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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2018)
Page 4A East Oregonian Wednesday, August 1, 2018 CHRISTOPHER RUSH Publisher KATHRYN B. BROWN Owner DANIEL WATTENBURGER Managing Editor TIM TRAINOR Opinion Page Editor Founded October 16, 1875 OUR VIEW Bring the debate to Eastern Oregon I t’s almost too frightening to admit it, but we are once again entering campaign season. Shudder. You have probably already noticed commercials on your television have devolved into attack ads comparing Kate Brown or Knute Buehler to the devil incarnate. Get ready for your phone to ring off the hook with prerecorded messages about one candidate or issue, and then another call about the opponent just as you make it back to the dinner table. And your email inbox is probably never free of politicians asking for a donation — yet that daily spam will only increase as Election Day get closer. There is no getting around it. An election season is on the way, and there is plenty at stake locally, statewide and nationally in 2018. Eastern Oregon has something to say on all three accounts. Locally we still have a county commissioner runoff, as well as one for Hermiston city council. And there will also be some interesting questions on the ballot, including for an animal control service district and about gun rights. Add in the fact that we have a statewide governor’s race and as Democrats and Republicans vie for control of the U.S. House, Eastern Oregon’s district is up for grabs. That means we will have plenty of decisions to make and constituents here should have the best information possible to make that decision. As we editorialized last week, we think debates are a great way to do so. Sure, we know there is plenty of politicking in the debate dance. Usually, the incumbent is favored and wants to keep them to a minimum, while the scrappy challenger wants any chance to be on the same stage as the current officeholder. Knute Buehler, for instance, avoided all debates with fellow GOP candidates, and was called out for it by some in the party. Now, his campaign is calling out Brown for using the same strategy in the run-up to the general. So will we see any here in Eastern Oregon? The verdict is still out. Last weekend at Chief Joseph Days, Jamie McLeod-Skinner approached Greg Walden’s float and challenged him to “at least three debates within the district. She raised the idea of one each in Eastern Oregon, Central Oregon and Southern Oregon. Walden seemed to answer to affirmatively: “I look forward to debating you,” he said. “We’ll figure out a schedule that works.” As for the governor’s race, our chances for seeing the two candidates on the debate stage looks less likely. Christian Gaston, Brown’s campaign spokesman, wrote that the candidates will likely only appear at three debates — two in Portland and one in Medford. “I think it’s important to note that television debates are closed events and are not open to the public, so the physical location doesn’t matter as much as the statewide reach of the event online and on broadcast,” he wrote. Hooey, we’d argue. The likelihood that many rural or Eastern Oregon issues will be raised or discussed in Portland is slim to none. Perhaps there would be better chance in Medford for discussion of rural policies, but the issues there are much different than we are dealing with here. There is a real benefit to having candidates talk about rural issues in the place where it matters most. Sure, there are no television stations east of Bend, but the days when TV is the only way to share live video are long over. This newspaper and its parent media organization would be happy to do what we can to host, moderate, and/or organize debates or discussions in any of the above races. We just need candidates who are willing to do it. Local constituents can help make it a reality. They should ask — even demand — that their prospective representatives (and especially those who are current officeholders) show up out here and make their best argument about their policies, alongside an opponent who disagrees with them. It’s the best chance for politicians to show how hard they are willing to work for our vote, and if their ideas truly are superior. OTHER VIEWS GOP fears rise for midterms rom time to time, I’ve been candidates. “The Trump numbers, I catching up with a Republican don’t know what to make of,” said another GOP strategist. “It’s not that strategist who is trying to help his job approval ratings are good — the GOP keep control of the House they’re not good — but we’re not in the midterm elections. It’s been an sure what role they play.” up-and-down ride. The second GOP strategist “I would put the odds of keeping pointed to the economy, a subject of the House at exactly 50-50,” he told Byron lots of good news. But he said “it’s me in January. York still income and wages.” “I get how bad things seemingly Comment “With over half the country are,” he said during a particularly living paycheck-to-paycheck, tumultuous time in April. “But if the question for them is, is there enough the election were today, I’d bet my son’s improvement occurring that they can see college tuition we’d keep the House.” themselves beginning to break out of that He was even more confident by June. “We keep the House,” he told me. “I’d bet a paycheck-to-paycheck cycle? If the answer is yes, that’s a positive environment for lot of money on that.” Republicans. If the answer is no, then they And now: “The last 30 days have been (voters) are going to be willing to rock really bad. I really wouldn’t want to have the boat again. I don’t believe they have the election today.” reached a conclusion yet.” Looking back, each change in the Right now, the RealClearPolitics strategist’s mood has been the result of average of polls has Democrats up about whatever President Trump was doing at that particular moment. His current anguish 7 percentage points in the so-called generic ballot question, which asks is the product of what he called “30 days which party a voter plans to choose for of sh-t.” By that, he meant the period of his or her representative in Congress. time beginning with Trump’s decision to Many Republican strategists would feel separate families crossing illegally into comfortable about keeping the House if the United States and ending with his the Democratic poll lead were kept to 4, or performance at the Helsinki summit. perhaps 5, points. Both hurt Republicans, the strategist “Most of the data would lead a sober said, but probably the Trump-Putin summit person to expect control of the House hurt more. When the president met with to be a 50-50 proposition, maybe a little North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, he said many worse for Republicans,” said a third GOP Republican-targeted voters saw a method strategist. “But most of the data at this time in the madness. It actually helped GOP last election cycle led most of the pundits candidates. But when Trump met Putin, to celebrate President Hillary Clinton. I’m those voters didn’t see the method part. starting to think that this could be another If the past is any lesson, memories will instance where the group-think is wrong.” fade. But the problem going forward is that Maybe. But Republicans face a huge Republicans will have less and less time to task. In a way, there has already been a recover before Nov. 6. wave in this election. It is the wave of 42 “The next couple of weeks/months Republicans leaving the House. It’s a record are critical in that we have had peaks and number, and there’s no way to spin it as valleys before, but they always got fixed,” optimism for the future. he said. “The fear is that we’re running out Still, all three are keeping hope alive. of time and maybe they won’t get fixed.” Even the first, rattled after those 30 bad Perhaps the biggest underlying question days, sees the problems of the Democratic of the coming elections is the relationship Party. Put that together with the members between presidential job approval and the House GOP’s re-election chances. It’s often who have embraced the unpopular issue of observed that Trump is keeping the favor of abolishing ICE, and that’s a party a lot of voters do not want to embrace. his base supporters. He is. But Republican GOP victory remains possible. What strategists are watching his approval sink Republicans would like now is the absence in some educated, affluent districts with of noise coming from the White House. independent voters the party needs. — Byron York, Washington Examiner That undoubtedly hurts Republican F YOUR VIEWS Bike Week more than just one ugly incident Your recent article regarding the “Pendleton man at center of attack during Bike Week concert” portrayed the event and the attendees as nothing but a bunch of motorcycle thugs looking for trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth, and if your reporter took the time to do a thorough report, he would have learned that this isolated incident is in no way reflective of all those that attend Pendleton Bike Week. I have spent more than 30 years in law enforcement and ride with several motorcycle clubs, and I firmly believe that Pendleton Bike Week is one of the best run and managed motorcycle events in the Pacific Northwest. The Christian, law enforcement and veteran motorcycle clubs who all attend Bike Week should not be tarred and feathered by such a slanted and negative article. Steve Gomez West Richland, Wash. Medicare for All should be first topic for debate I read with interest the recent East Oregonian editorial recommending public debate among candidates running for office in 2018. I have a suggestion for a debate topic: Medicare for All — how could a candidate oppose or, more importantly, not openly advocate this? Here’s what I found with a simple Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board. Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not necessarily that of the East Oregonian. Google search: Medicare for All would provide effective health insurance to nearly all Americans for about 10 percent of what the current system costs, reduce the federal deficit and cost less for individuals and families. It could be voted in tomorrow — there are already-introduced House and Senate bills to implement the program. The existing health insurance industry could still participate on a reduced basis, providing supplemental programs just as they do for Medicare. Some interesting side notes: • Premiums would disappear, taxes would go up and the net effect is health costs would be greatly reduced for the average American. • No longer would insurance companies be allowed to kill our children and family members through denial of care or over-pricing. • Medical bankruptcies would nearly disappear — people’s financial lives would no longer get destroyed by a single severe illness. • Medicare for All would actually reduce the federal deficit by lowering overall costs for medical care. The U.S. is the only developed country in the world not to successfully offer medical care for all citizens. Our current system results are worst among the top 11 industrialized countries. They can do it; why can’t the USA do better? Why don’t we have Medicare for All now? Bill Young Pendleton The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Letters must be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send letters to managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.
