"It appears that my pleas over recent weeks to stop independent expenditures into my race have only increased them."
Jeff Golden, candidate for State Senate
They were trying to help him. And to prove he cannot win without them.
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| Golden, May 15, 2018 |
Golden has been working in southern Oregon policy and politics for 40 years, but this campaign was intended to have a fresh message of hope and change. The heart of it was campaign finance--his refusing to take the PAC money that has lavishly funded state legislative races, and particularly ones in this Senate District.
He was going to demonstrate independence of all those upstate Democratic interest groups. Golden was going to raise money in the general election the way he did it in the primary, from small contributions from real people, like Bernie did in 2016, or Beto O'Rourke is doing now.
His primary campaign helped solidify that message of independence and boldness. He had an opponent, newcomer Athena Goldberg, who lined up the big union and upstate interest group endorsements, ones he might have been expected to get. She raised $100,000 from upstate lobbies.
Interesting and strange. What was going on? Jeff Golden wouldn't play ball with the PACs, so they took their money and endorsements elsewhere. Jeff won handily anyway.
It made a point. Jeff was popular where it counted, with voters, and he could reject upstate money and influence and win.
It made a point. Jeff was popular where it counted, with voters, and he could reject upstate money and influence and win.
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| Sampler of PAC mailers |
The upstate lobbies--acting through the group Southern Oregon Priorities--could not leave the race alone. Voters see multiple puff pieces in their mailbox, on social media, and TV. Jeff looks like a standard, regular, Democratic candidate. Same-old, same-old.
Doesn't all that "help," actually help? Aren't more ads better, helping Golden get his name out there?
Mostly no. Mostly it hurt Golden. His name is already out there. What they are doing is changing his message.
***It muddled and contradicted Golden's narrative of being un-beholden to upstate lobbies, and therefore able to act independently on issues like PERS.
***It muddled and contradicted Golden's position as the new, fresh guy, raising grassroots money, like Bernie or Beto.
***It muddled and contradicted Golden's door-to-door strategy of focusing on his supporters and leaving undisturbed the people identified as opponents.
Golden has several hundred street canvas volunteers. This blog heard from David Sours, a volunteer canvasser, who said he met voters who complained they have already been canvassed by a man who could answer no questions whatever about Golden, because he said he was just an employee, paid handsomely by a PAC, which set a very bad impression of Golden. Sours wrote Tom Powers of the Senate Democratic PAC, complaining that they were hiring unneeded, unwanted canvassers who did more harm than good.
Powers dismissed the objection, responding with:
"I am afraid I cannot go into detail about the nature of our political activities with volunteers on the Golden campaign because Southern Oregon Priorities is not coordinating with the Golden for Senate campaign. Coordination between the two entities may result in the requirement to list an ‘in-kind’ contribution."
Golden, too, has written the Senate Democrats:
"It appears that my pleas over recent weeks to stop independent expenditures into my race have only increased them. On Saturday three, repeat three, more pro-Golden mailers landed in my PO Box, two from Southern Oregon Priorities and one on the letterhead of a Barbara Henson of Ashland. They were as unwelcome and undermining of my campaign message as the roughly ten mailers before them. That’s aside from the barrage of unwanted radio, TV and Internet ads. My commitment to run this campaign without PAC money becomes less credible every day; if I were a random voter paying medium-close attention to all this, I wouldn’t believe it."
The upstate PACs weakened Golden's campaign. They make him look less "special," which weakens him in the matchup against newcomer Gomez. It gives ammunition to people inclined to oppose Golden. A prominent local businessman and major donor to Gomez wrote me last night, in an email titled "Bullshit." He wrote:
"The government employees own him. TAX and spend old white guy. Really."
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| Oregon Capitol |
Why would the upstate Democratic PACs stomp all over Golden's brand? Do they want him to lose? No. But they want him to win marked and branded as one of theirs.
Being clearly marked as one of theirs would be the thing that would keep him from winning.
2 comments:
I appreciate the last portion of this blog because it gives voice to an strong underlying sentiment. We are tired of the old brand. We are tired of hardworking people taking the blunt force of regressive legislation. We are tired of legislators selling us a bill of goods as if it is new and a fix all. Real people are at work making real change for the betterment of all by investing in community.
The gross choreography between “journalists” in the valley lately is perceived as divisive, triabalistic and regressive. I am not falling for the finger pointing at people outside of the region. Real change starts at home. Don’t underestimate our community.
These two candidates couldn't be more different. Whomever wins will reveal a lot about this district.
By any measure of biography, commitment and values, Jeff Golden should be elected. If he does, his battles will just be beginning and he will need continued support to keep this state moving forward against the pernicious Regressive forces that remain.
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