FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amy Wojcicki, amy [at] dpo [dot] org (503) 239-8636
Today, Chris Dudley decided to skip the debate hosted by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association(OPNA) this debate has historically been the kick off to the general campaign. Dudley went on vacation instead. By skipping this opportunity to debate John Kitzhaber and discuss the important issues facing Oregonians, Dudley has signaled that he is not capable of addressing the issues or that he is going to attempt to run an issue-free campaign.
Editorial Boards across Oregon agree, voters deserve more than an empty suit. Dudley needs to debate early and often. Here is a round up of some of the editorials from around the state:
East Oregonian– “Get With it Mr. Dudley.”
Bend Bulletin – “Oregonians deserve better. Chris Dudley needs to show that he’s neither a coward nor an empty suit.”
Register Guard – “There’s nothing about Dudley’s positions on key issues.”
Oregonian – “…these two men who want to lead this state owe it to voters to stand up together, all over this state, and debate the issues.”
Newberg Graphic – “Given that Dudley is seeking Oregon’s highest political office, it seems he could produce better excuses…”
The Bend Source Weekly – “Oregonians might not be willing to elect an empty suit – even if it’s a very, very large suit.”
East Oregonian “Get With it Mr. Dudley.”
“To use a sports metaphor, Dudley didn't want to play. In fact, the former National Basketball Association star decided he didn't even want to suit up. So why did Dudley duck out of the Salem event at the last minute? In a phone call Dudley told ONPA officials he would be on vacation with his family. That sounds admirable until you consider that Dudley and his campaign staff have known for months that this highly informative debate would be this week. In other words, he knew when the game was going to be played.”
“Our message to Mr. Dudley: Get in the game, take your best shot and show us you're the most valuable player. Sports jargon and political maneuvering aside, ducking this debate is simply disrespectful. Our voters and taxpayers deserve better. Get with it, Mr. Dudley.”[East Oregonian, Just call him Dudley Do-Wrong for ducking debate,7/14/2010]
Bend Bulletin – “Oregonians deserve better. Chris Dudley needs to show that he’s neither a coward nor an empty suit.”
“First, Dudley announced this week that he’ll skip a debate Friday sponsored by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Why would a candidate with so much to prove skip an event that marks the unofficial start of the gubernatorial campaign? Because, he says, he’d planned to vacation with his family, and a commitment is a commitment. We don’t know Dudley’s family, but most reasonable people would understand the need to reschedule a vacation under certain circumstances. Such as, oh, running for governor. By running for cover — er, “going on vacation” — Dudley has chalked up a few dubious achievements. He’s insulted Oregonians, who presumably should support a guy who’d rather go on “vacation” than fight for their votes. He’s made himself look timid because, after all, nobody really buys the vacation excuse anyway. And, finally, he’s amplified what could be his greatest liability, which is the perception — incorrect, we think — that he’s an empty suit. Who but an empty suit, after all, would walk away from the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his substance?”
“What we do know is that Oregonians deserve better. Chris Dudley needs to show that he’s neither a coward nor an empty suit.” [Bend Bulletin, Good candidates performing badly, 7/15/2010]
Register Guard – “There’s nothing about Dudley’s positions on key issues.”
“Republican Chris Dudley declined the ONPA’s invitation to its meeting this weekend, citing family obligations. The decision is part of a campaign whose goals will be to avoid mistakes…”
“Dudley’s best course in a race against Kitzhaber is to steer clear of such tar pits, and instead deliver a generic message of change. That’s what Dudley has done in his first two television advertisements. … There’s nothing about Dudley’s positions on key issues.”
“Dudley has already learned a lesson about how easy it is to step into a trap. As Oregon school districts prepared to cut their budgets in response to the latest state revenue shortfall, Dudley urged that they avoid cutting physical education. That’s a defensible stand, but it invites the question of what should be cut instead. There is no right answer, and Dudley left the impression that he valued P.E. above reading or math. He’s kept quiet about the details of spending cuts, in education and elsewhere, ever since.”
“Describing the bearings of a new course ought to be the purpose of a campaign — but it’s not a part of Dudley’s strategy.” [Eugene Register Guard, Dudley plays it safe, 7/15/2010]
Oregonian – “…these two men who want to lead this state owe it to voters to stand up together, all over this state, and debate the issues.”
“These are, after all, tough times in Oregon, and the next governor faces some of the most difficult decisions any chief executive in the state has ever had to make. A state grappling with a moribund economy and a deep budget shortfall that threatens all of its essential public services, including schools, needs to hear early and often what the competing candidates for governor plan to do about Oregon's problems.”
“But what we are sure about is that during this difficult time, with so many hard, hard decisions ahead, these two men who want to lead this state owe it to voters to stand up together, all over this state, and debate the issues.”[Oregonian, More Debates, Not Fewer, 7/14/2010]
Newberg Graphic – “Given that Dudley is seeking Oregon’s highest political office, it seems he could produce better excuses…”
“Dudley’s campaign officials originally said the candidate wouldn’t engage in any debates until the fall, then Dudley said he wouldn’t attend because his family would be on vacation. Given that Dudley is seeking Oregon’s highest political office, it seems he could produce better excuses than that. Vacations can be delayed, plans can be shuffled if there is good reason.”[Newberg Graphic, Dudley Should Debate, 7/14/2010]
The Bend Source Weekly – “Oregonians might not be willing to elect an empty suit – even if it’s a very, very large suit.”
“…that excuse – especially coming at the last minute – is obviously phony. If you’re serious about running for governor you don’t pass up an important debate to go on vacation. Unless, of course, you don’t want to debate in the first place…”
“Dudley has run a remarkably substance-free campaign so far. All his TV ads have told us about him is that (1) he was diagnosed with diabetes at 16, (2) he went to Yale and became an NBA player, (3) he started a foundation to help kids with diabetes and (4) he wants to be governor.”
“They might also have to make it more clear just who Dudley is, where he stands on issues and what he would do as governor. Oregonians might not be willing to elect an empty suit – even if it’s a very, very large suit.”[The Bend Source Weekly,Dudley Dumps Debate– 7/14/2010]
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