Replace Gordon Smith Senator

[Parche]

Now that the 2006 elections have passed
Who are we going to get to defeat Gordon Smith in 2008?

We need someone so well known here in Oregon that they will be a lock on the seat!!!!!


Who can we get????

[Caoimhe]

1. Kitzhaber would be great!

But probably a pipe dream.

[0rganism]

4. He'd probably be the one with the best chance

but I think he's moved on to other things.

We'll probably have to look elsewhere.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

2. Oh how I wish gordo puke puke had been up this year.

:cry:

[doubleplusgood]

3. Peter Defazio

would be a great replacement for Gordo. Whoever runs will need a huge amount of money; Bill Bradbury's 2002 campaign against Gordo withered under a barrage of negative ads that the Dem's just weren't able to counter. Maybe the Netroots can be more assertive here in 2008.

[0rganism]

5. Ben Westlund!

He was on Thom Hartmann's local show this morning, and damned if he didn't sound like he might take on the pea-packer himself.

The "independent" thing might be impractical, but if he picked one of the two majors and either ran as a Dem or a GOPer (in the primary), he could be the one to dislodge El Gordo. Westlund could actually do MORE damage to Gordo in the GOP primary -- even if he loses, he'd force Gordon to pay a lot more up-front and early-on, just to run against a well-funded Dem in the general.

[LWolf]

8. He's my rep.

I was really conflicted this year. I would have liked to support his campaign for the governor's seat, to let him know that I appreciate his independence. I do.

He is just not with me on too many issues, and I saw Saxton as a big threat, so I didn't. He'd definitely be an improvement over Gordon Smith, though!

[pdxmom]

6. I was thinking about this the other day, and I'd like to see DeFazio

run for the spot.

It's a must-get seat in the Senate, for a number of reasons. And it's going to be an uphill battle, due to the money situation. Smith has sat on his war chest, knowing this was coming.

[doubleplusgood]

7. Defazio would be great

The fundraising landscape has changed since 2002, I think Defazio would be a serious contender if he threw his hat in the ring. Either him, or Kitzhaber.

It would be interesting to see who the Oregonian would endorse in '08. Well, actually, we know they will endorse Smith. It's more what their rationale would be this time. In 1995, when he ran to replace Packwood & the Senate was still fairly close (but in GOP hands), I think the Oregonian endorsed him because, as a member of the majority (Republican) party, he could "get things done". Never mind, of course, WHAT he wanted to get done. And, this endorsement came in spite of the fact that they had endorsed his opponent in the Republican primary & endorsed Ron Wyden in the Democratic. Do you think they would endorse the Democrat because he/shr could "get things done" in the majority? I'm not holding my breath waiting for that.

[0rganism]

9. The Whoregonian would justify it based on the "divided state" principle

If Portland has its interests representated in the senate, so too must Prineville, or so the reasoning often goes.