Good people of Oregon. In the 2016 election do you think Oregon will become a Swing State? (Portland: buy, taxes)

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

Remember Mark Hatfield, the peacenik? Oregon Republicans have not been cut out of the same cloth as Southern Republicans. They may win races, but they're not going to turn around to corporate power and say "OK, now come rape the state". I don't think party loyalty runs that deep.

But don't you think the time of Republicans like Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood has passed nationwide?

I think if you look at a lot of states' Republican Senators and Representatives 20-25 years ago, you would find a lot more moderate thinking than you do with today's Republicans. That brand of Republican would not get support today from their central party apparatus.

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Is Portland not part of Oregon?

I don't get it.

It's not exactly a new phenomenon. People whose ideas are grossly unpopular simply assert that the people who don't agree with them aren't "Real Americans" or "Real Oregonians."

Yes, you can make Oregon red if you cut away all the places where people actually live and only count forests and tumbleweed, but that doesn't mean Oregon is actually red. You could do the same thing to Texas and turn it blue by cutting out everything that isn't part of a major metro area, but you know what, Texas still won't be blue.

[Steve Pickering]

Let's not forget John Dillenbach.

[Beenhere4ever]

Originally Posted by jjpop

But don't you think the time of Republicans like Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood has passed nationwide?

I think if you look at a lot of states' Republican Senators and Representatives 20-25 years ago, you would find a lot more moderate thinking than you do with today's Republicans. That brand of Republican would not get support today from their central party apparatus.

You may have a point. The teabaggers chop blocked Richard Lugar. If they can do that, they obviously don't care about anything but extremists. And there are great shadowy figures with bottomless pockets who want to buy the party. Seems like they intimidated Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, which was a giant disappointment.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by jjpop

But don't you think the time of Republicans like Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood has passed nationwide?

I think if you look at a lot of states' Republican Senators and Representatives 20-25 years ago, you would find a lot more moderate thinking than you do with today's Republicans. That brand of Republican would not get support today from their central party apparatus.

National politicians get their start at a local and state level. If you look at the last legislature, the Republicans were moderate and sensible. They did an excellent job of guiding the state through some difficult choices. Of course, the House was split evenly, and they even had a co-speaker with the Democrats, the first time that has ever happened, but they did well with the situation.

Oregon Republicans have traditionally stood for something positive. They have a history of being progressive problem solvers. The last few years have made me think that tradition is stronger than I thought.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

National politicians get their start at a local and state level. If you look at the last legislature, the Republicans were moderate and sensible. They did an excellent job of guiding the state through some difficult choices. Of course, the House was split evenly, and they even had a co-speaker with the Democrats, the first time that has ever happened, but they did well with the situation.

Oregon Republicans have traditionally stood for something positive. They have a history of being progressive problem solvers. The last few years have made me think that tradition is stronger than I thought.

I agree that at the State level Republicans are, for the most part, pretty moderate. But once they get inside the DC Beltway, they get strong-armed by their party leaders to vote a certain way. Then if they don't vote that way they risk losing support from the party apparatus, which has the big money corporate ties.

I didn't mind Gordon Smith, and sometimes he went against his party leadership which I applauded. But I think he went along with his party despite the opinion of his constituency too many times, which is why he lost his seat. Admittedly, I don't know much about his record when he was in the Oregon State Senate, but he was only in there for 3 years or so...

[indieco]

No way. If anything Oregon will get more blue and states like Arizona and maybe even one day Texas will be swingers.

[pnwmdk]

Originally Posted by Nurse Bishop

I predict the redneck hillbillys will continue to be out voted.

I predict the liberals will continue to be the knee-jerk hateful types.

[pnwmdk]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Ok, so Portland is part of Oregon. And it's population makes up a majority of the state's inhabitants.

Do Republicans think land should vote instead of people or something?

No, the rest of us would like to give the Portland MSA to Washington, so we can have some self government, instead of the harshly imposed stupidity that the Portland-Salem axis of corruption brings.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by pnwmdk

I predict the liberals will continue to be the knee-jerk hateful types.

AM talk radio rots the mind.