Oregon GOP Candidate Endorses Obama

The Republican Party is famous for keeping members loyal. But in Oregon, at least, that no longer seems to be the case. First Oregon GOP Sen. Gordon Smith promoted his ties to Barack Obama in ads. Now a Republican candidate for the House is endorsing the Democratic candidate. The Politico reports:

A guy gets 70% of the Republican primary vote, and how does he repay his party? By endorsing Barack Obama for president and the Democratic challenger to an incumbent Republican for Senate. At least that's how Joel Haugen, challenging Oregon Rep. David Wu, decided to thank his party's leadership for their support.

Haugen, a businessman and Army veteran, is running an uphill campaign in a district Wu has held onto against good Republican challengers. So instead of embracing fellow Republicans in a state that's moving increasingly left, Haugen is falling in line with Obama, and he's is listed on State House Speaker Jeff Merkley's website as a backer; Merkley is the Democratic nominee against Senator Gordon Smith.

The endorsements aren't something Haugen is hiding. "We certainly understand why people are so surprised to see" Haugen backing Obama, the campaign writes on its website, citing the Democrat's positions on foreign policy and the economy over John McCain's.

But Haugen's is a position that causes the Oregon Republican Party some heartburn. The state party is continuing to offer tacit support for Haugen's candidacy (though they're not returning his phone calls) while local party officials have shut him out of some events, PolitickerOR reported over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the GOP's 2006 Senate candidate in Delaware says he's been booted out of his party position for supporting Obama.

Comments

[mscriblerus]

All right. I'm going to call this phenomenon Libermantia. The uncontrollable gravitation of a party member to whatever party they think offers them the greatest chance to maintain and accrue power and influence. Characterized by endorsing the opposing party's candidate, wanton pandering and an opposable ideology.

[superbust]

Or you can call this phenomenon a politician doing whats right for the country, regardless of party affiliation.
Novel idea, I know.

[mscriblerus]

Honestly, if you believe that, then you just don't know very much about this particular politician. Hence, you see altruism, I see the asinine. Weather vain politics get no respect from me.

Holding people accountable for the damage they've helped sow.
Novel idea, I know.

[Totto]

Precisely what passes for conservative idealogy, these days? Lying us into wars? Ten trillion dollar debt? Dismantling the Constitution? An activist Supreme Court that rules in favor of corporations and ignores the rights of the people? Suspending privacy rights, rights of assembly? Imprisonment without due process? Want more?

[Danny]

Oligopoly (gov't run by oil interests?)

[Scarllatti]

"Things fall Apart and the center can no longer hold".

This is the beginning of the implosion of the Republican party, a useless party that has promoted fear and used divisive tactics and brute force to move this great nation into a borrower and economical­ly-straine­d country.

They talk about 'supporting' our troops while they are actually using our finest men and women as guinea pigs in their theater of war and neo-colonization efforts around the world so that GWB will be listed in the "History Books".

The worst thing that ever happened to this nation is the Republican party and their brothers-in-crime, the Neo-cons. We will defeat them. We will take our country back form these pack of rascals.

[MPeter]

Yep, things fall apart indeed. Let the Rethugs fry. Send them to the incinerator. They have ruined this country and our standing globally.

[jonjon66]

"Something is happening 'round here"

[superbust]

what it is aint exactly clear

[proudloudlib]

There's a man with a gun over there

[southafrica4obama]

Nice birthday present

[NoSandwiches]

This makes perfect sense to me. Obama better represents the Republican ideals than John McCain. Obama also better respresents the Democratic ideals than John McCain. Obama is a good centrist candidate, no matter the silly labelling as "the most liberal senator in congress."

Has there ever been Democrat that the Republicans haven't tried to label as the most liberal?

[Dane1911]

Something else the mainstream media will not bring to the American people...p­lus he is a War Vet....

[Cookie100]

OH PLEASE! I LIVE IN WASHINGTON COUNTRY, PORTLAND, OREGON, 97229, DAVID WU IS MY CONGRESSMAN IN THE 1ST DISTRICT HERE.
JOEL CAN BACK O ALL HE LIKES, BUT DAVID WU WILL WIN WITH PROBABLY 80% OF THE VOTE.
Hard to be a Repugnican around here. everyone still proudly displays their Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers.

[DanceRat]

Hey I live in Tanasbourne, you are kidding about Washington County being a Dem stronghold, right? I mean, it's getting better, but there are tons of Republicans where I live. Near Westview High School. I think we have three neighbors that are Dems...

[oaklynne]

I guess the rats are fleeing the ship.

[WFV]

They know it's sinking.

[FaceYourFears]

Now that's funny!

[RobertaInCT]

I strongly suggest he get someone to start his car for him until after the election..­.........

[Bluejay00234]

lol

[dayala]

lol...that­'s funny.

[blaqntelligence]

LOL.

[incontempt]

great giggles lol

[ObamAtomic]

Sen. Gordon Smith you must be alert ,Karl Rove can be conspiring against you.

[johnnygoodwud]

this guy is either very smart or very dumb, but at the least very creative. anyone ever been to eugene? i went to visit my mom, and felt at times like i was in the 60's, alot of grown-up aging hippies. the sat. market in downtown eugene is a hoot.

[hardlyhikin]

Two of this over 65, white guy from southern California favorite U.S. cities... Eugene & New York.

[blasphemera]

Eugene is very different from the rest of Oregon. Take that from a native. My post from earlier isn't showing, but Oregon's demographic is a little complicated. Take Portland, super liberal, but Beaverton is fairly conservative, as is Salem (the capitol) and a lot of the coast. Eugene may be ultra liberal, but it's neighbor, Springfield, is ultra conservative. Medford is conservative, but Ashland is liberal (and much smaller), but the tendencies for small towns around here is Republican because of the education gaps to the larger towns (and it's growing). I think the current economic woes, our disheartening military industrial complex, and a new generation of voters are going to make this a lively election year - no matter how narcoleptic McCain seems.
Also, there are a lot of neo nazis here in Oregon. It's indicative of societal disease.

[Toonadude]

The most concentrated collection of xenophobes I've ever met live in northeastern Oregon.

[CharlesJ]

Well when the crap thins out it starts flowing down hill, and it looks like it is starting. Such a same, ya know. LOL How funny, of course there were rumors awhile back that this was going to happen, its a bold move, and I wonder if it will work.

[NotMcCain]

If he's such an Obama supporter, why not just bow out completely and let the REAL Obama representative (Wu) go to Congress unopposed?

I think Republicans will do or say anything to win. This seems a "wolf in sheep's clothing" strategy to me.

Not impressed. (except by Obama's obvious across-the-aisle appeal in Oregon).

[ccmd]

Welcome Obamacan. Welcome.

Donate a $47 gift today to barackobamadotcom for Obama's B~day Donation Blitz Party!!!!

[JRandomPoster]

For a republican, Gorden Smith is actually a pretty good guy. Still a republican, but better than most.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

NOT. He's turned out to be a Bushie all the way -- except for every six years when he's up for re-election. I actually voted for him twice, on the theory that we Dems were in the minority in the Senate anyway and it would help to have some pull with the party in power. No more. Both the political calculus and my assessment of Smith have changed.

The one thing he's done right is turned anti-war -- but that was immediately after the Prophet of his church, LDS, announced that he was anti-war. So no real "independence" there, just putting his faith above his politics.

[blasphemera]

LDS have a stranglehold on politics in the rural west, because money buys free speech. They are (were) the old west religious mafia, selling indulgences so ranchers could marry multiple girls and not be sanctioned for polygamy or child abuse.
Smith just happens to have $$ and a pretty face. Wouldn't work for a national candidate, but sure does fly in backwater Oregon. Supporting Obama might backfire on Smith, he would lose a lot of the racist vote here in Oregon (LDS & neo nazi)