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WEDNESDAY February 11, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels January 23, 2004 Downtown Working from the sidelines Andrew Scot Bolsinger National politics in Oregon is a little bit like playing the part of "Rudy." You know your big moment is out there somewhere, but you wonder if anyone will be left in the stands by the time you take the field. It's especially worse when the pundits want to call it over before the game even starts. Dean's fund-raising and outsider tag vaulted him into the race against Bush, thanks in large part to the fawning national media, before any single person cast a vote. When the actual votes were counted, two forgotten Johns, i.e., Kerry and Edwards, were suddenly in the race, chosen by voters, not reporters. Now the fawning media has bared its collective teeth, tearing Dean to shreds as fast as they anointed him. All of which suggests that the biggest winners in Iowa were perhaps West Coast politicos who for once would like the vote in Oregon to be a factor in the race. A victory in Iowa While Dean was the sure loser in Iowa -with the notable exception of Dick Gephardt - many are claiming victory, including the man of the grass-roots people, Dennis Kucinich. The day after securing 1.2 percent of the delegates in Iowa, Kucinich's Southern Oregon Regional Coordinator Keith Quick announced, "Kucinich Victory in Iowa!" Quick says the first vote was Kucinich's first step toward the White House. Sort of like the first budge of a large stone that needs to soon begin rolling down the hill. "It leads me to believe that [Kucinich] still has a lot of strength left in him," Quick said after the Iowa caucus. "I think he is going to continue to do better as we will see in New Hampshire." In New Hampshire, Kucinich could get a big lift from the strong Green Party vote, Quick says. "That's 20,000 votes," he says confidently. If he's right, the candidate that few in the national media take seriously will still be a factor when the race moves out West. That would be great for Quick, who says Oregon would show strong support for Kucinich. Kucinich loves his base in Oregon, especially here in Ashland. The candidate has twice called to encourage backers in Ashland, who in turn have sent him support. "Ashland is a hotbed for the campaign," Quick says. "Just over 2 percent of the population of Ashland have donated to the campaign That means more than 400 people." Such is the zeal of the campaign for many, even though the game is being played a continent away. Some just couldn't wait. Quick, a Southern Oregon University student, says three local people packed up their car and road tripped to Iowa just to get into the game while it still matters. So if Kucinich can get his boost in New Hampshire and survive the following week's trek through the south, he may still be hanging around months from now, when the election looks west. Clark gets started Quick is not alone. Bruce Bogerson, also of Ashland, is the newly appointed volunteer coordinator for the campaign of candidate Wesley Clark. Again, the late primary is a critical factor in planning, and he also has supporters looking for ways to be a factor now. "Because of the late date of the Oregon primary," Bogerson says, "our efforts will be focused on fund-raising for the national campaign and letter writing and phone calling to the early primary states." Bogerson said he was initially attracted to Dean, but ultimately decided to throw his weight behind the retired general from Arkansas. After doing "his homework" he decided, "it was better to take a chance on this 'unknown' Clark than the certain uphill struggle Dean would face." Bogerson's homework may have paid off. As Dean's polling numbers fall faster than the Road Runner's anvil, Clark is poised to make a name for himself with voters in New Hampshire, opening a wide open race even wider. A wide-open race keeps the race going, stalls the efforts of big money to hire a candidate before the voters get a say, and most importantly, lets Oregon have its play at the end of the game. It may not be much, but until Oregon changes its primary date, its the best we can hope for. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: A new improved archive search is coming! Look for it in mid-February! .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams