Open tribute to Dave Reinhard

The Oregonian’s Dave Reinhard wrote his last column this week. He will be missed. What better way to praise him than to hear the words of the people he impacted.

“What Oregon liberals don’t know about the Dave Reinhard they love to hate is that he is an exceedingly nice guy. Dave is a true gentleman – a class act whose body of work contributed mightily to the usually one sided political discourse in Oregon. His voice will be dearly missed.”
-Rob Kremer
KXL Radio Host

“A few years back, I read a book entitled The Republican Right Since 1945 and discovered amazingly that it had been written by our own Dave Reinhard. It was a great history lesson. Dave was a ship of sanity in a sea of Portland liberalism. He will be missed.”
State Rep.
Matt Wingard

“Reinhard would be the only reporter to write on certain issues. We ripped those columns out of the paper and made hundreds of copies to show people the news they were not hearing. We often lost the original and made copies of the copies and even copies of those copies which resulted in bluring of his photo until the point it looked like he had a beard.”
Jason Williams
Taxpayer Association of Oregon

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dave Reinhard off and on during all his years at the Oregonian. During that time, I found Dave to be anything but a shill for conservative or Republican ideas. Dave was never afraid to give it to me straight – to tell me some idea I had for him to write about stunk. That he could stand being the only conservative working at the paper for so long is a testament to his courage, his dedication and the strength of his stomach. I’ll miss having Dave at the Oregonian, but I suspect there are greater things ahead for him.”
Matt Evans
Wagontire Consulting

“Dave has always demonstrated integrity and honesty in his approach to journalism. He openly acknowledges his conservative perspective, and intelligently analyses issues from that perspective. It is too bad The Oregonian didn’t have more people of his capability and perspective – and now it has none.”
Kevin Mannix

“Dave has done a terrific job. Always very articulate, convincing and credible — my favorite! I hope and pray he will find a way to continue his much needed messages.”
Bill Moshofsky
Oregonians In Action

“Dave was a keynote speaker here at one of our Harney County Republican Dinners. He was teriffic. He came all the way over to join with the conservatives in Eastern Oregon, work on issues with us and take back our perspective to the Oregonian. His conservative words will be missed in the Oregonian. I am not sure any of us understand how he stayed and did the heavy conservative lifting on that editorial board for so long.”
Tim Smith
Chairman,
2nd Congressional District,
Oregon Republican Party

“I’ve known Dave for most of his 22 years at The Oregonian. He’s always been a thoughtful “alternative” voice on an increasingly monolithic editorial board. His voice will be missed there, but it’s good to see that he will still play an active part in Oregon public policy.”
Steve Buckstein
Senior Policy Analyst and founder
Cascade Policy Institute
Portland

“David Reinhard has been a breath of fresh air in Oregon politics…his political insight, journalistic courage, and common sense will be missed beyond words. Oregonians & The Oregonian owe for his many years of being a sane voice in the wilderness.”
Jayne Carroll
Radio Host KUIK Radio

“On a weekly basis Dave Reinhard hoisted his rapier and sliced into the left leaving a column that was a rhetorical equivalent of a snowflake: unique, meticulous, and well designed. In return for his efforts he received feces covered hate mail, sneers from the Portland “Liberatti” and few opportunities to participate in local salons. Reinhard is as fierce a friend as he is a champion of conservative causes. One year I was included in the Portland City Club’s Annual “Rant” along with Jack Ohman, the Oregonian’s political cartoonist, and Scott Moore, then the potty mouthed star child of the Portland Mercury. While the two men didn’t venture much past their prepared remarks, there was a point at which I provoked them off script and into the land of ad lib. Good natured (I thought) argument ensued. I took out my verbal C-4, affixed the blasting cap, and pulled out a match. A couple of days later, a sheepish Reinhard called me to ask if I was mad at his friend Ohman. He didn’t want any hard feelings.”
Victoria Taft
Radio Host

“Dave, what took you so long?”
Tim Lyman

“David Reinhard was certainly a breath of fresh air at The Oregonian and he will be solely missed. But more than that, his reasoning and writing would make him a standout at any publication, regardless of its political persuasion. Few people can write as persuasively and still be fun to read. David does with prose what Jack Ohman does with caricature. He makes you think in ways you otherwise would not have.”
Darrell Fuller
Independent Auto Dealers Assoc.

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