I have watched this emerging over the last 3-4 years. The Q thing is a relatively new addition to the mix. It started with some Republican power plays to stall legislation and escalated from there. There are some serious kooks elected from remote places who were pulled into the reactionary wing of the Republicans. Somehow the kooks hook…
I have watched this emerging over the last 3-4 years. The Q thing is a relatively new addition to the mix. It started with some Republican power plays to stall legislation and escalated from there. There are some serious kooks elected from remote places who were pulled into the reactionary wing of the Republicans. Somehow the kooks hooked the reactionaries into the Q thing. No one saw that coming.
Since I am familiar with most of these people and know some of them, I am going to hazard a guess that the reactionaries thought they were getting allies for their power plays and put them in the kind of positions that lead to power and influence. I suspect they saw the new people as ignorant country bumpkins they could control. Alas, the bumpkins may believe some idiotic conspiracy theories, but they picked up on tricks pretty quickly.
Basically, I suspect that there are now technically 3 parties in the Oregon legislature, but the session just started, so it's hard to tell. This is going to be one hell of a session. Hard to believe we had people like Mark Hatfield, Victor Atiyah, Tom McCall... the list goes on, including some remarkable women. Now we have this.
On the positive side: a sizable and effective POC caucus, a legilature that is majority women, female governor and sec of state. The boneheads trying to take control: all male with a female they selected as caucus leader and another who goes along to get along. That so few people could disrupt a legislature with so many fine people is astonishing. And all by either manipulating rules, or simply ignoring them. I used to be proud to call Oregon my home state. I still really love the place, but it's hard to be proud of this.
I have watched this emerging over the last 3-4 years. The Q thing is a relatively new addition to the mix. It started with some Republican power plays to stall legislation and escalated from there. There are some serious kooks elected from remote places who were pulled into the reactionary wing of the Republicans. Somehow the kooks hooked the reactionaries into the Q thing. No one saw that coming.
Since I am familiar with most of these people and know some of them, I am going to hazard a guess that the reactionaries thought they were getting allies for their power plays and put them in the kind of positions that lead to power and influence. I suspect they saw the new people as ignorant country bumpkins they could control. Alas, the bumpkins may believe some idiotic conspiracy theories, but they picked up on tricks pretty quickly.
Basically, I suspect that there are now technically 3 parties in the Oregon legislature, but the session just started, so it's hard to tell. This is going to be one hell of a session. Hard to believe we had people like Mark Hatfield, Victor Atiyah, Tom McCall... the list goes on, including some remarkable women. Now we have this.
On the positive side: a sizable and effective POC caucus, a legilature that is majority women, female governor and sec of state. The boneheads trying to take control: all male with a female they selected as caucus leader and another who goes along to get along. That so few people could disrupt a legislature with so many fine people is astonishing. And all by either manipulating rules, or simply ignoring them. I used to be proud to call Oregon my home state. I still really love the place, but it's hard to be proud of this.
Thank you Annie, That's helpful.