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ISSUE #34.25 • NEWS • COVER STORY
[COVER STORY]

For The Love of Politics


WW’s endorsement page-turner has all the candidates worth falling for this election.

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IMAGE: Lukas Ketner
BY WW EDITORIAL STAFF | 503-243-2122

[April 30th, 2008]

Change. Experience. Change. Experience.

We’ve heard these two poll-tested words so often during the past month by candidates from the presidency on down that our hair hurts.

During that time, we’ve hauled political hopefuls into our office, grilled them with questions that were nasty, naughty and necessary (“Where would you cut the budget? What have you ever done to justify such a leadership position? How can you prove your independence? What kind of tattoo would you get?”) That’s all to give you, our dear readers, a clear sense of who deserves your support as you get your ballots this week for the May 20 primary. And while all of the candidates said they represent change, or experience, or both, we tried to delve deeper.

As we survey the current political landscape, we feel an urge to reach for the Maker’s Mark—a White House so venal it makes the Harding administration look like Lincoln’s cabinet, a Congress unfit to stop the war, a state Legislature that’s sat by while Oregon plummeted from its perch as a national innovator, and a city where “visioning” has become a verb.















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Yet our process of meeting these folks did give us an audacious sense of, can we say it? Hope.

Many of the candidates were smart, dedicated, earnest and convinced us they were willing to work hard for largely poor wages.

All in all, this election has been one hell of a novel. Here’s how we’d write the last chapter.

First endorsement: President »

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RECENT COMMENTS ON “For The Love of Politics”

33

I'm not an Obama supporter (I think he just guarantees the White House to McCain)...but I REALLY think that those of you who do support him need to put a better face forward. A good chunk of the count...

Sandy, May 13th, 2008 10:56pm
34

So Obama is illustrated as a zombie rising in a field of roses with some sort of metal box attached to his neck and a tricorder in his right hand and you're good with that? Zombie cyborg for Presiden...

Joe SixPack, May 14th, 2008 5:28am
35

This is REALLY creepy is it going to be hung in Rev Wright's church? Obama with his shirt unbuttoned - what walking on water? He can save us - not with any concrete ideas, but with the mesmerizing con...

Susan , May 14th, 2008 5:18pm
36

Obama seems to be a "done deal" as the nominee, but I still have a bad feeling about his election chances. The main difference, as far as I can see, between those who support him and those w...

greenman, May 15th, 2008 11:46am
 
 
 





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