If you think it's "the saddest possible outcome," aren't you at all tempted to vote for Brady? I would be. I always get sucked in by the current election, whatever it is, and never seem to hold out for the long-term goal. (But also, I checked out Fernandez & others and felt there wasn't enough to vote for.)

Personally I think Hales making the runoff would be sadder. Too many lies, not enough responsibility. And sadder yet would be any of them making it to 50% without a runoff (not that that's likely), since I think we should keep scrutinizing. I actually like all 3 pretty well overall, but each has some serious negatives.

After watching a bunch of debates plus WW's interviews, I'm leaning Smith, but I'm glad it won't be decided yet.

There is zero chance of any of the mayoral candidates winning on the first ballot. None.

The Big 3 are all terrible, including Brady, and no, she is not worth voting for. I just hate to see it come down to Lying Streetcar Charlie vs. Crazy Phony Jeffy. We might be better off writing in Sam Adams in November.

At the bottom of this BlueOregon post is a list of all the polls released so far by date.

The SurveyUSA poll released on Monday has Brady 28%, Smith 27%, Hales 25%.

"We might be better off writing in Sam Adams in November."

Shocking, but true. That Portland could be in such a predicament is shocking.

But somebody once said: "Portland gets what Portland wants and deserves."

So sad. So very sad.

To quote Mr. Tee from Rocky III - "I predict PAIN!!!" Because basically no matter WHICH of these pathetic losers comes out on top, the citizens of Portland will have to endure four years (four more years) of pain. Sam was HORRIBLE, unfortunately the 'replacements' are equally horrible or even worse (and just when you thought it couldn't get worse). So we're going to pull Sam out of that big dark hole in the ground (as in fire him) but his replacement looks ready to jump in there, pick up the shovel and keep digging deeper - boggles the mind.

Mencken said it best:

"Democracy is the belief that the common man knows what he wants... and deserves to get it, good and hard."

We've always wanted to become a big city wicked bad. And that's how we're gonna' get it.

(And yes, Mencken's old chestnut predates Bernadette's great line from the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert by nearly a century.)

Face it. Of the candidates most likely to be in the runoff, Hales is the worst, Brady the least worst. Voting for an also-ran in the primary is folly.

I prefer Crazy Phony Jeffy to "Charlie Hails from Camas". It is ironic, because I moved to Vancouver to avoid Oregon's income tax on my Washington wages.

But then I quit voting in Oregon, and never planned on running for Mayor.

It would be fun to have a progressive hipster at the helm when the walls come tumblin' down: watching Jeffy throw Sammy under the Bus would be fine poetic justice.

Sorry Allan, but voting for the lesser of three evils keeps us in the same place, a rotten, rotting city. Minor candidates stay minor because people are not brave enough to vote for the candidate they think will do the best job. Try it.

It seems to me, Mike, that if you don't vote for the lesser of the three evils, you may end up with the worst of the three evils.

I'd been planning to vote for somebody who has no chance but is pointing in the direction I'd like to see the city go, but I'm reconsidering now. The Big 3 might all be pretty rotten, but I'd hate to see the least rotten get thrown out in the primaries.

Is this a good time to point out that instant runoff voting (aka preference voting, as it is called in the Oregon Constitution) would have solved this problem, and that Portland just had a charter review commission that could have given voters a way to put it in place for all city races?

With IRV, you just vote for the candidates as you see them, and you don't have to worry about the games and strategery. Oh, and you don't need a primary at all ... All the candidates can run in the fall election, and voters don't have to worry about being punished for voting sincerely.

If there was ever an election to show why we need better election methods, this one is it.

I voted Fernandez, but if it ends up in a runoff between Hales and Smith, I'll take lying over crazy...at least you know what you're gonna get, and at least you'll get a mayor that shows up. I'll be holding my nose while voting, though...and I reserve the right to write in Fernandez.

And in my circles, I hear more support for Hales and Smith than for Brady as well.

I would rather vote my conscience and be able to sleep at night than throw it away on yet another smooth talking (lying) politician.

As someone who has spent much of the last decade watchdoging the PWB and working to protect Portland's Bull Run drinking water system and ratepayer’s pocketbooks, I am proud to support Eileen Brady for Mayor.
Eileen served on Commissioner Saltzman’s 2004 Reservoir Panel. Without her collaborative leadership skills on that panel, the open reservoirs at Mt. Tabor (and Washington Park) would likely not be around today safely supplying our great Bull Run water. Eileen demonstrated a genuine interest in rational decision-making, discounting the need for a costly one-size-fits-all industry approach.

Eileen has gone out of her way to meet with activists and to learn the issues. In word and deed she knows and cares about critical water issues. She will set priorities and get the job done.

Eileen supports an independent charter commission (i.e, GA Seldes instant runoff voting comment), and would consider an independent utility commission.

We might be better off writing in Sam Adams in November.

Oh, God no...

I hated George W. Bush as President, but he'd make a damn fine Mayor of Portland. But for me, after Sam Adams was elected I moved out to the "ex-urbs". Where my kids go to good schools, walk on sidewalks, I can cross busy streets with traffic signals, we have express buses, and even good parks and BIKE PATHS and bike lanes on more-or-less flat, wide streets. And stores and businesses I can walk to - and even do so safely.

If only my company would realize that it could save 10, 20, 30% or more by departing its high cost downtown location and move out here with me. The majority of our customers aren't even in the state of Oregon...

LarsLarson endorsed Charlie Hales. 'nuff said, but let me add Jefferson Smith in-studio talking fast stabbed Larson's two lies (in 15 minutes), chewed Larson into pieces and spitted Larson into history's dustbin, back to 1978 -- the most recent time Larson said anything not sing-song ditto-headed from Rash Lamebrain & The Talking Points.

Oh, and Eileen Brady spit on LarsLarson's invitation to be 'gotten' and told him to take a flying leap into oblivion. She may be worth supporting, right there.

Four hundred people with land lines and willing to stay on them long enough to answer a survey? Probably good marks for vinyl siding salesmen, but, representative of Portland voters? Dunno.