Time to get behind Erickson

Mike Erickson beat Mannix by a healthy margin yesterday. This came off a very bruising election. The media is already trying to spin this worse than it is (see Koin TV).

Erickson has a good chance to beat Schrader in the fall. People who underestimate Erickson forget that his small campaign in 2006 gave Hooley a big surprise (for which Hooley only squeaked out a 54% win). Now the odds are better for an Erickson win because there is no incumbent.

From a taxpayer perspective, Erickson still goes into the general election with his pro-taxpayer credentials and winning issues. Unless Erickson is secretly behind the slaying of those Columbia River sea lions, there are good reasons to hope. Let us not forget that last fall both Obama and McCain were low in the polls and both were suffering from fundraising shortages. These two candidates took the long hard route to their primary victories.

I fully acknowledge that Senator Kurt Schrader will be a tough competitor. Schrader is a hard-working self-made grungy maverick who does his homework, but he is not invincible. Schrader has a marathon long voting record that does not jive with his district. Erickson is running against higher taxes versus an opponent who has a billion dollars worth of tax increase votes. Sounds clear to me.

Like the unrated New York Giants against the undefeated New England Patriots in this year’s Super Bowl there is a chance to pull off a long overdue underdog victory in Oregon. The momentum begins now. How we help Erickson early will help build speed and power for the fall.

Share