Posts by Hines Brian

After every general and midterm election for the past dozen years or so, Ed Dover, Professor Emeritus of Politics, Policy and Administration at Western Oregon University, gives a talk to the Salem City Club about what just happened. I always look forward to hearing Dover, because he's so entertaining and informative. Today was no exception. He started out by talking about the power of political metaphors, the goal being to create a memorable image or phrase that will stick in peoples' minds. This year "Red Wave" was heard over and over -- the image being of a 100 foot tall…

A few days ago I wrote about how after feeling good on Tuesday's election night, Democrat me was feeling even better Thursday night. Now here I am on Saturday night, two days further along in the post-election period, and I'm feeling tremendous. I'll let some Twitter screenshots tell the tale, with the aid of some words from me. This is huge, Democrats having at least 50 seats in the Senate, the number they have now. The win by Catherine Cortez Masto in Nevada was expected, but by now means certain. It came down to mail ballots in Clark County, Nevada's…

I was feeling good last Tuesday on election night when it was clear that the widely predicted Republican Red Wave was going to be much closer to a Red Ripple.  Now, two days later, with more election results in, I'm feeling even better! Which means that Republicans are feeling worse. My compassionate Buddha-nature is sorry for that, but not so sorry to prevent Democrat me from listing in this blog post some reasons why my political mood is so positive. (1) Most importantly, Tina Kotek has been declared the winner of Oregon's Governor race over Christine Drazan. This was my…

There's still a lot more votes to be counted in the midterm election, but right now, as a Democrat, I'm feeling good about how my party has fared. For sure this hasn't been a Red Wave election, as so many pundits predicted. At best, we're talking a Red Ripple. And when all is said and done, even that might be an overstatement.  Here in Oregon, Democrat Tina Kotek is leading Republican Christine Drazan 46-45 in the Governor race, with unaffiliated Betsy Johnson at a mere 9%. Too close for comfort, but I suspect Kotek will come out on top when…

If you're anxious about the midterm election tomorrow, join the club. A really big club. Because everyone is going to be unhappy with how it turns out. Well, other than the people who don't care at all about elections and politics. They will be completely happy with the election, because it'll be over and they don't have to put with those annoying campaign ads on TV and lawn signs around the neighborhood. But the rest of us, no matter our political persuasion, are going to find much to be unhappy about once the election results are known. (No matter what Trump…

I'm a Democrat. But I want as many people as possible to vote in every election -- Democrats, Republicans, unaffiliated. Everybody who is registered. So, if you haven't returned your ballot, do it as soon as possible. Remember that now Oregon allows mailed ballots to be counted even if they arrive after election day (November 8), so long as they're postmarked on or before election day. And the postage has been paid. And you can drop off your ballot at an official drop box until 8 pm on election day if you don't mail your ballot. Click here to locate…

Here's one more reason to vote for Deb Patterson (D) rather than Raquel Moore-Green (R) in their Senate District 10 race. (I've cited other reasons in a previous blog post.) Deb Patterson Oregon's Senate has been targeted by national Republicans as a top priority for a GOP takeover. So says a July CBS News Story. The main Republican committee for state legislative races aims to flip four more state chambers from Democratic control, seizing on widespread frustration with Democrats' handling of the economy, as inflation reached a new 40-year high on Wednesday. The Republican State Leadership Committee (RLSC) has added Maine's…

Recently I tried to jump-start the discussion at the beginning of a meeting of like-minded liberals on a pleasant Saturday afternoon.  "In the upcoming election, what outcome would make you the most unhappy? For me, it would be Republican Christine Drazan being elected Oregon governor, because she'd take our state backwards in so many ways." I still feel that way, though I had to agree with someone that the Democrats losing control of the U.S. Senate would be dreadful also.  Tina Kotek (D), Betsy Johnson (Unaffiliated), Christine Drazan (R) But Drazan coming out on top over Democrat Tina Kotek still…

I put my Oregon ballot in the mail today. It felt good to vote. Ever since I was eligible to do so, I haven't missed voting in any election. Per usual, I voted for every Democratic candidate because I believe more strongly in what Democrats stand for, than in what Republicans do. But this year there was an extra reason for me to fill in the box next to people belonging to the Democratic party: I'm deeply worried about Republicans wanting to subvert our democracy. That's never happened before in my 50+ years of voting.  Until 2022, Oregon and the…

I'm not sure how fans of Paul Evans and Dan Farrington will take this, but it's what popped into my mind when a fellow Salem City Club member asked what I thought of the noon-time debate between the House District 20 candidates today. I said, "It was like watching a debate between two slices of white bread." Not that there's anything wrong with white bread. I just prefer whole wheat, because it has a more interesting flavor. Paul Evans (D) and Dan Farrington (R) Neither candidate showed a lot of energy or enthusiasm. Now, I'm not sure whether this was…

Soon ballots will be mailed to Oregon voters. When you consider the statewide ballot measures, my advice is: vote YES on all four.  This is why I believe each deserves to pass.  Measure 111 amends the state constitution to require the state to ensure affordable health care access. The state must balance health care funding against funding for schools and other essential services. Courts must respect that balance. So it isn't a blank check for Oregon to go wild on health care spending. The measure simply sets forth a laudable goal: people should be able to get health care at…

I'm often a verbose guy. But sometimes it only takes a few words to express how I feel. Here they are. Today our monthly Salon discussion group met. At one point we talked about how back in the times after I moved to Oregon in 1971, there were moderate Oregon Republicans worth voting for. Governor Tom McCall. Senators Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood. Others who I can't remember. But those days are gone. These days virtually every Republican politician has to bow at the altar of Donald Trump or they can't win a GOP primary. So if you see a…