Walking The Talk

[May 10th, 2006] Knock. Knock. Who's there? "Tina Kotek." Excuse me, did you just say...Tina... Kotex?

OK, I didn't actually say that to Kotek when she came knocking on my North Portland front door. But I really wanted to. That and "Excuse me, lady, but how the hell did you find out where I live?"

Being a gentleman, though, I treated Ms. Kotek (who finally got to check my name off her list of face-to-face encounters with likely Dem voters when she caught me at home on her third visit) as I would any unexpected guest. I asked her impatiently, "So, what do you want?" She responded politely that she'd like to take a moment of my time to discuss the primary election.

To which I said, "Can we do this later?"

And that's how I ended up spending a recent Saturday afternoon walking in my 'hood with one of the Democratic candidates running to represent state House District 44.

I don't know that much about the candidate with the name that sounds like a feminine-hygiene product. Sure, I knew she was an out lesbian. And I'd heard something around the WW office about how the political director for the wonky Children First of Oregon was a good "shopper" (she recently moved into my district after a failed run in District 43; see last week's WW endorsement of Mark Kirchmeier). But that was about it.

So, except for a slight farmer's tan, I didn't expect much when I hit North Lancaster Avenue with candidate Kotek.

"The only way to win elections is to talk to voters," said Kotek, as we approached a door, a door that was nothing more than a thin barrier between us and what sounded like the most vicious dog of all time.

The owner of the Doberman inside was Wally Hendrickson, who came out on the porch and said, "My neighbor told me all about her visit with you. You can count on my vote, but watch out for the dog, OK?"

Since last October, Kotek has banged on thousands of North and Northeast Portland doors, from homes of those with HIV to homes of those with no heat, in hopes of winning next week's primary. Some have been supportive. Others have been more like the guy who told us to get off his porch, "NOW!"

And she's had only one dog bite in total.

"It was my fault," says Kotek, who swears she canvasses up to five hours a day. "I should've known better."

Watching her greet my neighbors, I came to know something more about this former East Coaster, whom detractors describe as "pushy." It takes balls to knock on doors—even more so when you're trying to knock them down. That's the challenge that will face Kotek, as Oregon's second openly lesbian legislator, if she gets elected. And if she's willing to hunt me down at my house, imagine what she could do when she actually gets in the House.

Now, I still don't know if I'll vote for her, but she's definitely earned my respect.