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THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2022
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
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Editor
Founded in 1873
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Circulation Manager
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GUEST COLUMN
Governor’s debate highlights divisions
‘W
hat does a governor actu-
ally do each day?”
That’s the fi rst question
I’d like someone to ask at the next Ore-
gon gubernatorial debate among Dem-
ocrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine
Drazan and unaffi liated candidate Betsy
Johnson.
No matter which of the three is elected
in November, it will be
a lively transition from
term-limited Gov. Kate
Brown. Any doubts were
erased by the entertain-
ing yet substantive debate
hosted in late July by the
Oregon Newspaper Pub-
DICK
lishers Association
HUGHES
The candidates went
after one another while
also managing to mostly stay on topic.
But if the three ex-lawmakers learned
anything from the respectful workplace
training that had been mandated at the
Legislature, they didn’t show it.
Question No. 2 would be: “You’ve
spent the campaign castigating each other
while at the same time vowing to bring
Oregonians together. How can we believe
that vow? How would you accomplish
that?”
This two-part question is the crux of
being a good governor. An eff ective cam-
paigner doesn’t necessarily translate into
being an eff ective leader. Oregon already
is deeply divided. Relationships within
the state Capitol often are tense; some
would say toxic. And the constant cam-
paign bashing that voters will endure this
fall – not only in this race – can’t be good
for our state.
Or our state of mind.
Building relationships simply within
the Capitol isn’t easy. Gov. Ted Kulon-
goski tried it by going bowling with law-
makers. It helped … for a while. Brown,
a former legislative leader, tried by invit-
ing lawmakers to the governor’s mansion.
Back to Question No. 1, perhaps a par-
tial reason for Brown’s dismal statewide
popularity rating is that Oregonians don’t
know what she does. Asked for specifi cs
about how she interacted with legislators
on an important bill, or what she did to
broker a landmark timber agreement, she
would off er few details.
That’s the way Brown is. I’ve never
fi gured out why.
As for the fi rst governor’s debate, it
solidifi ed the three major candidates’ run-
ning lanes:
Kotek is the Portland progressive and
policy wonk with a long list of legis-
lative accomplishments. She was right
when she intoned that the state’s vex-
ing problems have no quick fi xes or easy
Republican Christine Drazan, Democrat Tina Kotek and Betsy Johnson, an unaffi liated candidate, took part in their fi rst debate in the
governor’s race in late July.
THE CANDIDATES
Tina Kotek is the Portland progressive and policy wonk with a long list of legislative
accomplishments. She was right when she intoned that the state’s vexing problems have
no quick fi xes or easy solutions.
Christine Drazan is the Republican change agent running against decades of Democrat-
ic rule. She off ered the most compelling personal story and was most at ease talking
without notes.
Betsy Johnson is fi ring both barrels, casting the other two as extremes while she tries to
claim a unifying middle. Often acerbic, she’s most quotable: “To Tina I’m too conservative
and to Christine I’m too liberal.”
solutions.
Drazan is the Republican change
agent running against decades of Demo-
cratic rule. She off ered the most compel-
ling personal story and was most at ease
talking without notes.
Johnson is fi ring both barrels, casting
the other two as extremes while she tries
to claim a unifying middle. Often acer-
bic, she’s most quotable: “To Tina I’m
too conservative and to Christine I’m too
liberal.”
The debate produced only a few stum-
bles. Johnson talked about converting the
former Wapato Jail in Portland and said
Bend was considering a similar model for
serving homeless individuals. Bend’s pos-
sibility has since been disputed.
In a question to Drazan, Kotek con-
tended that Drazan had never admitted
Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential elec-
tion and Donald Trump lost. That ques-
tion exhibited poor research by Kotek’s
team. Drazan long has been on the record
saying Biden won, as she did in response
to Kotek.
Kotek also accused Johnson of misrep-
resenting Kotek’s positions, although the
same could be said the other way around.
The debate got hottest when Drazan
aimed her closing statement primarily
at Johnson, who potentially could draw
votes away from her as well as Kotek .
She accused Johnson of shedding her
NO MATTER WHICH
OF THE THREE
IS ELECTED IN
NOVEMBER, IT
WILL BE A LIVELY
TRANSITION FROM
TERM-LIMITED
GOV. KATE BROWN.
ANY DOUBTS WERE
ERASED BY THE
ENTERTAINING YET
SUBSTANTIVE DEBATE
HOSTED IN LATE JULY.
Democratic skin to pursue additional
power by running for governor.
Here’s a potential Question No. 3:
“What is something you regret saying on
the campaign trail this year – perhaps in a
debate – and why?”
Dick Hughes has been covering the
Oregon political scene since 1976.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
All you do
C
ongratulations to The Astorian for
the many, many awards earned
from the Oregon Newspaper Publish-
ers Association. And thank you! I’m
enriched by your hardworking, dedi-
cated and multitalented staff. For all
you do, I’m very grateful.
JULIE KENNEDY
Port Townsend, Washington
Drew my attention
I
just read the article in the Aug. 4
newspaper by Nicole Bales. In it,
Cannon Beach adjusts a camping ordi-
nance to reflect homelessness. Their
ordinance is quite restrictive in its
parameters, but it’s the statement by
the police chief that drew my attention:
“Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn
said there is no shelter space in Can-
non Beach, but added that the police
department is readily available to
take people to shelters in Seaside and
Astoria.”
This is why they have no homeless
in Cannon Beach — they happily trans-
port them to other cities.
Again, a question of the have and
the have not.
LINDSEY MORRISON
Seaside
Always use
T
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That’s why I always use Hauer’s
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They treat their customers like family
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never use any other dealer, their expe-
rience is bar none to anyone.
You will never have a better shop
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at what they do. Big box stores may
sell the same equipment, but they can-
not beat the knowledge of Hauer’s.
Thank you, Hauer’s, for your excel-
lent experience and knowledge and
absolutely incredible service.
THOMAS KRUEGER
Ocean Park, Washington
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