Democratic candidates for Congress

Town Hall demeanor.

They have an opportunity.  

Greg Walden is a powerful leader in the GOP Congress.  That may be his undoing.  He is part of a leadership team, and what they insist on is a disaster for Walden's district. 

Oops.

I have been meeting with candidates for local and congressional office.   These are good, concerned, dedicated people. 

Presumably Greg Walden had a safe seat.  He is rumored to have raised over a million dollars for the current campaign.  People have told me that the Koch Brothers have promised him another five million dollars if it turns out he needs it.  People with money like him. He is in a position of GOP leadership.    

That is his problem.  

As a person in GOP congressional leadership he became a key player in the signature issue for Republicans, repealing and replacing Obamacare.  He had to accommodate himself to the consensus GOP caucus.  Their agenda is not Walden's agenda, and it is most certainly not the agenda for Walden's district.  The bill that squeaked through the House under Walden's chairmanship is uniquely bad for his southern and eastern Oregon district.

Oregon had been a national leader in expanding Medicaid.  Walden's district was the #1 district out of 435 in the number of people who benefited from expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.  That is what the House bill reverses.  Ending the individual mandate will destroy the insurance exchanges which allow middle income people to get insurance if they have pre-existing conditions.

Tens of thousands of children will lose health care.  Rural hospitals will lose reimbursement for medical care they provide in their emergency rooms, and some may need to close because of the provisions of the House bill.   If the Burns hospital closes the next alternative is two hours away. This is a big deal. 

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I have heard Walden assure voters in an earnest tone that he likes and understands the need for Medicaid to be expanded and that he absolutely understands the need for insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.  The House bill does the opposite.

Editorial writers understand this.  Hospital administrators understand this.  The medical community understands this.

Democratic candidates do as well.  They have a ready theme:

1.  Swamp dweller. He has been in Congress for 18 years so far. He had his chance.  Sure he has been to your community a million times.  So what?  18 years is enough.

2.  He was ruined by DC. He has sought power and leadership rather than representation.  Sure he can raise money.  That is the problem.  Go be a lobbyist.

3.  He let us down.  He chose the interests of his GOP colleagues over the interests of his District.  His health bill hurts children and closes hospitals.  What happened to good old Greg?

Click: Campaign report. Strength and Vulnerability, both.

4.  He is stymied.  The more ads he runs the more it proves how thoroughly he has become a captive of the big insurance companies and the national moneybags.  If he uses the tools he has he proves the Democrat's case.

5. Democratic wave year.  GOP disfunction.  Trump antics.  Let's get some checks and balances. Democratic voter motivation.  Huge block of Unaffiliated voters, ready to vote Democratic to return balance to DC.

The Democratic candidates do not think this is a hopeless race.  They aren't worried about Walden's money.  They think it will work against him.   His money proves their point.

Walden got what he wanted: money, power, leadership.  That's why he could lose.



Extra:   I am experimenting with short video comments.  

Click: Democrats are patriotic