reduce capital gains taxes, etc), on social issues he is "moderate-to-progressive" (universal health care, civil unions, pro-choice, etc). And he has teamed up with the very popular (and very progressive) former Governor Kitzhaber to push a bio-fuels measure on the November ballot called Oregon Apollo which in the current market of sky high petro-fuel prices is sure to appeal to all sides.

Usually when both extremes are taking pot shots at you, trying to label you as part of the hated "other side," you must be doing something right.

As Willamette Week reporter Nigel Jaquiss said in his April 26 cover story on Westlund, the "(t)wo parties bludgeon each other endlessly for scant benefit. Polls show that most voters believe Oregon is headed in the wrong direction; reams of data show our tax system, schools and healthcare are inferior."

Perhaps of more consequence to Oregonians is Westlund's similarity to legendary Oregon Governor Tom McCall, as Jaquiss quotes in his piece:

"He's cut out of the same cloth as Tom McCall," says lobbyist Roger Martin, who worked closely with the legendary maverick Oregon governor. "Whether he can grow into that role remains to be seen."

While the partisans spar to paint Westlund into a partisan corner, Oregon continues to struggle with partisan political gridlock in the state capital.

Posted by Kevin at May 21, 2006 09:51 AM

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