Words &c.

Local politics are much more difficult to follow than national. Being newly eligible to vote has exposed me to just how much I plain don't know about local issues or how local government works. Local news sources haven't been that much help either. I might have the best luck just voting based on the photos in the Voter's Pamphlet.

The worst part is that, in Portland, nearly everyone running is a nominally progressive liberal. I'll actually have to make a decision based on character and record instead of platitudes. Woe!

The mayoral race here is one of the most disappointing. There's something like a dozen candidates, but only six have bothered to pay the 500 to appear in the Voter's Pamphlet, and only Sho Dozono and Sam Adams have any sort of name recognition. Between Sam Adams' Pearl District (and bridge) fetish and Sho Dozono's bizarre excuses for lousy business acumen, I don't like either of them. I may vote for the ghost of Vincent Price.

Out of pure favoritism (he gave my Constitutional Law team glowing feedback, and I believe in quid pro quo) I'm voting Nick Fish over the slew of other candidates (including a touchy-feely humanist type psychotherapist who thinks anti-depressants are part of a Brave New World type drug mind control plot) for Position 2 City Commissioner.

Statewide politics are a different matter. Everything is non-partisan on a local level, but for the state there's party primaries. The Republican ticket is dominated by moderate, bland candidates with nominal opposition from some very entertaining political psychopaths ("gold! GOOOLD!") and a smattering of lying fascist scum.

As the Greenback Party is now defunct, I registered as a Democrat. This gives me the expanded options of choosing amongst European-style social democrats in bow-ties, Russian Mafia fitness instructors, and typo-prone toupee'd men seeking to improve the "minion wage". (I note with dismay that, aside from Mr. Small Buffalo, no one has any truly significant facial hair.)

Also, I'm supporting Steve Novick in the Democratic senate primary. This is simply by virtue that if there's anyone suited to represent Oregon it's a beardless dwarf with a steel claw for a hand.

There's also Measures 51 and 52 (both of which Mannix supports) and 53 (which Mannix supports), but these pale in comparison to the most pressing issue of the elections:
Is it Republican Phyllis Thiemann or Democrat Tina Kotek who will be elected as purdiest of the candidates?