Whenever you hear the word, recommended, remember that someone wants you to take a direct action, but with "recommend" one not needs say, "please."
It's an almost cheery word, recommend. It fills oneself with undeserved feelings of self-adulation, since having an ability to recommend must be proof of ones ability to see clearly the road ahead. And I pride myself on my road-aheadedness seeing.
So here we go:
Governor.
I've met and spoken with all three candidates. I really like John. He makes me laugh. And, he is a very sincere, dedicated man. Six months with Professor Higgins would make a big difference on his future electability. Shy of that, we do judge people on how they speak, not on what they say. If elected--doubtful--I'd work hard to see this man elected. Honesty and integrity. A ruthless drive to serve. He's mensch. In my book.
Chris? I was going to title this post "Chris Dudley" "Princeton" and "Economics" so that this posting would hit near the top of a Google Blogsearch. Not much competition. This would be one of 26 such posts.
After watching Chris, I whispered to a dean of the political world, "Kinda hard to put Chris Dudley, Yale and Economics in the same thought, isn't it?" Good enough for a sidelong glance and a chuckle. I hear teh kidz are supportive of the guy. Which isn't surprising, since this same demographic remains staunchly supportive of the empty suit that is our President. Teh kidz, it seems, vote on the basis of image not substance. To be fair, substantively, Chris has said things that are substantively in line with my beliefs. Where I find myself searching around for my shutter shades is when I remember the role being played in his campaign by Dan Lavey and Kent Craford. It could turn out to me all Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and all, but the last time Oregon literally sent a Mr. Smith to Washington, things turned out badly. Oh, and did I mention Dan Lavey's role in Senator Smith's political legacy?
Allen Alley.
After spending time with John and Chris, the idea that we might have a candidate who is articulate formed. After decades of stuttering top-of-the-ticket "conservatives," the idea that we have a bright, articulate candidate with business bona fides is extremely appealing to me. And the appearance versus substance view is important to remember. For a fair amount of voters--who view elections as a horse race--there is a feeling that we need to "elect a candidate that is winnable." And you're going to hear a lot about Chris' winnability. But his surface electability is thin; when you scratch you quickly find out the depth of skin deep. Allen, on the other hand, has years of experience taking flack, dealing with real, substantive problems, and leading others toward common goals. They are the skills you pick up in the private sector. It isn't enough to have an appropriate platitude. You need to make decisions, explain your decisions and implement your decisions. It's guys like Lavey and Dudley who will give you creative ideas. It's guys like Alley who will implement them. (I still teach staff that there is a significant difference between creativity and innovation. Creativity is easy. Getting new ideas accomplished is difficult.)
Allen Alley is not restricted to pretty ideas. He is committed to implementing change for the State of Oregon. The biggest difference between the two is, in my estimation, Dudley's call for a committee to recommend changes in state expenditures, and Allen's call for Zero-based Budgeting for the state. This is a total reversal of decades of budgeting policy for Oregon. Chris wants a study group. Allen Alley wants to drop it all down to zero, and then see how much needs to be returned. And he will lead the discussion, not a committee.
Committee versus leadership.
Hands down, it's easy to see clearly why Allen Alley is my choice for the Republican nomination as Oregon's next Governor. Regardless of who wins, I believe Oregon will be better off with any of our candidates rather than The Boot.
The Rankings:
#1. Allen Alley
#2. John Lim
#3. Chris Dudley
Obama Denies Involvement
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Oddly, for once he may not be lying: WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—President Obama used his weekly radio address on Saturday to reassure the American peop...
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5 comments:
Being new to Oregon, it's good to read your recommendations - and good to see that my hunch about Alley is right.
John Lim has some good ideas, but he can't articulate them - and he flounders around a lot. He's likeable, but that won't win an election in the general.
Dudley has The Oregonian's endorsement, which is a big strike against him right there. He's smart, and he has name recognition, and he's drawing in money like iron filings to a magnet. He avoids contact, and is grossly over-managed by his team - likely because they recognize that he isn't well-versed in Oregon issues.
Alley has received the WW endorsement, and unlike Lim, he's not only articulate, but advances solid plans. Unlike Dudley, he not only advances solid plans, but has a track record of actually creating jobs in the business world.
Dudley may have been good at hitting the occasional free-throw, but that doesn't make him a good candidate.
Nope, like a lone bull, Alley is out standing in his field.
I agree with your rankings.
I watched a debate on kgw last week. Allen Alley blew them all out of the water.
It's too bad Oregon has become the refugee camp for those who rely on the government for the livelihood.
Until that changes, I can't see anyone winning who won't continue to tax the shit out of everyone who earns an honest living.
Good overview. Thanks!
The problem with the "Winnable" argument is that it fails to take into account the importance of what happens AFTER the election. The less likely someone is to serve the way I want them to, the less it matters to me how "Winnable" they are, or what letter they happen to parenthesize next to their name.
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