Democratic Carpetbagging in Oregon

Thank You, Come Again.

Years ago, the people entering Oregon from California were greeted with the following sign: "Welcome to Oregon.  Thank you for Visiting."  The message was clear - we don't want you here (but we'll take your tourist dollars).

Oregonians have an almost pathalogical dislike of non-Oregonians, and if we could, we'd likely post the National Guard at the borders to keep people from moving here.  And in the spirit of full disclosure, I am, by and large, one of those people.  I like that Oregon is small, weird, and independent (relative to the national stage).

My dislike of foreigners (i.e. non-Oregonians) is only further magnified during election season, when out-of-state political action committees decide that they can contaminate my state's airwaves with their mindless drivel, which drivel is so distant from the realities of Oregon life and politics that my knee-jerk reaction is to dislike whatever and/or whomever they support, without regard to merit.

Oregon's senate race between Republican incumbent Gordon Smith and Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley has been the focal point of the bulk of the carpetbagging advertising this year.  And although I have been generally equally off-put by ads in support (or more often against) both candidates, none has sufficiently pissed me off (and thus encouraged a blog entry) than this insult to my intelligence from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC):

DSCC Ad Calls Smith A "Hypocrite," Relies On Hack Journalism.


I don't even know where to begin with this.  But let me start with a basic word of advice for any future carpetbaggers - calling somebody a "hypocrite" is an automtic turn-off, and automatically costs you my vote.  This, regardless of the truth of the allegation or my prior support of your candidate.  Feel free to point out hypocrisy, but leave the decision to label someone a hypocrite to me.

Second, if you're going to be misleading, at least do so in a manner that would require me to do some research in order to catch you.  Saying that Smith Frozen Foods has been investigated by "newspapers" in Oregon, be prepared to cite more than one newspaper.  Generally, the letter "s" at the end of a word indicates a plural of something (i.e. more than one, like, say, two).

Willamette Week - Yellow Journalism At Its Best.

Third, and perhaps most important, have some awareness of the local reputation of the "newspaper" you cite for support.  Now, I like Willamette Week.  It's fun to read and is chock full of good info regarding what's going on in Portland each week (entertainment wise).  But never, in even my most blue-jaded moment, would I consider WW a reliable, accurate, or honest source of news.  At the very most, I would consider it a gateway source of information, from which I might look to real media for honest information.  But WW is a typical extreme-left alternative weekly tabloid, the likes of which exist in virtually every metropolitan city of any consequence. 

The WW stories, which are in four parts, can be found here: Senor Smith; Senor Smith, Part Dos; Tres Strikes; and "Four" The Record.

Thus, for the DSCC to base an ad on such an "investigation," much less to call Senator Smith a "hypocrite" based on that "investigation," reflects the grossest ineptitude and utter ignorance of Oregon media.  Nobody but blind partisans believe WW is in any fashion a reliable source of information, meaning nobody outside of blind partisans will give any credence to the ad.  As a result, the DSCC has lost not only its marginal credibility, but probably any undecided and independent voters.

In a column in the East Oregonian newspaper, the newspaper of record for eastern Oregon (where Smith's peas are packed), Phil Wright notes that the WW story relied entirely on uncorroborated anonymous sources.  Wright calls is "questionable journalism at best."  I think that's too generous.  I call it baseless rumour mongering.  In essence, it's a made-up story, and should be viewed as such unless and until WW adds to it with corroborated, on-the-record sources.

Don't F*ck With My Ducks.

Lastly, and perhaps most insulting, is that the DSCC has labeled its ad "Pick."  All real Oregonians know that the capitalized word "Pick" is reserved exclusive for use in labeling "The Pick," which you can see here:



So, to the DSCC, remember this - we don't like outsiders, we don't like ignorant outsiders, and Kenny Wheaton's Gonna Score!.

Thank you for visiting.