Third Party Shakeup in CD2?

Can Greg Walden be defeated?  What if Greg Walden has two opponents, including one taking votes from the right?

What if that candidate had a real, viable, visible campaign?

An "Independent Conservative" calls Walden "just another Democrat" and says he looks forward to calling him out as a fake.

Candidate Mark Roberts was not hiding, but no one has paid attention so far.  He says he is the only candidate to file as an Independent Party candidate.  Voters will have at least three choices in the General election: Walden, the Democratic winner, and Mark Roberts.

Mark Roberts.  Who is this guy?

He calls himself a real conservative, someone who voted for Ronald Reagan. He says he is a "lifelong Republican who has changed to Independent for this race.  I am a conservative, not a Republican", as the party has been currently shaped by Walden and Trump. He refers to Greg Walden as merely "a shill for his sponsors."  Roberts has a website with narratives on issues: www.shakeamillionhands.com  

He is eclectic and outspoken.  He is sharply critical of Walden from the libertarian non-establishment right, pointing at disagreements where Walden has big donors: health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and the telecom industry. Roberts also mixes things up, saying climate change and ocean acidification is real and man-made, and that we ought to use real peer-reviewed science to to guide policy.  He is critical of the current GOP policy of "deny deny deny" and says that dealing with climate change will be a job creator.

Roberts says this shows Walden is vulnerable.

Mark Roberts criticizes the Democratic candidates as too liberal given the "conservative demographics of this district," with the wrong positions on gun control, taxes, energy, and logging.  He thinks that their message of a "solar panel for everyone" will turn off voters.  He thinks voters will prefer his message: he likes clearcuts, saying "The only thing I like better than a clearcut is a freshly planted clearcut and all the stages of growth in between."

Roberts' campaign starts with two anchors. One is the outspoken self-confidence in which Roberts rips into Walden and presents his own views.  The second is the notion that Walden is unpopular and he can ride a conservative wave. He cites the 2016 GOP primary where almost 20% of the Republicans vote a protest vote against Walden, voting for candidate who had essentially no campaign at all.  Roberts said he is sure Walden's popularity has eroded since then, what with his vote to disrupt health care access without a viable solution and his cosy-ness with unpopular special interests.

Is there a viable campaign?  Not yet.

He has opinions and he tweets.  It is a start, but it is not a campaign.

Mark Roberts' self confident criticism of Walden makes him interesting, but his campaign has no traction yet, and he does not appear to be getting experienced, knowledgeable, campaign help. I asked him who is campaign treasurer was. He said he was his own campaign treasurer.  He told me he established a nonprofit corporation to accept gifts, Roberts for Congress, Inc. (Registry #1347146-90 with the Oregon Secretary of State) to parallel one established by Greg Walden, Walden for Congress, Inc.(Registry 622442-81) but Roberts told me he understood this to be a 501-c-3 entity, able to receive tax deductible gifts, which can then pay Roberts' campaign expenses. It is not. It is a "mutual benefit" non profit, and it cannot legally turn tax deductible donations into lawn signs and TV ads. Roberts needs professional help if he is to avoid running afoul of complex election laws.

He has plans for raising money and alludes to deep pocket private donors, people who would relate to two areas of special interest for him, chronic pain management (Chronic Pain) and the stolen art from World War Two (Stolen Art recovery).  He said he cannot do substantial self-funding. He will need to raise enough money to get noticed.

He has four billboards up in the Medford area. They urge Republicans to write in his name as a Republican. 

He says he can make news and became known via traditional media as the sharp critic and truth-teller about Walden. As an example, he said he will be announcing a reward of $1,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people who had recently killed three wolves in eastern Oregon. He is sympathetic to ranchers who lose livestock and is happy to add to their reimbursement for lost cattle. Ranchers killing wolves, though, is wrong and illegal, he said, and he is happy as a citizen to do something. He hopes the media notices.

Beginning the day after the primary election, he plans to start a handshake-tour of the District and to see if he can meet enough people and spread the word of a real conservative on the ballot. He wants to make news by showing his progress on an updated chart: 2,000--5,000--10,000 and upward.

882 Followers, and growing

He aspires, too, to getting to be on stage against Walden in a debate. He predicted the Democrat would be weak and spout tired liberal "washed up Bernie lines" and policies which will not relate to the District.In contrast, he would take it right to Walden.  He said Walden has had two decades to do something worthwhile and has accomplished nothing except earn his pension and buddy up to donors.  

Roberts said he reflects the actual spirit of the District: impatient, frustrated with government, direct, ready for change, and ready to hear from someone unafraid to describe Walden as he really is, "Oregon's 7th Democrat."