The other guy
While Steve "Maverick" Novick and Jeff "Old Boy" Merkley knock themselves out vying for the Democratic nomination for U.S. senator from the Beaver State, that independent candidate whom we haven't heard much from lately promises to make a small splash later this morning. Or so says this flyer we recently received:
John Frohnmayer, candidate for U.S. Senate and former head of the National Endowment For The Arts, will hold a press conference on his approach to Oregon's and our nation's healthcare crises Monday December 17th in Salem in the State Capitol Pressroom at 10:00 AM. If you are a part of Oregon's press corps or our national press corps and assigned to cover politics or health care issues then you should be there. If you are a serious player with a serious interest in solving Oregon's moral and economic health care crisis then you should be there.Given the thinly disguised rhetoric here, one can only assume that Frohnmayer will be pushing for a nationalized health care system. Perhaps along the lines of this piece from Saturday? If so, there's some good news for Gordon Smith -- lefty votes that Frohnmayer may be drawing away from the Democrats next summer and fall. We'll watch the wire to see what Frohnmayer says."Oregonians have identified healthcare reform as a major concern but the Oregon legislature has failed to consider appropriate relief, and without significant pressure from its citizens is unlikely to do so in the upcoming 2009 legislative session," said Frohnmayer.
John Frohnmayer will address the most basic issue relevant to the future of health care reform in Oregon and our county, namely, should the private health insurance industry continue to be the model for health care reform in Oregon and America? All health care solutions for our state and nation's moral and economic health care crises are developed from the answer to this fundamental question. Come and find out the answer.
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Comments (12)
Frohnmayer is a spoiler candidate, whose candidacy will do nothing but slow or prevent almost everything he claims to advocate for.
Posted by lestatdelc | December 17, 2007 2:26 AM
Since neither Novick nor Merkley stands a chance against Smith in a one-on-one, having a spoiler in there can't hurt much.
Posted by Jack Bog | December 17, 2007 2:29 AM
Frohmmayer's an odd construct. He's either a megalomaniac, not too bright or is just doing this on a lark like most of the wealthy Democrats we've seen in recent years (Lonsdale, etc).
Why not run as a Democrat? Novick and Merkley haven't done anything about health care either. No independent candidate for statewide office has ever received more than 15 percent of the vote.
It seems like another "I'm drawing attention to my issues" for a couple of million bucks that could have been better spent in a million different ways.
Posted by John Fairplay | December 17, 2007 7:22 AM
It's entirely possible that Frohnmayer doesn't consider himself a capital-D democrat any more. Those Democrats are the ones who cave on FISA legislation that would immunize the telecoms; who cheer "go team" when briefed on CIA interrogation techniques; who bluster and bloviate and then enable our so-called government with spending appropriations for continued occupations and colonialism. I think the Iraq war is Frohnmayer's primary motivation for running as an Independent; health care seems secondary.
Posted by Allan L. | December 17, 2007 8:11 AM
Since neither Novick nor Merkley stands a chance against Smith in a one-on-one, having a spoiler in there can't hurt much.
I heard that! Sad, but true that at this point Gordon Smith is almost guaranteed another 6 yrs.
Posted by jimbo | December 17, 2007 9:08 AM
Another Goldschmidt boy? No way. Anyone remember the whole SAIF thing? This guy is a crook.
Posted by Joey Link | December 17, 2007 10:40 AM
He was a Demo?
His brother Dave always ran as a Republican.
Posted by god | December 17, 2007 10:41 AM
I meant to add, just like his brother.
Posted by Joey Link | December 17, 2007 10:41 AM
Loser, left wing nut bag, zero chance of winning a PTA contest.
Posted by Steven | December 17, 2007 11:18 AM
John Frohnmayer was a registered Republican when he was appointed by the first President Bush to run the National Endowment for the Arts.
If his ideas seem "left wing" now, that's primarily an indication of how far the political center has shifted to the right over the past couple of decades.
Posted by Richard | December 17, 2007 12:01 PM
His ideas were left-wing when he was at the NEA. No shift necessary.
Posted by John Fairplay | December 17, 2007 1:50 PM
"His ideas were left-wing when he was at the NEA."
No they weren't--except perhaps in the eyes of right-wing nut-jobs like Jesse Helms (or maybe John Fairplay). Frohnmayer was a moderate and suffered the moderate's typical fate: he was villified by outspoken critics from both ends of the political spectrum.
Personally, I wish Frohnmayer had been more strongly committed to defending the NEA's independence in dispensing grant money. But what he did was try to steer a middle course, and therefore lacked for passionate defenders of his position.
Posted by Richard | December 17, 2007 3:40 PM