It's them damn Liberals' fault!

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 8:33 pm

Okay, here's what's what:

Here in Oregon, the energy from last night's debate has still got this town a-jumpin' and a-spinnin'. Eugene politics are weird: everyone thinks we're a Liberal bastion but the truth is, for every Liberal there's a Conservative here. I see a Kerry-Edwards sign and then I see a George Bush-Dick Cheney sign. I see No on 36, I see Yes on 36. Polls as of today say we're still in a dead heat with a Kerry lead by only 2% poll points.

We vote by mail and the ballots are expected to land in our mailboxes any day now.

But that's neither here nor there.

About 100 miles north of the Columbia River, Mt. St. Helens is getting set to blow again. Vulcanologists say, within the next 30 days, some are saying sooner.

So which do you think will happen first? Any guesses?

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 8:56 pm

I'll go with the good o' Hellen cause Hellen's not as full of shit as politicians are.

M-Files · Post by **M-Files** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:51 am

That there are now 3 volcanoes rumbling and set to go off around the world (in the USA, Mexico and Italy) is quite a geological marvel.

At least volcanoes (as opposed to politicians) are honest about just blowing off steam and dumping their internal contents on those below.

Somebody once told me that Oregon can be divided somewhere along the I-5, with most people west of the line being fairly 'liberal' and most people east belonging to some backwoods yahoo anti-gay anti-woman anti-21st century cult.

Your thoughts?

shell'sgrrrl · Post by **shell'sgrrrl** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:27 am

"Somebody once told me that Oregon can be divided somewhere along the I-5, with most people west of the line being fairly 'liberal' and most people east belonging to some backwoods yahoo anti-gay anti-woman anti-21st century cult."

This is fairly close to the truth althought I think that your characterization is somewhat over the top (but not by much). I've lived in Oregon for 15 years and when it comes to politics, the I-5 corridor carries the vote. Oregon is an amazingly diverse state, but it is really segmented by I-5. Eastern OR is rural farm land with fairly conservative voting tendencies. PDX, Eugene and the rest of the Willamette Valley is far more liberal and far more populated. As a result, we have legalized assisted suicide and medical marijuana. I live in a tiny town SE of PDX which is strange dichotomy of bohemians and rednecks. Somehow though, we all seem to get along...although I must admit - this measure 36 (One man/one woman marriage amendment to the OR constitution) seems to be creating a little tension...

PurpleKoosh · Post by **PurpleKoosh** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:37 pm

shell'sgrrrl wrote:I live in a tiny town SE of PDX which is strange dichotomy of bohemians and rednecks.

Where, exactly? My umfriend and her husband used to live in Canby....

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 6:18 pm

DVD Burner, you won! The mountain blew first.

As for the east-west division...Linn County is west of the I-5 corridor and it's about as conservative as you can get. To give you an idea...<i>the second</i> you cross the county line from Lane County to Linn County, there's a big-ass lit-up white cross on top of the most prominent hill by the highway. You can see it for miles and miles around, there's just this glowing white thing that you can't help but look at. Kind of like Linn County saying, "Okay, enough of that Eugene/Veneta/Cottage Grove nonsense, this is God's Country!"

Marion County (yes, after which marionberries are named), where the state capitol is, is very conservative, too, and that's left of the I-5 mostly. My friend Chmod lives there and he's always going on about the neo-cons he's always running into in Salem. Up past Keizer I saw almost nothin' but "Bush/Cheney in '04" and "Yes on 36 ONE MAN ONE WOMAN" signs. Things started to balance out once I got to Wilsonville, though.

It's true, though, everyone seems to get along well enough.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 6:30 pm

Hey,

do you think you can get some pics?

That should be really something.

Simply Joel · Post by **Simply Joel** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 5:54 am

http://www.thom.org/gallery/statues/ILEFcross/

this beauty is located about 90 miles south of my home.

can't do much about yet i avert my eyes at the appropriate time.

now, this is a monument

http://www.thom.org/gallery/records/WILCsixpack/

shell'sgrrrl · Post by **shell'sgrrrl** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 6:42 pm

PurpleKoosh wrote:
shell'sgrrrl wrote:I live in a tiny town SE of PDX which is strange dichotomy of bohemians and rednecks.
Where, exactly? My umfriend and her husband used to live in Canby....

I actually lived in Canby for the last two years of high school but I live in Estacada. It's a former logging town in the southeast foothills of Mt. Hood, population of 2400.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 9:10 pm

Yo, my Liberal!

Stop apologizing for progressive.

Fo' shizzle.

http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R409300737

Mungojerry · Post by **Mungojerry** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:48 am

M-Files wrote: Somebody once told me that Oregon can be divided somewhere along the I-5, with most people west of the line being fairly 'liberal' and most people east belonging to some backwoods yahoo anti-gay anti-woman anti-21st century cult.

Republicans?

Having taught for a while in Eastern Oregon, that pretty much nails the situation. Rotate the state 90 degrees and you've got a microcosm of the nation.

It's them damn Liberals' fault!

Which do you think will happen first? Volcano or election?

It's them damn Liberals' fault!