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The GOP Parties On 

AIR DATE: Thursday, February 28th 2008
Download the mp3 for this show.
What's the state of Oregon's Republican Party?

The Oregon Republican Party means two things this weekend. The "capital P" Party faces major financial problems and a big change to its leadership. They have racked up almost $300,000 in debt. And have just announced they're replacing their executive director with Andrew Over, Gordon Smith's deputy campaign manager -- effective Monday.

The "small p" party is called Dorchester and is happening this weekend. It's the annual opportunity for Republicans of all stripes to come together to debate issues and get re-energized about politics. This is the event's 44th year, and over 600 people are expected to attend. They'll be talking about transportation, presidential primaries, the special session, and renewable energy. There will also be a night of skits and a straw poll to let everyone know how Oregon Republicans may vote this year.

Considering all this fun (and Dorchester promises "Politics is Fun"), we decided it is time to join the party ? our own version, that is ? by talking about the state of the GOP.

Are you a Republican concerned about the state of the Party? Does Dorchester reflect the issues that you think are most important to Oregonian Republicans? Have you attended this conference in the past? Do you plan to in this year?

GUESTS:

Tagged as: 2008 election · republicans

John McCain is a maverick, will he do well in Oregon? Will that help the state party?
pepsidrinker —
I love listening to people either take credit for, or make excuses for, which way the pendulum is swinging.
John in Salem —
This is an interesting subject and I appreciate that the Communications Director of the Oregon Republican Party will of course speak kindly to her own organization - but I've just been fuming on my drive into work because the host of this show just asked this Party representative to make a "pitch" on public radio airwaves for donations to the Republican party! Wha?
It would bother me if this was the case for a representative from the D.P.O. as well.
Cat in PDX —
Cat,

I'm a bit confused by your comment. I see a real distinction between a public radio show making a pitch for donations and an interviewer asking a political party official about their money-raising strategy.

This was a news-gathering question that seemed pretty germane to the topic at hand. Brianne Hyder had just finished talking about the fact that, in recent years, people have been more likely to give to individual candidates than to the Republican Party. So Emily asked what her argument actually is for giving to the party itself.

Did you hear this question as some kind of endorsement?
David Miller —
Dear David,

Thank you for your response.
I have too much faith in the integrity of OPB to believe that there would be an endorsement for a political party on your show - so no, that is not what I heard this morning. Also, yes, it would seem relevant to ask a question as to why someone should donate to a cause when the topic of conversation is about a lack of funding, however what bothered me was perhaps the way the question was asked, something along the lines of ?tell me your pitch? or ?share your pitch? and the response I heard from the staff of the Oregon Republican Party was just that ? a pitch.

It was not a fear of a tacit endorsement that upset me, but rather that providing an opening for solicitation of political contributions on my public radio seemed inappropriate (to me). I?m willing to be wrong about this ? perhaps I misinterpreted or perhaps I overreact. Either way, thank you for providing me space to air my concern.
Cat in PDX —
I am a life long Republican. My views are more in line with Tom McCall than the current far right that seems to dominate the party. There are good moderate republicans out there, such as Frank Morse but the leadership of the party seem to pay much more attention to views of the extremist of the party. The party has pushed moderates out... with our votes and money.
Andy Louden —
The problem the republicans have is they(headed by Bush and co) have stopped being conservatives and are mostly just wedge issue touting Hawks. It's not about using any form of tradiational Republican values. It's about pushing the "war on terror" and the leaders of the Republican party nationally push the terror on America. I'm a far left liberal. I don't agree with conservatives, but I can respect them, and have a good debate with them. I don't have much respect for Repulicans. Neo-cons are almost regligious in their furvor. YOu can't debate them, if you question anything they say, they call you anti-american. Please bring the traditional (Esinhour type) conservatives back. I need a good debate!
Frostfly —
I'm wondering how much of the state GOP's financial troubles stem from the time when Kevin Mannix was heading up the party. Reportedly, he was taking as much as 70% commission when he was fundraising. The money that went into his pockets sure could come in handy now!
oregonrick2 —
This is why a separation of authorities should always exist!! If you are the head (IE: CEO) and you do the fundraising, and approve the percentage of 'overhead' for that fundraising, and then set your own recompense, you are doing exactly what we yell at corporate CEO's for doing: Pocketing big money while the company (group) flounders in red ink, and may decalre a for of Bankruptcy. All for personal gain and to heck what the people at the bottom do. No wonder the unions always vote Democrat, even though every setback they have received in recent years have come from Democratic leaders!
johnjewkes —
I've been listening to the show since just before Rep. Flores came on. She and the guest before her implied that Democratic candidates are not family people, but career politicians. This is not a fair characterization. They are trying to blame their party's problems on the Democratic Party.
mrbrown05 —
I am a registered Republican who has voted primarily Democrate for most election over the last 10-15 years. I am fiscally conservative but socially liberal.

Is there some type of on-line test I can take that would tell me what party I really should be in?

SamandNatesMom —
As a registered Republican I am aghast at the party's indifference to the
constitution. As a veteran I took an oath to protect the constitution. Same oath as elected representatives swear to. Just today the Republican head of state lobbied congress on the radio to retroactive, rescind the forth amendment. This very day! Rights were won with blood. To give them away, or even fight against their existence is close to treason. I moved to Oregon years ago because of Wayne Morse, and Mark Hatfield, and the tenor of political discourse here. The Republicans..... sure have changed.

Remembering the constitution in fact and civilly would be a change back.
David Bean —
When I ran for Governor of Oregon in 1994, my fiscally responsible platform took a backseat to the 'sexier' candidates for the Gubernatorial nomination who did little else than backbite one another. I found it reprehensible that Mr. Burkeman and Mr. (Denny) Smith because they were 'rich' candidates were allowed to give their views at Dorchester Conference while my talk was pushed further back until, "No time to hear from you". I was running a shoe-string campaign, was the only candidate on either party to visit the smaller communities of our state, and was considerably more conservative than the Republican front-runners. I publicly announced that I had returned a check from Big Tobacco as I felt that was not appropriate. Perhaps that was my flaw: Too Honest and too hard-working. I was working two jobs, volunteering as a member of US Army MARS and raising my three children and worried about real-world issues such as funding schools with stability, reducing the overhead costs of government and so on. Perhaps I would have been better served to publish a magazine similar to the "T&A Times" (Smith), or have known issues with former co-workers suing for sexual harrassment (Burkeman). I guess I wouldn't have received enough interest from the Statesman-Journal or the Oregonian to fit into the wishes of the party. I hope at some point that Republicans can return to the family core values in Oregon that we have in National politics.
johnjewkes —
Rep. Linda Flores should explain her membership in the Conservative Majority Project. Doesn't the organization of shadowy groups like this show that the state GOP is falling apart? They're in debt, losing leadership, lacking candidates, and now this branch of them is taking policy decisions into their own back room.
nepdx3113 —
Folks,

You may notice that we've deleted the comment from dotyoureyes that I read on the air near the top of the show. It asked how "the party of fiscal responsibility" can campaign against "tax & spend liberals" when it can't even watch its own bank accounts. It also included an inaccurate statement about an FBI investigation, and so we've removed the comment -- as well as an "amen" rejoinder from Madrone.

We're looking into the FBI investigation question, and we'll report back when we have more information. In the meantime, here are the stories in the The Washington Post and the New York Daily News that prompted the comment.

(We're hoping that in the future we'll have the ability to remove a single line from a comment instead of being forced to delete the whole comment (along with any responses), but right now our moderating technology doesn't let us do that.)
David Miller —
Sorry -- I should have included a link to the FBI reference.

It's in this Politico story: [url]http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8691.html[/url]
[quote]"NRCC officials contacted the FBI soon after discovering that the former employee, Christopher J. Ward, had submitted what they believe to be a fake internal audit to Wachovia as part of a loan application by the committee."[/quote]
Walden was the NRCC's audit chair, so he's in the middle of this mess.
dotyoureyes —
I am registered unaffliated, and have never been a member of either party. I consider myself someone who votes for the person and their beliefs and not just the party they belong to. In recent years I have not voted for many republicans, mostly because they ignore me, and those like me. I do get mailings from Democrats a good portion of the time, but it seems that the republicans have decided that if I am not in their party they are not going to give me information about their candidates, even when I call the campaign headquarters and ask for someone to talk to, or to have them send me information about specific questions. It has been several years since I have even tried, because the last 4 times I called I was told that they were concentrating on their "base" or that the party mailed out that information, so if I wanted it I would need to register as a republican.

I think that the all or nothing thinking displayed by those candidates, and the party in general is a HUGE problem in a state that has a large percentage of independents. With closed primaries and no regard for people outside the party I am left with the choice to be largely disenfranchised, or to compromise and go with a party, none of which I believe serves my interests well enough to earn my allegiance. So far I have chosen to vote for the candidates who will at least talk to me and give me the information I need, about their opinions and stands, which have been pretty exclusively democrats.
JuliaMJK —

Comments are now closed.

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