Defeated by 34 points, and looking for the next angle
Jefferson Smith's political career is in the yard debris bin. But the denial marches on. He'll be back, or so he thinks.
[O]ne of the turning points, Katy Smith said, was "when the focus came off of what Jeff was talking about for the city, and turned very personal. Not just for him, but Charlie. That was one of the most unfortunate things that could happen in this town."
To the contrary: Focusing on this strange individual's lack of character was a great moment in the city's history. The only person it was unfortunate for was the balding man child with major impulse control issues and a stunning lack of judgment. For the rest of us, it was dodging a bullet.
Smith said he has no plans to leave Portland."The world's a big place," Smith said. "I want to be somewhere where I'm useful."
With any prospect of a real job being out of the question, it's hard to see where that might be. It could be time to pull an Opie Sten, buddy, and get the heck out of Dodge. Because you know there's more dirt on you, and it's going to come out the next time you run for anything but dog catcher.
You know who we feel sorry for? The people who sat through a half-hour speech by Smith last night. There's 30 minutes of your life that you'll never get back.
| Posted at 8:42 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (14)
Oh he'll be back. A darling of the media that he is .
Remember that the facts mean nothing.
Senators living in NY, Clinton repeating the same lie until "they" believe it, pedophile mayors, babysitter raping (oh thats right it was consensual) governors, tongue kissing unwilling staffers in peckerwoods office, felony voter or felony tax evader mayors, zero job growth $4 gas amatures in the oval office. Yes I could go on for ever but the point I am trying to make is the public is in comma and for whatever reason the news media is led around like sheep. Nobody asks questions and holds any of these people to anykind of standard except Keep it Weird Duuud!
Posted by BoBo | November 7, 2012 9:14 AM
"To the contrary: Focusing on this strange individual's lack of character was a great moment in the city's history."
So true. So very true, in many areas of life.
"The only person it was unfortunate for was the balding man child with major impulse control issues and a stunning lack of judgment."
Or also CharLie's character. To be judged by your character rather other things (skin color, etc) is the goal.
Posted by Harry | November 7, 2012 9:16 AM
Sorry, I can't focus on Jefferson Smith this morning. It's only the second time in my life that I've even come close to enjoying the Rush Limbaugh show.
Posted by Bill McDonald | November 7, 2012 9:18 AM
It's only the second time in my life that I've even come close to enjoying the Rush Limbaugh show.
Thanks for reminding me to listen--it's ohhh so nice to listen to Rush reach that extra special level of crazy.
Posted by jimbo | November 7, 2012 9:59 AM
Can you imagine the power nap Jefferson Smith is taking right now? I wonder when he'll shower, shave and open the curtains again.
Posted by reader | November 7, 2012 10:12 AM
BoBo,
Different set of standards for those in "the special group" and now the media for the most part is owned by "the special group."
In my opinion, we had Charlie marketed to us like a product, and when they found out he wasn't liked, they went all out to blast Jefferson and the media then laid back on the focus of Charlie's negatives. The media would not pay attention to the write-in efforts. So now we got Charlie, back in to do what, that the Portland oligarchy wants?
Posted by clinamen | November 7, 2012 10:15 AM
Clinamen
Totally agree. I still find it hard to believe so many people are bamboozled
relatively easily into the fog. When what you are doing is not working why keep doing the same thing? I am talking locally schools,light rail, jobs, cleaning up our filthy river and port, empty apartment bunkers sucking up tax revenue from schools and basic services. Who has been in control of this Island of Misfit Toys? Yes one party for 30 + years.
Even nasty Neil has moved to France. Wonder where he files his taxes? Maybe Camas?
Posted by BoBo | November 7, 2012 10:49 AM
No one, ever, should be elected to anything, who ever in public says something like, "I needed to do better to work on being clear about who I am."
Posted by sally | November 7, 2012 11:20 AM
The Obama Administration can certainly use ANOTHER Harvard Law grad with situational ethics and good oratory skills.
Maybe let him run a death panel, or something?
Posted by Mister Tee | November 7, 2012 12:05 PM
Doesn't he already have a position lined up at Portland State University?
Posted by Erik H. | November 7, 2012 12:34 PM
This may be Dave Frohnmayer's last year teaching "Theories of Leadership" at UO for $100K a pop - maybe Smith should apply down here?
Posted by uomatters | November 7, 2012 1:29 PM
The yard debris bin. Too kind. I say the slop bucket is where his career landed.
Posted by Anon | November 7, 2012 6:24 PM
Anon...what's the difference now? My yard debris bin now is just a huge, stinky, mold-ridden slop bucket. But the ants and flys LOVE it.
Posted by butch | November 8, 2012 11:27 PM
I don't think the voters were bamboozled by anything.
It's not the fact that he thought punching a girl was the right thing to do in college, or that he has has more license suspensions and failures to appear in court than 99% of the population (and wants to be the police commissioner), it's the manner in which he handled those facts coming to light that killed his election.
The illegal visits to his punching bag before any of this came out to try and keep it quiet, the denials, followed by multiple conflicting excuses/accounts out of his own mouth in a span of less than two weeks, the general, visible falling-apart that he personally did in the wake of these revelations that he obviously expected (hence the aforementioned pre-explosion visit)... all of these revealed a man who has neither the temperment, self-control, personal character, or demonstrable ability to run an actual city.
That's what killed his campaign.
Posted by eddie | November 9, 2012 8:07 AM