Oregon is key state in voter mobilization efforts

[Judi Lynn]

December 23, 2003
Oregon is key state in voter mobilization efforts


PORTLAND - Far from the glare of Washington, D.C., a shadow presidential campaign is taking shape in Oregon, and a number of other battleground states.

In West Linn, officials from the Bush campaign headquarters last week held a training session for more than 130 supporters who will help form the core of a sophisticated effort to personally communicate with hundreds of thousands of Oregon voters next year.

At McMenamins Edgefield Manor, Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, recently met with more than 300 supporters as part of a similar effort by more than a dozen liberal groups eager to prevent Bush's re-election.

The two meetings were a small window into one of the most remarkable vote-harvesting efforts in recent U.S. history, which is beginning in Oregon and about 16 other states.
(snip/...)

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=63305

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. The pubbies are worried folks

this is what this tells me

[OrAnarch]

2. We should be worried IMO

Why would they be worried about losing a state they always lose? Most people aren't aware of exactly how polarized Oregon is, but under the right circumstances, it could go either way in my opinion. The dems depend on the big cities, but in every other corner, there is scary stuff. In my town, to show up 3 women in black, weekly there was an hour of hate sessions by the women in white (over 50) on lunch to support the war till they ran people they oppossed off. Yelling, horn honking and threats were thrown widley at such meetings on a public busy street corner. The minority rates of certain parts of Oregon are mind boggling...like less than a percent of certain ethnicities. Without Portland, Oregon would be a sure republican state IMO. Many here "know" Iraq had WMDs and the best way to take care of terrorism (preferably a nuclear solution). And the flags...ugh...

The left should not take this state for granted and should mobalize. The west is sliding right yearly.

Im still proud Oregon is not Texas.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Oh I do not discout it

and take the threat seriously

[JailBush]

4. What are these "battleground states"?

I want to list them on my website.

[depakid]

5. Let them spend their time & money here

They will be wasting their efforts at best and encourging violence at worst. I have seen "no tax" signature petioners chased and beaten at light rail stops, I have seen local media personalities berated and chastized (heck I even overheard "conseratives" at a Christmas party wondering what the hell happened to their state- and "here here-ing" knocking of the most (supposedly) important Republicnas and whining (seriously) about how our "can do" republicans have been driven away by out of state money- MOST lately DICK Armey.

This is not a happy crowd at all, after several drinks.

The Far right may well own every single mass media outlet in the state- but they can't silence truth, however hard they try. And the truth is hitting home. Our home. My home. Oregon.

And not quietly.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Ok do tell more

We need to really spraed the truth

And yes I have haerd that many other states, (W. Virginia) are starting to be in play due to the conditions on the ground

[depakid]

7. Your post is proof positive

Need I say more?

[GregW]

8. No way Bush takes OR in '04

Not when we have the highest unemployment rate in the nation :(