I could be wrong, but it seems Knute Buehler is not just moving out of politics. He’s moving out of state. In any case, here are my thoughts on portions of Buehler’s casual yet full-disclosure interview with OregonLive’s Steve Duin, published Saturday.
Knute Buehler:
“It was so clear to me that the state needed a change in direction, and that it didn’t occur. It was a lost opportunity.”
Yes, the state needs change, but there was not a lost opportunity in his election defeat. The necessary change is the reduction of the size and impact of our oversized government, not just in managing it differently. Buehler is a registered Republican, but many of his economic and social positions are Democrat-progressive and his election would have meant more of the same big-government overreach, just under a different political label. There is zero evidence to suggest otherwise.
Buehler:
“Up until early October…the turning point was the Kavanaugh hearings, and Trump’s rhetoric about anchor babies and immigration and invasions from the South. That energized the Democratic base.”
There is some truth here, but this was not the reason he lost. (Anyway, is he really blaming Donald Trump for his defeat?) Here are the real reasons he lost: Republicans sneered while Democrats scoffed. Specifically:
- The Republican vote: he alienated his base because he zealously castigated Donald Trump personally while he utterly rejected the official Oregon Republican Party Platform. And this: he frequently got into heated debates with social conservatives in small Republican meetings where word would spread instantly via social media. These conservatives would ultimately vote for him (“anyone but Brown”), but they would not work for him in the field.
- The Democrat, Independent and non-affiliated vote: part of the reason he earned as little as 7% of the vote in some of the Portland precincts was because he was seen as duplicitous, snubbing his own Republican base…and being anti-Trump cost him across-party-line, pro-Trump votes that would have put him over the top.
Buehler:
“Our whole strategy was build a firewall between Oregon and national issues…a rampart of initiatives on foster care, the homeless, education and PERS reform. A barricade against the buffoon inside the Beltway.”
Build a “firewall” around Oregon? The outside world affects all of us and one politician can’t stop that. And referring to our President as a buffoon? Name calling? This rhetoric did not endear him to the huge majority of Republican voters, 90% of whom support Donald Trump, nor did it sit well with “quiet” Trump voters in other parties.
Buehler:
“People underestimate the depth of despair, the daily struggles for so many people…Trump is fueled by that despair.”
I agree that the depth of despair in Oregon is underestimated, but only by the ruling-class elite. It’s not underestimated by the people experiencing it, their exasperation magnified by ongoing big-government stupidity in so many facets of their lives. Government heavy-handedness is what has created the despair and additional big-government manipulations will only make it worse. This is not rocket science. But having said that, and despite the despair, there is huge pent-up energy and enthusiasm that people will deploy immediately if they see a light at the end of this tunnel. (Is Donald Trump fueled by this despair as Buehler claims? Yes, and that’s a good thing.)
Buehler:
“People are struggling. A lot of workers have a hard time paying bills. There’s a self-pride that comes with having a sense of purpose. When you don’t have that, it’s fertile ground for fear and anger to come into play.”
I don’t disagree with Buehler’s statement. But see last Friday’s simple cartoon on this Facebook page (ironically mimicking Buehler’s call for a firewall around Oregon). Especially note the ensuing comments. There’s fear and anger alright, but Knute Buehler never got close to the “why” of that fear and anger. And he calls us “workers.” That condescending socialistic buzzword is a key give-away to his ideological proclivities, no different than the Democrat progressive ruling-class government that we currently endure.
The interviewer, Duin:
”…he (Buehler) signed on with a health technology company in San Diego, where he spends two weeks each month. He admits he had to get away.”
This does not sound like a political-recovery vacation. It sounds like business development in California.
Buehler:
“The problems I see every day wear on me…its become more and more painful to see what’s happening on the streets of Portland or the abject poverty in Coos County. That’s one of the reasons I took a job out of state. I like solving problems, and to see them in a state I care so much about is painful.”
Regardless of his personal sympathies, Buehler embarked upon a strategy founded on a political philosophy that many conservatives rejected, that failed to inspire persuadable independents, and offered liberals little reason to abandon Brown, a tried-and-true statist. On a personal note, it is perhaps natural to look for greener pastures after losing such a fight. Lord knows that Knute Buehler would not be the first Republican to do that.
Duin:
“Buehler has largely moved on from politics.”
Buehler, in praised Pete Buttigieg:
“I disagree with many of his policies, but his dedication to service and his personal story are so compelling. I always learn something when I listen to him.’”
Knute Buehler is a true liberal on many dimensions, but maybe isn’t quite ready to out himself completely along those lines. Such a comment concerning Buttigieg rhetorically allows him to offer support to a true liberal while staying in his current position. He may believe that a liberal Republican would do better in areas of California than in Oregon, and walking the tight-wire in this way could be a positioning move…or did he say this in order to give a departing middle-finger to his Republican base, and/or does he really believe that Democrat Buttigieg is a viable presidential candidate?
The big takeaway? Knute Buehler signed on with the wrong political party. Painfully obvious, Oregon voters on both sides of the fence instantly saw this dichotomy. My brother-in-law, Troy, has a simple insight that is relevant here: “In life, sometimes a good idea goes bad. But more often, it’s a bad idea that goes bad.”
Like Democrat progressives, Republican establishment and liberal Republicans like Buehler condescend to the Republican base. They imply that “workers” are not qualified to run their own lives, and then they repeatedly offer big-government solutions to the problems they themselves created. The leadership of these contingents retains an iron-grip over their constituents, but these constituents add up to no more than 20% of the overall Oregon voting base.
In Oregon, way too many of our on-the-ground daily-life problems have their roots in the bad leadership of both the Democratic progressive government, and in the very top echelons of the Oregon Republican Party. The good news? This is America. Eventually the wheel will turn and ultimately the bad leadership will be dismissed.
What to do now? It is important for Oregon Republicans, and like-minded voters from other parties, to be ready to take advantage of dismissal opportunities when they arise…and on the cusp of a 2020 Trump electoral landslide, the next opportunity is just around the corner.