Kevin Mannix & Loren Parks: Who Cares?
In his latest column, Dave analyzes the ethically-challenged relationship between Republican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Mannix and his main supporter, Loren Parks. In which I have to ask a question, which I'm sure Oregon's progressive community would collectively ask: who cares?
Granted, the relationship between the holier-than-thou Mannix and such a seedy character as Parks isn't of interest. Each new detail is delicious, but it's a story that 'broke' some time ago on blueoregon.com. Even the revelations that Mannix, during his term as Chair of the Oregon Republican Party, would personally pocket funds raised for the Party has been common knowledge for some time. So, again, I'd have to ask Dave: why do you think anyone would care enough about this topic for you to opine on it now?
I mean, what is Dave attemtping to accomplish with this column? Is he trying to clear Mannix's name? Attempting to illustrate that Mannix's financial shenanigans are on the straight and narrow? Casting in as good a light as possible the connection between the devout Catholic Mannix and the millionaire Parks, who made his fortune using sex therapy to help male adults with erectile dysfunction? If Dave was trying to do any of those things, he failed. Of course, it doesn't help much when he writes such lines as the following:
Secondly, as Dave wrote "this would be unsettling...." the inference is there that since Parks isn't a 'Ron Saxton or Jason Atkinson supporter or a Democratic sugar daddy' then having him fund more than half of Mannix's campaign isn't unsettling. Which, of course, I call bullshit on.
Candidates shouldn't be bank-rolled by single donors. Elections shouldn't be the playthings of moneyed interests. (Ha!) I'm not sure if Dave intended his column to be an argument in support of publicly-financed state-wide elections in Portland, but that's the conclusion I come to after reading it. There's a furor over the current 'publicly-owned' elections in Portland, in which cnadidates have to raise $5,000 from 1,000 donors before receiving $150,000 in campaign funds from the city of Portland. Imagine if Mannix actually had to make an attempt to run a campaign by going on the stump to carry the favor of Oregon voters through face-to-face mettings and 7 am pancake-breakfast fund-raisers. It may put him in a position where he learns the issues that are important to Oregon citizens, rather than spending time in the Plato's Cave-like echo chamber that is the Oregon Republican Party. Instead, Mannix gets to rely on unlimited funds coming from a sex freak- who doesn't even live in Oregon, but in Las Vegas- thus making his campaign much easier, which is why he appears to be lazy and coasting to an eventual third-place finish in the primary.
Because, after all, we are talking about Kevin Mannix here. And if I were to ask one question for Dave to answer, it'd be: why does the Republican establishment in the state of Oregon continue to back a three-time loser such as Mannix? Yes, he's helped pass initiatives through- Measure 11, for example- but the good things about iniatives as that they require a concerted effort by a team of like-minded individuals. Regardless of how much influence on the initiative Mannix had, the initiative couldn't have been passed without the help from others'. So it's hard to grant the passage of Measure 11 simply to the presence of Mannix. When you look at the actual campaigns Mannix has run for state-wide office, Mannix is a three-time loser: losing twice to Hardy Myers for Attorney General, and, of course, losing out to Governor Ted in the 2002 Governor Race.
So, who cares? Who cares about this loser that the Oregon Republican establishment continually props up to help split the vote and grant election wins to the Democrats? Who cares about Loren Parks, and his seedy sex world that I'd prefer not to think so much about? Who cares about possible money laundering and other financial shenanigans being committed if nobody's going to vote for Mannix anyway?
I can understand why Jason Atkinson supporters feel like they're getting the shaft. Sure they may come across as self-righteous, but at least they don't support a candidate who is a three-time loser. Yet.
Granted, the relationship between the holier-than-thou Mannix and such a seedy character as Parks isn't of interest. Each new detail is delicious, but it's a story that 'broke' some time ago on blueoregon.com. Even the revelations that Mannix, during his term as Chair of the Oregon Republican Party, would personally pocket funds raised for the Party has been common knowledge for some time. So, again, I'd have to ask Dave: why do you think anyone would care enough about this topic for you to opine on it now?
I mean, what is Dave attemtping to accomplish with this column? Is he trying to clear Mannix's name? Attempting to illustrate that Mannix's financial shenanigans are on the straight and narrow? Casting in as good a light as possible the connection between the devout Catholic Mannix and the millionaire Parks, who made his fortune using sex therapy to help male adults with erectile dysfunction? If Dave was trying to do any of those things, he failed. Of course, it doesn't help much when he writes such lines as the following:
One wealthy man is responsible for more than half of the cash Mannix has raised this campaign. This would be unsettling if he were a Ron Saxton or Jason Atkinson supporter or a Democratic sugar daddy.Okay, first the point he's trying to make, on one hand, is definitely obvious. Saxton, Atkinson, or Democrat supporters wouldn't be funding half of Mannix's campaign. Thank you, Captain Obvious.
Secondly, as Dave wrote "this would be unsettling...." the inference is there that since Parks isn't a 'Ron Saxton or Jason Atkinson supporter or a Democratic sugar daddy' then having him fund more than half of Mannix's campaign isn't unsettling. Which, of course, I call bullshit on.
Candidates shouldn't be bank-rolled by single donors. Elections shouldn't be the playthings of moneyed interests. (Ha!) I'm not sure if Dave intended his column to be an argument in support of publicly-financed state-wide elections in Portland, but that's the conclusion I come to after reading it. There's a furor over the current 'publicly-owned' elections in Portland, in which cnadidates have to raise $5,000 from 1,000 donors before receiving $150,000 in campaign funds from the city of Portland. Imagine if Mannix actually had to make an attempt to run a campaign by going on the stump to carry the favor of Oregon voters through face-to-face mettings and 7 am pancake-breakfast fund-raisers. It may put him in a position where he learns the issues that are important to Oregon citizens, rather than spending time in the Plato's Cave-like echo chamber that is the Oregon Republican Party. Instead, Mannix gets to rely on unlimited funds coming from a sex freak- who doesn't even live in Oregon, but in Las Vegas- thus making his campaign much easier, which is why he appears to be lazy and coasting to an eventual third-place finish in the primary.
Because, after all, we are talking about Kevin Mannix here. And if I were to ask one question for Dave to answer, it'd be: why does the Republican establishment in the state of Oregon continue to back a three-time loser such as Mannix? Yes, he's helped pass initiatives through- Measure 11, for example- but the good things about iniatives as that they require a concerted effort by a team of like-minded individuals. Regardless of how much influence on the initiative Mannix had, the initiative couldn't have been passed without the help from others'. So it's hard to grant the passage of Measure 11 simply to the presence of Mannix. When you look at the actual campaigns Mannix has run for state-wide office, Mannix is a three-time loser: losing twice to Hardy Myers for Attorney General, and, of course, losing out to Governor Ted in the 2002 Governor Race.
So, who cares? Who cares about this loser that the Oregon Republican establishment continually props up to help split the vote and grant election wins to the Democrats? Who cares about Loren Parks, and his seedy sex world that I'd prefer not to think so much about? Who cares about possible money laundering and other financial shenanigans being committed if nobody's going to vote for Mannix anyway?
I can understand why Jason Atkinson supporters feel like they're getting the shaft. Sure they may come across as self-righteous, but at least they don't support a candidate who is a three-time loser. Yet.
posted by true_slicky at 5:36 PM
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