Candidates battle at Gov. debate
After a heated and combative gubernatorial debate at the Portland City Club Friday, incumbent Gov. Ted Kulongoski and challenger Ron Saxton will be sparring again tonight on live television.
During the second of four scheduled debates in the Governor Hotel’s formal ballroom Friday, the 400-person audience looked on as the two argued emotionally over the issues facing Oregon in the November elections. The third of four scheduled debates will be televised live on KGW Channel 8 at 7 p.m. this evening in front of a studio audience and can also be viewed statewide on NW Cable News.
”The governor really cares about the direction for this state and the voters will have a chance to see that passion on Tuesday night, and on the campaign trail and during his next four years in office,” said Anna Richter-Taylor, the governor’s communications director.
On Friday, Kulongoski challenged Saxton to hold firm on his convictions and to be up front about his position on the issues. He used Measure 48, the cap on state spending, as an example.
”For God’s sake, Ron, if you want to be the governor, tell the people this is bad,” Kulongoski said. “I’d respect you more if you said you were for it, then fought for the courage of your convictions.”
Both candidates took multiple jabs at one another, questioning the other’s ability to lead the state.
”When you ask Ron a tough question that requires him to take a tough position, his natural instinct is to duck it,” Kulongoski, a Democrat, said. “That makes him a great politician, but it does not make him a good leader.”
”Oregonians are succeeding despite Kulongoski,” Saxton, a Republican, said. “Everything he says about the future involves new taxes.”
The governor then said that he has taken responsibility for his actions while in office and holds himself accountable for the consequences, telling people what he thinks, even in politically risky areas.
Saxton said that Kulongoski’s achievements during his time in office have been few. He encouraged the audience to disregard whatever the governor might say about what he is going to do, and instead focus on what he has done.
”We felt really good about Friday’s debate,” said Richter-Taylor. “It gave him [Kulongoski] a chance to talk about his achievements and take a look at where we were four years ago. The voters got a chance to see who the governor represents: the people of Oregon.”
Questions at that debate came from the City Club’s members, and were returned three times because the candidates did not give actual answers.
”I expect [Tuesday’s debate] to be a debate in the true sense of the word, and that’s what we had on Friday – a good, clean debate,” said Felix Schein, Saxton’s campaign director.
Richter-Taylor said she would not be surprised if tonight’s debate was as heated as Friday’s. “He’s in this race to win. I think that the governor’s passion shows when talking about education, health care, family-wage jobs – really giving every Oregonian the opportunity he was given,” she said.
Schein said that he thought Friday’s meeting might have been more emotionally charged because of the setting.
”Tuesday’s debate will be in a different format – the way that the City Club is structured can lead toward more confrontation between the candidates,” she said. “It was the most lively of the debates so far.”
Tonight, a press panel from KGW, The Oregonian and The Associated Press will be questioning the candidates, picking up the fight where the City Club match left off.
”Rather than hearing the same types of positions only shouted louder, what we always hope for is to get the candidates to reveal something new that they haven’t before, or to take a new position on an issue,” said Harry Esteve, an Oregonian reporter who will be questioning the candidates.
The final debate will be one week from today, aired live on KOBI in Medford and KLSR in Eugene.
