It was a tough night for Athena Goldberg

She obviously wasn't feeling well, the joint appearance format accentuates her weaknesses, not her strengths, and she had to follow Jeff Golden.  

She has other strengths in other circumstances.

Watch it yourself. Click here

Today, a close look at Athena Goldberg.

Four Democratic candidates addressed a crowd of about 200 at an Ashland Unitarian-Universalist church: Julian Bell, Athena Goldberg, Jeff Golden, and Kevin Stine.

Each of them fleshed out the political brands that they have established early on.

Julian Bell, a physician, came across as smart, without being smug. He summarized his goals for health care reform--a state run not for profit health insurance system--clearly and confidently, which demonstrated that he had expanded his portfolio of interest to well beyond climate change.  Audience members I spoke with shared my view: he is new at politics but smart and good at it, and a much better candidate than when he ran for Governor two years ago.

Kevin Stine, Medford City Council member, revealed his niche: affable, approachable, humorous, and, in his opinion the most electable candidate in a general election because he can relate best to the working people in his district. This audience isn't Stine's crowd--Ashland baby boomer activists--but he showed them what he hoped to present door to door to Democrats.

Bell, Goldberg, Golden, Stine

Jeff Golden surprised the audience members I spoke with.  People expected him to be knowledgeable and sophisticated in his understanding of the issues and the politics, but he vastly exceeded expectations.  A forum like this was ready-made for Golden.  He confidently outlined three and four point arguments, summarizing the policy points, relating it to the politics locally and up-state. Golden is good at this.  

Athena Goldberg had two problems. One was that she tended to follow Jeff Golden when speaking. They bring different strengths to the table.  Athena Goldberg is a new fresh face, and a woman in what Democrats think is the year of the woman. Jeff Golden is experienced, fully knowledgeable, and practiced at talking politics into a microphone.  There was stark contrast in knowledge level and ability to present a mature, sophisticated understanding of issues, made worse because Golden spoke, then she would. Golden knew things she did not. Goldberg kept retreating to boilerplate political talk about her being a voice for the people, having passion, saying she was determined, that we need people in office who care, and so on.  Normally political boilerplate sounds good-enough to an audience, but following Golden it appeared shallow and unprepared.

Her second problem is that it was apparent that she wasn't feeling well.  She wasn't at her best. She may well have better nights ahead of her.

This was a difficult night for Athena Goldberg, but her campaign is doing well anyway.  Upstate endorsers (Teamsters, AFLCIO, NARAL, League of Conservation Voters, and perhaps others by now) clearly see something win-able in her. She--not Golden--gets their endorsements.  Voters seek connection and appeal, and she has it.  Goldberg may not know a lot yet, but knows more about the issues than the average voter, which positions her as expert-enough.  Most voters don't demand political sophistication ,and indeed many are turned off by it. They prefer connection. That is what she sells.

This is just my opinion.  There is no need for skeptical readers to believe my conclusion.  Click on the link above and watch it yourself.  It is about 90 minutes.   Or read my transcript of Goldberg's answers to questions on housing and Jordan Cove, ones which she knew was coming, and which I show below verbatim.  I have removed most of the multiple "um"s, out of charity. I consider the answers unresponsive and nearly incoherent, but that is my conclusion and readers and viewers can make their own. I am printing the entirety of her answers to the two questions,  beginning at the first word she uttered, to the very last.

Athena Goldberg

Goldberg, on her housing plan, minute 36:

"So. It’s not optional.  Um.  And I deal with homeless people on a daily basis.  I was housed, but my house was 500 square feet where I grew up.  We depended on wood heat and that was what our home consisted of. So we do need those eyes, as Kevin referenced earlier, someone who actually has a sense of what it means to not have a stable housing, anything to call housing stable.

But more than that, when I saw NAMI, the National Association for the Mentally Ill, I thought, you know what?  I don’t know how many of you recognize that Oregon right now is in a work plan with our Department of Justice because of the way we deal with our mentally ill when they are released from the state hospital and then try to reintroduce them into our community and we have no housing  and that is one of the features and it’s not optional, it would be an expectation, and we’re fine with that, we have oversight and regular meetings with the federal government at the state level on a regular basis and the expectation  is we have integrated living opportunities for those mentally ill people.  I don’t love that term but for, uh, these purposes, but we provide a  level of flexibility within that  meaning we have some idea of that funding that the people playing for their housing can actually afford their housing  because we see, I see, too many examples  of people having to try to decide whether or not to pay their rent, for example, or buy their pharmaceuticals that they need for their quality of life

Ultimately, everyone is right, this is not unique to our, our area., but it is going to take a big lift and a big vision and a lot of direction and political might to make this change."

Goldberg, on the Jordan Cove pipeline, minute 43:

"So, there was an accident this morning that involved fracking so again as previously stated fracking is bad, uh, I think we are all in agreement that it is not something that we want, the energy pipeline.  I also recognize that what is being done by Tonia Moro and others is being handled in the court and I’ve never been so grateful for the court system as I am right now because that’s where really, we get to stand our ground, so to speak,  we get to say, no we’re not going to let you come onto our property and build, you have to get our consent, we’re not giving you our consent.  I think things have gotten to the point where that’s where we’re at, so what will I do?  I’ll be a voice to say, no, I’ll, I’m also aware of the desire for everyone to play along to get along and also put their name on a bill that just get passed that reallly has no meaning or no passion at the end of the day for them but maybe gets attached to something and they can say, 'I got two things passed this, this session.'    

I don’t need that.  I want good outcomes for the community who task me with making those decisions at the state level, being your voice at the state level.  We’re all, whoever you elect is accountable to you all, and I want to be your voice to set limits and change the tenor at the Capitol, because it needs to be changed and you all come along for that ride."

Athena Goldberg.  Summary:  Readers can draw their own conclusions. The Jordan Cove pipeline and Oregon's problem with affordable housing are two of the most obvious and predictable issues for Goldberg or any other candidate.  She could have thought them through and have been ready to address them clearly and persuasively.  Goldberg did not. This surprises and disappoints me.  But maybe this was simply a bad night and an artifact of playing while sick. 

She will have new opportunities at future forums, but maybe head to head matches are something she should try to avoid.  She is appealing and charismatic when it is just her.  Her campaign has excited some of the most important people to impress: gatekeepers of up-state support.  They are the pros.  They think they know who the real winners are. 

But not last night.