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Though Oregon is a very blue state, the recent actions of our GOP perhaps offer some insight into the direction the national GOP is headed. Yeah...it's not good. oregonlive.com/politics/2019/…
To stall a vote on a carbon cap bill (which will certainly pass) GOP legislators have literally LEFT THE STATE with the assistance of the III% militia, a radical right wing group that backed the Malheur occupation and is gunning for an armed civil war.
The Oregon GOP has pretty much driven itself off the right side of the political roadmap in recent years. About a year ago they invited Roger Stone to headline their state convention, and then he posed in the hotel bar with some Proud Boys.
The irony is that Oregon was long known for the moderation of its GOP in the late 20th century. In fact, the state convention (the Dorchester Convention) was founded by Bob Packwood with the explicit intent to counter Goldwaterite radicalism.
Clarification: the III%ers have claimed to be assisting the GOP legislators who have fled, but it's not yet clear if this is actually true. Like many far right groups, there's often an element of grift and self-promotion involved with their actions.
But back to the Oregon GOP. I teach at a university that is proud to claim longtime GOP senator Mark Hatfield as an alum. Here's a thread on his career. There is zero chance a Republican like him could ever win a primary in 2020.
Not only did Hatfield's Oregon GOP pay Roger Stone in 2018 to give a keynote address last year and pose with Proud Boys, but the undercard was Kevin Jackson, a man with the dubious honor of being fired by Fox News because he referred to Kavanaugh's accusers as "skanks."
Because it's the state capitol, Salem is often the site of conservative political protests. Here are some pictures from one I observed last year...it gives a good flavor of the political culture of the state's current GOP.
But let's not pretend the right wing nuttery is a new feature of the Oregon GOP. Here's a thread about the woman who chaired the county GOP back in the early 90's who thinks Hitler was one of the good guys, like Jesus. She worked at the capitol for years.
For those interested in following the unfolding story in Oregon with the fleeing GOP Senators, here's a thread with the latest updates and links to more information.
The Oregon GOP is of interest to me because the party's rush to the right fringes seems so politically irrational, and so unlike what Democrats in GOP-dominated states have done.
There is zero chance that the Oregon GOP, in the form that it now currently exists, will for the foreseeable future, be able to win a statewide election. But instead of trying to reach out to persuadable voters, it's doubling down on the extremism. What's their endgame here?
Whatever that endgame might be, it seems pretty clear that participating in the normal give-and-take of democratic self-governance is not part of it. I find that quite alarming.
Two people to follow on right wing radicalism in the PNW are @jjmacnab and the unjustly-suspended-from-Twitter @DavidNeiwert.
@jjmacnab @DavidNeiwert And if there are any journalists out there...can I request a piece that compares Democratic Parties in largely Red States with Republican Parties in largely Blue States? I think that would be a fascinating window into the differences between the parties.
