Ah, yes, a stupendous spectacular display of dancing around hot questions, leaving people in the air, juggling books and accounting records, puppeteers (not funny, Jeffy), and a mayoral comedian (sorry, we're looking forward to dumping clown mayors) -- all set to an exotic soundtrack of disorientation while people pickle themselves as demented "Merry Hipsters."

I got a better idea: go stand in front of a streetcar.

I'm not as down on Jefferson Smith as Jack is, but this campaign event sounds completely insufferable, like a bad "Portlandia" skit brought to life.

Nice to see that seriousness is returning to the campaign...

"I before E except after C."

Weird, Huh?

Portland needs Jefferson Smith. Portland deserves Jefferson Smith. Portland IS Jefferson Smith.

It will make the media coverage of the largest municipal bankruptcy since Orange County much easier for the rest of the country to understand in 2016.

Mr. Tee has a point. An idiot mayor would make a good scapegoat. When the cart goes over the cliff, blame will fall on the one currently in charge, not the predecessors who gave it the running push in that direction.

Having Smith as mayor would be reminiscent of the Governor in Blazing Saddles.

7-10 p.m. on a work night? Oh, right - JefferSam's never actually worked.

First, I object to the comment comparing Jefferson Smith to the Governor in "Blazing Saddles". Having Mel Brooks playing the Mayor of Portland would make life perfect.

I've been writing topical political humor on an international basis for decades now, and the politician Jefferson Smith reminds me of is Newt Gingrich. They both have that "smart-sounding fool" vibe. Completely disingenuous and scrambling like mad to hide it.

They are the reason we have the word, "bloviate."

Now, putting Mel Brooks in charge? That would be an act of genius.

". . . and a comedian who says he knows what it takes to be a truly Kick Ass Portland Mayor."

Given that so much of what passes for government in Portland today is a joke, I can't wait to see from which public office the comedian hails.

As someone, I think Jim Karlock, pointed out in another thread, brother Smith still has not filed as a candidate.

Wonder what the fundraising rules are for a declared but not filed candidate? Are the collections personal Section 61 income?

If Smith doesn't actually file with the auditor, what happens to the money?

Yet another example of how flakey Smith is; it mazes me that he's raised more than
$ 171K to date.

Too many voters really are stupid.

Property owner only voting?

Ah yes, let us all join in on that fire dance....while we are at it, fire away with some difficult questions and demand some answers...
a problem for Jefferson, or will he be the ultimate juggler of the evening?
Jugglers, puppeteers, the theme fits right in for city council! Party on!

Me thinks Mr. Smith enjoys reading his press releases.

Jack- Thanks for the free advertising and direct link for our low-dollar fundraiser 100% Portland-A Party with a Purpose. Tickets start at $12. In addition to all the fun entertainment, we will have stations for people to learn about, and weigh in on, Jefferson's priorities for the city.

It's from 7 to 10 so it also sounds like Jefferson Smith will have time to answer a couple of questions.

...or with the party atmosphere, the questions will be put on index cards at the various tables, to be answered later....
the crowd will be asked, would you rather party??
lets take a vote...
Party on!!

msmith -

Neither propertyowner only voting nor any kind of a "civics literacy" test are workable nor good public policy.

Property ownership qualifications and literacy tests are unconstitutional for good reason, from centuries of bad experience.

Personally, I'd like to see a whole lot more homeowners in Portland, because they tend to pay closer attention, but limiting the franchise to homeowners only just isn't something I'd support.

In my mind, the thtree most important qualifications for any voter are critical thinking, critical thinking and critical thinking. What passes for "education" in Portland's (and other areas) schools has no relationship to critical thinking. The "Outdoor School" farce is a good example.

There is a 'sponsor' in the right column advertising the party.

"By all means, juggle on"

As we were mesmerized by the Portland clowns, and marveled at the Internet giants flexing their muscle on Blackout Wednesday, SCOTUS got down to some serious business:

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/scotus-re-copyright-decision/

Congress may take books, musical compositions and other works out of the public domain, where they can be freely used and adapted, and grant them copyright status again, the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

In a 6-2 ruling, the court said that, just because material enters the public domain, it is not “territory that works may never exit.” (.pdf)

Some of the well-known ones include H.G. Wells’ Things to Come; Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and the musical compositions of Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky.

If JefferSten really thinks Portland is all about being weird and having artsy fartsy stuff, he must be stopped. We can't afford another Scam Adams weirdo, liar type.

My impression is that if you dropped Jefferson into Newt Gingrich's district in a similar time frame, he would suddenly spout Gingrich's line of B.S.

I sense a real phony who has latched onto a marketable view of his surroundings that has little to do with anything genuine. He's playing Portland.

To do a comedy parody of a Dylan line, "You never turned around to see the frowns on the fire dancers, aerialists, jugglers, puppeteers, and clowns when they all did tricks for you."

Yeah, Bill, Jack, and all. Something weird this way comes....

For the unawares:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something_Wicked_This_Way_Comes_(novel)

Jefferson Smith & The Delusion Project. Or, "Hop on your head!"

Bill, my thoughts exactly after attending a town hall meeting last spring.

"...a real phony who has latched onto a marketable view of his surroundings that has little to do with anything genuine. He's playing Portland."

I didn't think he had a snowball's chance in hell after that, but soon came to the realization that I was thinking rationally.

Stupid me.

More's the pity as it's all old stuff. Maybe we aren't Barbary Coast or anything close, or Wichita during the cattle drives, but the same old bunco artists are being recycled, here, now and all through the US.

I'll paraphrase Rick's line from Casablanca:

"Of all the city councils, in all the towns, in all the world, he walks into mine."

I'm tempted to have a trombone converted into a bicycle frame -- right here in rainy River City!

After posting last, I felt the necessity to wash out, somehow, that bad feeling conjured up by all this baseness, so I sat at the piano and worked my way through a variation of Elgar's "Enigma Variations", namely "Nimrod"

The great sense of nobility, the sureness of Elgar's journey through the harmonies spoke immensely about what could be, and I wept.

Keep Portland Politics Ridiculous

Starbuck,
I think many are weeping for not only what could be,
but for the loss of what was.

Bread and circuses.

ditto, clinamen

Go for the juggler.