The Hines' post is on the mark.

It will be a freezing day down under before I would vote for Dudley, not so sure about the rest of the Dem. voters in this state.

Time for Kitzhaber to bring it on.

Out of curiosity, where does Kitzhaber live? Portland, Bend, or Salem?

"It seems to me like today's John Kitzhaber is almost exactly like yesterday's,"

Just goes to prove:

There is 7 year's experience or
One year's repeated 7 times

What has he been doing since he left office? I know he turned down the Senate run against Smith so he could spend more time with his family... but what has he been up to?

I don't like the extremes of either party but it looks like we have gotten a little far to the left.

Look at a recent Gallup Poll

I saw huge Dudley signs this morning just outside of Lewis and Clark (on Terwilliger) on a trip to Tryon Creek. Size isn't all that matters. I am still waiting from substance from that corner.

Nothing but Dudley billboard up and down the Willamette Valley. Went down to Junction City and got the last eight thousand pounds of my dad's collection of history books out of the storage unit yesterday and we did not see a single Kitzhaber sign. Presumably people will know there's a race on by November.

"I am still waiting from substance from that corner."

You talking about Dudley or Kitzhaber. I don't see a lot from either corner (albeit Dudley at least has a list.)

AFAIK, Kitz' economic development plan so far is to borrow more money and weatherize schools - Brilliant.

Right now, I am leaning Dud since I see absolutely nothing of substance from Kitz and ducking every hard issue he can.

Kitzhabers's weatherization of schools is a Dud. Several years back weatherization was implemented in schools along with seismic upgrades. It was in the many $millions. Then, if we do it again the schools will open the windows and doors to air it out like they always do. Makes sense? Spend hundreds of $millions to save dollars.

So I've gone back to visit the dud's website... an appointed state superintendent of public ed? Right, like the Port of Portland and Tri-Met boards are appointed. Has he been paying attention?

His education transportation jabber probably disadvantages rural schools (where I spent my K-12 years). And he talks out of both sides of his mouth about compensation (numbers 9, 10, and 17). Do teachers quit before 5 years because they can do better elsewhere or they don't want to spend their salaries equipping classrooms or the politics of dealing with the administration, school boards and parents are too much? I mean who did he ask?

On his jobs stuff... just how will he modernize land use planning to accomplish all the goals he lays out? Lofty language but is it pragmatic?

Now abolishing the OLCC, I can go for that.

His staff still has never answered some very specific questions that I sent and until they do..... I am not likely to vote for him.

LucsAdvo, at least Dudley has taken a position on a substantial transportation issue-the Milwaukie Light Rail. He's against the taking of $250 Million in state lottery dollars to jump-start it. Those dollars would go a long way in helping the budget crisis. More than you can say about Kitzhaber. Then add in the debt cost of the $250 Million and you're up to almost a 1/2 $Billion. Where's Kitz on this issue? What's his thinking on the misuse of urban renewal to mostly fund mass transit? Urban Renewal is a state issue since it is allowed by state legislative action.

lw - I never said that Urban Renewal wasn't a state issue. Did you go to school in Oregon or somewhere else? What I said about land use planning was that I don't think it's feasible that his ideas could or would be implemented. That's a lot different that what you think I said.

Lucs, you said Dudley's "transportation jabber disadvantages rural schools". I made the connection of transportation to schools and never said that you did, nor that I accused you saying urban renewal wasn't a state issue.

And I'm a third generation Oregonian with 5th generation in the family, if that means anything. I went to a three room school house with only six students in our class, if that means anything to you. And what if I did go to school somewhere else?

lw - Have you been to the dudster's website and read any of his materials especially the one on education? In his platform for schools he talks about cutting transportation costs.

That's got nothing to do with his stance on Milwaukie light rail or the price of tea in China.

And if you actually go read it, you might understand why as a kid from a rural school (in a state where schools did not get much in the way of state funding at the time but were mostly locally funded) who rode the flipping bus for way too long, I might be concerned. Portland can just tell the kiddies to take Tri-Mer if there is service in their areas.

Hines message seems to be that he recognizes what Kitzhaber is and it's not much.
But he wants him to put on a charade of enthusiasm to fool the voters into voting for the person he is not.
Just so the Democrat wins and Brian can feel good about his blue progressive Oregon.
Brian is fine with selling out Oregon by preserving the status quo as long as any Democrat wins?
Even if it's a has been he admits sucks?
Kitzhaber winning might as well be another Kulongoski term and would certainly preserve all things status quo.
From Kitzhabers's former chief of staff Bill Wyatt running the Port, to TriMet to the State Board of Education and every entrenched manager at the ODOT etc bureaucracies.

Yep the entire Sam Adams, PDC, Light Rail, SoWa, Metro regime and their congregation wants Kitzhaber to bring it on.

That should be enough reason to vote for Dudley.

"His education transportation jabber"

And Kitz' message is?

I'll sum it up for you, take some sorta kinda inspecific seemingly tough stands with enough weasel room if he gets elected. If he gets elected, it'll be business as usual for the past 16 years.

Lucs, in trying to decipher your "education transportation jabber" comments, I went back and read Dudley's website searching for what you are talking about. I read "Dudley Issue Overview"-"K-12 Education, Dudley's "26 Point Budget Reform Plan", Dudley's "Oregon's Comback: An 18 Point Plan-Educating for Our Economic Future".

In the last I found on page 16, "16. Transportation Dollars for Classrooms". He essentially states that we need to overhaul the way we fund school transportation matching grant system because it has no incentive to control transportation costs. He wants funding to be based with incentives to reduce transportation costs-just one short paragraph.

Is that the "jabber"? In your comments I thought Dudley had pages and pages of ideas about "education transportation". And I still don't get the connection that you rode a school bus for miles in your youth. If you are basing your opinion on Dudley on cherry-picking this one subject then I might think you have an outside agenda and no argument.

unless something dramatic changes before election day, for the first time in my life, in any election, this democrat will be voting for the republican candidate dudley.

i don't even care if he makes abortions illegal, rounds up every decent hard-working mexican citizen in oregon and waterboards them at the john ross detention/community center, or if he prays to jesus in every speech to win the wars, make rich people richer, and drive out all sin in gay men. i aint getting an abortion this lifetime, it can't hurt to get jesus to annihilate the enemies of freedom, i'm a class aspirationalist, and watchin some sin drivin sounds exciting. if it ever gets old, i'll press mute and watch a lil porn while my governor whispers to our homespun lord.

the way i see it, all dudley really has to do is convince jesus to kill the olcc and milwaukie light rail. that'll be more than enough good to wash down all them rich creamy helpins of religious craziness i'll be swallowin during the next hillbilly era.

i can't be the only one thinkin this...

let me guess blue to red - you will never need an abortion, you are white, straight, and you only care about your own personal agenda. Sorry but for those of use who don't fit the in straight, Anglo, male box, the dudster won't get our votes unless he:

1) promises to a minimum be neutral about abortions and death with dignity
2) eschews racism
3) eschews homophobia

But as long as he would be willing to pander to the right wing and not play to the center, he will never, ever get my vote...

lw -since I have no agenda other than whatever you read here (and part of it is to be a devil's advocate so you can take some of my posts with a grain of salt) - I have no the hell idea what you think my outside agenda is ... maybe you can spell it out for me.... I work for my living, own a residence, pay taxes, get discriminated against now and again

Dudley has already stated he's pro-choice, and he did so in the republican primary. Immigration is not a party line issue. Plenty of repulicans oppose immigration reform due to its perceived effect on small business labor force issues. Plenty of democrats support immigration reform because of its effect on employment and wages for legal residents. Look at the polls and the problems the issue is causing Obama. I don't know anyone who claims that Dudley is homophobic - that'd be a new one even for the Kitzhaber campaign.

This lifelong Democrat will also be voting for Dudley, who has already indicated he will work across party lines in his administration. I don't think Kitzhaber has the willingness or ability to work with anyone who doesn't think like he does. He's arrogant enough to think that he's got the solution to everything. Typical doctor with a God complex. Sorry John, you've had your time. Not again.