Duin on Westlund
My favorite writer for The Oregonian, Steve Duin, has an interesting column in today's paper on Ben Westlund's Independent gubernatorial campaign: Westlund: Maverick or opportunist?
Westlund is the rare candidate in the race who admits mistakes and concedes to a difficult learning curve. Of his status as an independent, he said, "I am where I'm most comfortable. I don't know if this is re-creation or evolution. And evolving to a position of better understanding."
He would be stunned, he said, if the voters didn't expect politicians to "gain a bigger and better understanding of Oregon and the complexity of its problems and, yes, change their perspective on those problems."
The willingness to admit mistakes not only makes Westlund the rare candidate in this particular race, it makes him the rare candidate in any race anywhere.
I can't wait for the Gubernatorial Debates, if they happen at all. My enduring memory of the 2002 Guber Debates, the last one in Medford to be specific, is of Democrat Ted Kulongoski (the incumbant in this race) and Republican Kevin Mannix (lost to Saxton in the primary a month ago) using lots and lots of words to say nothing of substance whatever while Libertarian Tom Cox gamely tried to distinguish himself by giving very precise and very detailed answers to every single question posed to him. Not voting for Cox in that race is the only vote I've ever regreted not casting... ever. I didn't necessarily want him to win. Largely because I didn't agree with him on a number of issues. But dag-nabbit he at least was honest and upfront with Oregonians about where he stood and what he would do if elected. He deserved some votes just for that exceedingly brave (and rare!) effort alone.
2 Comments:
I truly beleive that Mr. Westlund is a courageous, honest and strong leader. Specific policies aside the biggest problem facing Oregonians is the urban(liberal)/rural(conservative) divide that exists in Oregon. Westlund has a proven track record of working with folks on both sides of the aisle. Ben Westlund is somone who can and is willing to work through extreme partisan politics (from both the D's and the R's) to bring forth common sense policies that bode well for the average Oregonian, urban and rurual.
Talking to voters recently at the Rose Festival, both R's and D's are concerned about Westlund taking votes from "their guy." This demontrates to me that Westlund's message is resonating throughout a multitude of political ideologies.
Westlund's staff alone is made up of Democrats, Republicans, Greens, a Libertarian, and a handful of Independents.
The real question is: Are people going to have the political courage to vote for who they actually want (potentially Westlund) or are they going to give- in to fear (i,e.:if I don't vote for the less of two evils, the more evil one will surly win). Now is the time to resist the decades of two party conditioning (brain washing: a third candidate can never win).
If Oregonians on the "left" and the "right" can overcome their fear and actually vote for the best candidate availiable, I truly beleive that Ben Westlund will be our next governor.
Courage over Fear
Well said, Andy. Perhaps the most compelling part of Westlund's Bio is his re-election to the state senate in 2004 when he gained not only the predictable Republican nomination but also gained the Democratic nomination via a massive write-in campaign during the primary. To my mind that's proof positive that he resonates with folks all across the ideological spectrum.
Interestingly enough, even though Westlund is deemed a rural (ie. conservative) politician because he lives east of the Cascade mountains, the reality is that Bend is the 4th largest urban area in the state and is projected to become the third largest in just a few years. Westlund's senate district encompasses both urban and rural areas. So his nomination by both parties takes on a whole new meaning when put into context.
Yes, even Bend isn't necessarily as hyper-progressive as places like Portland or Eugene. But, as you infer, the urban/rural divide does fall along ideological lines... even in eastern Oregon.
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