Ron Saxton looked like the front-runner in the debate tonight. Calm, hitting his points, sidestepping potential problem issues, focused and constantly returning to his themes, and putting Kulongoski constantly on the defensive.
The Governor, I thought, was not nearly as effective. Now I may just be a total homer, but I really do think that the viewer takeaway in this debate was overwhelmingly in favor of Ron Saxton. The Gestalt of the debate was that Saxton was calling the question on Kulongoski's four years in office, and Kulongoski's defense was, well, defensive.
Three weeks out and tonight might be looked back upon as the point that Ron Saxton took the lead for good.
Governor Ron Saxton. Has a ring to it.
4 comments:
YOu are a very, VERY optimistic man. I hope you're right. Perhaps the blue bubble I live in just makes it too hard for me to see red.
As the father of two Army National Guard soldiers, one who has served two tours in combat in Iraq as a .50 caliber machine gunner, and one who died in April 2005, I urge you to vote for Governor Ted Kulongoski.
Of all the candidates for Governor, Ted Kulongoski is the only one who cares about our troops and their families, the only one who stands with the families when they bury their loved ones.
Ted Kulongoski is the only candidate who understands the sacrifice our troops and their families have made, are making, and will make in the future, and he feels this in his heart.
Ted Kulongoski recognizes that governors have no voice in shaping U.S. foreign policy, no role in conducting war, but that has not kept him from seeing every deployed Oregonian off and seeing every deployed Oregonian return. The other candidates excuse themselves away with their narrow agendas. Ron Saxton wants to save me ten bucks on my taxes.
It takes a giant heart and a very special sort of courage to face those grieving families, and Ted Kulongoski is the only governor in the nation who has these qualities.
For this, Governor Ted Kulongoski is a hero to me.
The number one issue for those of us who are making the sacrifices in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for those of us who are making these sacrifices again and again, is the war itself. Of all the issues the candidates want to talk about, the only issue for us is the war, the most important question is—when will our loved ones come home?
The typical Guardsman comes from a small town or rural area. The death notices often name a town that few city people have ever visited or even heard of. The names and places are quickly forgotten in the city, as quickly forgotten as the sacrifice itself.
But Governor Kulongoski has made our soldiers and their families a priority from the very beginning of the war. He understands the mission and the needs of our troops, and he will never forget the names of those small towns, the faces of the families, and the stories that flesh out the human beings we have lost in faraway places.
He does this for all of us, for every single one of us. For you, and for me.
The only candidate with his heart in the right place is Ted Kulongoski.
I urge you to vote to re-elect Governor Ted Kulongoski.
Sean Cruz
Portland
Mr. Cruz, you have posted this same message on other blogs. Assuming what you post is true, my heart goes out to you for the loss of your son.
Just to mention it.
Did any one else notice that Kulongoski closed with a word for word quote of Jason Atkinson's stump speech?
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