The Oregon Republican Party has hit the financial skids, facing more than a quarter-million dollars in debt and an IRS lien for failing to pay payroll taxes…. “It’s far more debt than we’ve been in for years,” party spokeswoman Brianne Hyder said Tuesday. “It’s a tough year for Republicans to raise money in Oregon.”…. The bad financial news comes as the party is struggling to recruit candidates for open statewide posts. It also comes during a presidential election year when state parties are called upon to help deliver votes in November.
One of the things I love about Oregon is that, politically speaking, it’s the polar opposite of Texas. There’s not a single Democrat in an elected statewide office in Texas, and for years Texas Democrats basically ran the body from Weekend at Bernie’s as token opposition in the gubernatorial race. Let’s face it; a Democrat in Texas has about as much chance of getting elected (outside of Austin) as a dead body…and a body requires less ego-massaging.
In Oregon, the state’s GOP is nothing is not moribund and bankrupt- both financially and philosophically. You’ll have to excuse me if I’m enjoying this perhaps a wee bit too much.
In the portion of Oregon that’s west of the Cascades, which is by far the most populous part of the state, Republicans have a very short shelf life. They also have about as much chance of winning elections as Democrats in Texas. If you look at central and eastern Oregon, politically speaking it might as well be West Idaho. Most of that area is every bit as Conservative and reactionary as Texas. Thankfully, almost no one lives in central or eastern Oregon. If you drive I-84 from the Idaho border to Pendleton, it looks like Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter with better weather.
Ah, but I digress. I’m not normally one to tapdance on someone’s grave, but the Oregon GOP has historically been home to some world-class wingnuts (Lon Mabon, anyone?). The Texas GOP is OWNED by world-class wingnuts, which is why politics in Texas is far more entertaining than it is here in Oregon. To see the Oregon GOP going belly-up gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling…sort of like that pleasant buzz you get after your third shot of Jagrmeister. I’m going to enjoy this, if only for the knowledge that, at least in one state, Republicans are a pronounced (and bankrupt) minority.
Schadenfreude, when properly employed, really can be quite enjoyable, don’tcha think??
