To answer a few questions here from someone in the region.
why is an incumbent governor being challenged in the primary?
By an ex-governor at that...?
Because Kulongoski is quite unpopular.
And why is Kitzhaber so popular while Kulongoski is in such trouble?
Kitzhaber was a popular governor as far as I know, although it was before my time. Kulongoski, on the other hand, has done little successful to remedy Oregon's mediocre economy. Despite being a wealthier than average state, Oregon - like Washington - has some of the highest rates of unemployment in the country. Kulongoski is doing surprisingly poorly considering he hasn't suffered any significant scandal, though.
And why is Kitzhaber so popular while Kulongoski is in such trouble?
and why are both last names hard to pronounce?
Haha. This certainly can't beat the potential 2006 Illinois Gubernatoral race of Blagojevich v. Rauschenberger.
Kitzhaber should run against Gordon Smith for Senate in 2008. He is known as a leading voice on health care issues and could contribute a lot.
If he wants to get crushed with vigour. Smith lost only Multnomah County. The Democrats should work on defending a very close Gubernatoral race instead of going for a pie in the sky 2008 Senate race.
It seems to me that Kulongowski's problem is that he's more of a working class Democrat whose appeal is more to the dwindling numbers of rural oregon Democrats rather than one who typifies the more "progressive" (i.e. socially liberal, economically moderate) politics of the state party and the state as a whole. Thus, while he may have trouble in the primary, I think he doesn't have much to worry about if he's to face a right-wing opponent like Ken Maddox...
I might be wrong about my analysis of Kulongowski, but it seems like his situation is not dissimilar to unpopular Maine Governor John Baldacci who represented the Northern Maine (socially conservative, leftish economically) congressional district before becoming governor of a state whose Democrats prefer the opposite...
If either Kulongowski or Baldacci faces third party challenges from the left, they should be worried.... and actually I think Baldacci may be in more trouble because Maine republicans seem to be better organized than oregon's GOP and may nominate a moderate in the mold of Snowe/Collins.
