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?
Foregoing my traditional Friday evening television (note to Cheriti - I'll show up earlier next week to catch up on whatever I missed), I attended the Obama rally at the Convention Center tonight. Considering I'll actually be getting to vote this time around, I figured it a good idea to attend what might be my favored candidate's only appearance in Our Fine City.
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Arrived at rally about 7:55 to find a line covering half the circumference of the Convention Center. It moved relatively quickly, and we were inside within half an hour.
Obama volunteers are, oddly, all very attractive people. Do handsome candidates attract handsome campaign workers? Does it work vice-versa? If so, Fred Thompson's campaign must be staffed by morlocks.
The line for an Obama rally is the last place you need to be walking around with signs reading "Stay Out of Iran".
The only crank sign wavers are some 9/11 Inside Job people with a big banner and a gaggle of Ron Paul supporters. The only directly anti-Obama protester is what appears to be a scruffy Confederate soldier (with the appropriate hat) and a cardboard sign reading "B.O. YOU STINK".
Preprogram music is inspirational folk-rock, a bit of hip-hop near the end, and then the eardrum-busting Self Improvement soul choir singing the National Anthem.
I'm finding these old boots are hard on the heels to stand in. I was naïve and foolish to think I'd be sitting down.
Tony McPeak (self described 'retired military guy') gave the opening remarks. "Unlike in the 2004 election, when we were voting against something, this year we have something we can vote for." Summarized our desires in a Commander in Chief with a gun metaphor.
Obama: "First of all, this is not the Justin Timberlake concert. I do not sing, or dance. Well, I dance a little."
Obama, even from a few hundred meters away, is a truly engaging speaker. Of course, anyone who knows English these days is more engaging than Bush, but Obama is especially capable.
He uses the word 'fundamentally' about half a dozen times in the speech, but only during the first third.
He admits to being a hope-monger.
I nearly clapped the skin off my hands when he mentioned affordable college degrees.
The speech ended with a story about his trip to a tiny South Carolina town that served as an anecdote for the inspirational power of one voice. I actually found the rest of the speech to be more engaging and inspiring than this final bit.
Afterwards, I spent a good while looking at the people who attended the rally. There was one fellow (apparently the antithesis of B.O. guy) with a Union infantry cap and "God Was My Copilot (but then we crashed and I had to eat him)" shirt. There was an attractive young lady with the Bros Before Hoes shirt, which thoroughly made my day.
Present at the rally was the best Get Out the Vote campaign yet: all the volunteers had shirts reading VOTE, F★CKER.
And you'd better, fucker.
