What Just Happened: An Oregon post-election editorial

Oregon Magazine ^ | November 5, 2002 | Larry Leonard

[WaterDragon]

"(snip)...Oregon Republicans, particularly the conservative insiders and public leaders of the party are all, it seems, ignorant of a simple premise known well to those who participate in sports. A win is determined by the score. Doing real good, but ending up with the lower score is called a "loss." In the case of politics, a "loss" means the other party is in charge of things. Which laws are passed and signed, which judges are appointed, how things are done at the various government agencies, and so forth.

As of today, the Oregon Republican Party begins its 21st year of not being able to elect a governor. The veto pen remains in the hand of a Kitzhaber-annointed clone, Kulongoski. Not only that, but of the legislative offices clearly determined as of the time of this writing, control of the state senate has been lost, and the state house of representatives is one Democrat richer.

And, this is what highly placed, highly influential, Republican Party operatives consider to be some sort of hopeful sign?

.....(snip) The Republican establishment in Oregon, with the exception of a few wins against bad initiatives (and not as many as we needed, since the minimum wage increase is winning), didn't accomplish a thing. Nothing. Nada....."(snip)

For full article, please click here.

[WaterDragon]

Bttt

[nicmarlo]

wacked, incredibly wacked. Thank God I don't live there (sorry for the conservatives who do)

[bybybill]

He is right about our problem but what is his solution?

[Cicero]

From what I have seen, the only solution is to live with it or move. Oregon is incredibly beautiful. That's about it for the good points. But what can you do for a state that votes for suicide--literally.

[Lopeover]

I wouldn't listen to this leftist rag drivel. I live there. The Republican candidate for Governor ran THE most incredible race. Mannix was the most "horrid" of all the Republicans in the primary as he was the MOST conservative! After he won the primary he was behind 20 points in the polls. The Democrat candidate disappeared after the primaries. The Republican candidate ran one heck of a race on ideas. The Dem won by 20,000 votes. In other words the Republican Mannix had the ideas and the momentum and got many democrats to vote for him. What GAVE THE RACE TO THE DEMOCRATS WAS THE 50,000 VOTES THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY GAVE TO THE LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE!

The libertarian party is ON THE RECORD running against the most conservative Republican. The head of the party had it in for the Republican candidate. Never once did libertarians go after the democrat candidate as THEY did the Republican. Thanks to the 50,000 who voted for the libertarian Cox, we all get to suffer.

Just like the Greens spoiled it for Gore. The Libs spoiled it for Mannix!

[Seruzawa]

I understand the way you feel about the libertarians. I do vote for libertarians.. but I never vote for libertarians in major offices like Governor, Senator or Representative. Much as I dislike many things about the Pubbies, the libertarians have become far to libertine. Voting libertarian in these races is simply throwing your vote away. Now, instead of having a republican, whom libertarians may dislike, they now have a commie. A far worse result by libertarian standards.

[blackie]

It was a close election, next time we'll win !!

GWB Is The Man !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Let's Roll !!

Molon Labe !!

[cruiserman]

Sounds like the republicans spoiled it for the libertarian candidate.

[Lopeover]

No. The libertine's letter was read aloud on the Lars Larson talk show. I think too, that a state rep. has switch from the libertine party to support the republicans in the house because of it too!

I detest the libs! We could have had one great conservative governor. The dems got over his personal pro-life stance, but not the libertines!

[cruiserman]

You might be missing the point that your average libertarian is not a republican clone with a few quibbles on policy.

[Lopeover]

The Republican candidate was fiscally more in line with what libertarians believe. Especially, since the democrat candidate advocated the special election this January to raise OUR INCOME TAX while the Republican didn't. The Republican also wanted to cut government regulation and fix the state bloated pension plan. The democrat candidate also wants a sales tax. The Oregon Libertarian Party's social agenda is obviously more important than their fiscal agenda. Mannix was able to overcome many democrat's objections to his personal beliefs on abortion etc. The Oregon Libertarian Party used the people of Oregon for some two bit vendetta! I promise to curse and bad mouth that party to the end of my days!

SIGN ME A MAD AS HELL REPUBLICAN!

[gaspar]

Libertarians can posture all they want but the only issue they are really interested in is the legalization of drugs. Two nutcases supported by Libertarians helped defeat the Republican candidate for Governor in Arizona.

[Norman Conquest]

Doing real good, but ending up with the lower score is called a "loss." In the case of politics, a "loss" means the other party is in charge of things.

So I suppose the same principle applies nationwide? Hope Oregon Magazine faxed this news to McAuliffe, Daschle and Clinton.

[Jerry Attrick]

I moved.

The county in which I now live (in Washington state) just had their last Democrat bite the dust and now has absolutely NO democrat in elected office. LOL....

Life is good

[Tailback]

I am an Oregon Libertarian. I voted a straight Republican ticket even though I also happen to be a public employee. Oregon simply cannot continue it's anti-business tax and spend policies indefinately. I honestly believe that the so-called Libertarian candidate is really a Manchurian (democrat operative) candidate. Never once did Cox attack Kulongoski even though a Libertarian should agree with a Republican on 70% of the issues. I'm changing my registration to Republican ASAP.

[nightdriver]

Whaddya expect from a state that votes for doctor-assisted suicide? Rationality? LOL!

[WHATNEXT?]

Thanks for the change of heart. I have always considered Liberterians as a slightly wacky Republican. But, after hearing many calls into Lars and one make a statement about Mannix "would piss on her," and how she would far sooner vote for a Democrat than a Republican, I will have to consider them a slightly wacky Democrat. And, thus the enemy.

Many that voted for Perot stood by their principles and let Clinton win. The bottom line is the bottom line.

[Moby Grape]

Thanks for changing your registration.....too many times the LP canidate helps elect the dem....what happened with the Hillary-Care type vote?

[Salvation]

I am encouraged, however, that Mannix held onto 46% or 47% of the vote. The dims in Oregon are in trouble when the Republicans are pulling nearly half their vote.

Heck, if you add the Cox votes to Mannix's, the Republicans would have won.

So is the answer to discourage a third party candidate? Unless it would be a Greenie and pull votes from the dims.