Can a Republican win in Oregon?

Check out the analysis Ethan Epstein offers in the Weekly Standard article “Dudley Do-Right” (July 5 – July 12, 2010, Vol. 15, No. 40).

The choice presented by the two candidates is stark. Dudley, who has worked as a successful financial planner and philanthropist since 2003, is running on “jobs, jobs, jobs.” He wants to provide tax relief to small businesses, modernize Oregon’s land use regulations, and offer incentives (rather than direct subsidies) to promising growth industries. He has pledged to propose no tax increases and has vowed to end the automatic budget increases that keep Oregon’s budget in the red.
Kitzhaber is running on a grab-bag of issues. He suggests seeking a federal waiver from the standards imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act. He stresses environmental “sustainability.” He has floated the idea of giving up Oregon’s status as one of only five states without a sales tax, though voters have rejected this resoundingly in multiple referendums, most recently in 1993 by a three-to-one margin. This is catnip to Dudley, who relishes pointing out that as a legislator and governor, Kitzhaber supported raising taxes on income, gasoline, and cigarettes.

Kitzhaber is running on a grab-bag of issues. He suggests seeking a federal waiver from the standards imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act. He stresses environmental “sustainability.” He has floated the idea of giving up Oregon’s status as one of only five states without a sales tax, though voters have rejected this resoundingly in multiple referendums, most recently in 1993 by a three-to-one margin. This is catnip to Dudley, who relishes pointing out that as a legislator and governor, Kitzhaber supported raising taxes on income, gasoline, and cigarettes.

Two Questions:
1) Have you seen enough substance in the Dudley campaign?
2) What’s it going to take to get the votes needed in Lane County and Multnomah County?

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