Let there be no nostalgia for Jake, who illustrated how similar to high school student body elections Portland's municipal contests really are:

"Brumm, whose grandfather worked for Wayne Morse and Neil Goldschmidt, believes he can win. He points as inspiration to 2000, when 19-year-old Jake Oken-Berg almost pushed Mayor Vera Katz into a runoff."
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/anna_griffin/index.ssf/2011/06/max_brumm_cant_win_portland_ma.html

"Jake worked as a policy analyst for the Oregon Business Council from 2002-05, special assistant to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden from 2005-2007, and is an Oregon Bus Project board member."
http://www.blueoregon.com/author/jake-oken-berg/

"...Jake now enjoys tormenting his bandmates with his observations on local, national and international politics."

Has anyone heard the tormented band?"

There is a lot of time between now and May. There will be and interesting developments and surprises along the way.

Surprises? Oh, yes there will be. Probably right here before the 0.

Well, we certainly need surprises for a change, because nothing the current insiders do is a surprise anymore....
unless they actually would do something for the public good...
that would be a big surprise!!

I wonder why Sho didn't run this time.

Is the current city government legitimate? Would any of the candidates for mayor make it more legitimate?

I wanted to express my belief that Charlie will win this election but when I enter my vote, it says "Sorry, you've already voted in this poll" even though I haven't. What gives?

Did someone else vote on your machine first? Sounds like there is a tracking cooking in play with your browser. Just clear the browser cache and clear cookies and you can vote.

Hales schools Smith in the runoff. He's got all the money.

Remember the Francesconi and Potter race?
Francesconi had all the money.
Doesn't always work.

it says "Sorry, you've already voted in this poll" even though I haven't.

Jack's polling software is at least as reliable as a Diebold voting machine.

I wonder why Sho didn't run this time.

It's not Sho time.

No, not too early while planet orbits can be calculated centuries ahead.
Is the Primary on May 8th? I suppose so.
Smith (that day) gets an entirely unexpected, surprisingly good showing, (for youthful charisma, I suppose ... really reminiscent of JFK), though there are adverse indications against an outright win. So: a runoff.

What is Hales' birthdate?

btw, can you guess which group brings the most patronage to astrologers? Politicians seems likely but that's not the answer -- really, the average politician has low or limited awareness of world affairs at-large, has scarce sense of public mood, usually being late to 'catch on'. Politician is sorta like realtor; it's a 'profession' for those who didn't go or couldn't cut it in college, (e.g., Lars Larson, Dumbo Bush), disinterested in learning for knowledge's sake; (and through a process of elimination by failing attempts in 'ordinary' occupations, those sorts 'fall out the bottom' reduced to politician or realtor). Most people who get an informative education and have good prospects on a career track, hardly (need) 'lower themselves' into politics -- except idealists (J.Smith?) or idiots (Dumbo B.!)

Not politicians; Hollywood actors are the biggest buyers of astrology, (thus how Ronnie Raygun brought one with him from Hollywood into the White House).
Second place: gamblers (on Wall Street pay best -- and there are a bunch of them; those at the horse track or in casinos have no money). The moment (c. 1914) that 'legitimized' astrology and commenced the astro-feature in daily newspapers, (which publishers unanimously despise and yet admit they don't dare delete it), was when J.P.Morgan (of Wall Street) spoke this testimonial for his 'advisor':
Millionaires don't use astrology; billionaires do.

I did not vote, because it does not matter. Whichever candidate wins, the rest of the world will shake it's collective head... and sigh.

Who gives a rip?

Who gives a rip?

That attitude is what lets those who do not care one whit about the people get by with very negative overlays on our livability and our pocketbook.
Do you like paying more and more and getting less and less?
The house of cards may be falling down, do you plan to just move to another city?
See the column of left of this blog:
Your share of debt here:$11,069.71