Mapes And Sarasohn On Novick v. Merkley

Oregonian political reporter Jeff Mapes and associate editor David Sarasohn weighed in today on Friday's Portland City Club debate between U.S. Senate candidates Steve Novick and Jeff Merkley.

Mapes called it for Merkley:

My sense is that Merkley probably got the most out of the debate. For the most part, the House speaker stuck to one theme: that he's been successful in getting legislators to work together while Novick is a loose cannon given to slashing attacks against Democrats with whom he disagrees.

Sarasohn gives the edge to Novick:

Just like it was supposed to, Friday's debate between two Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate focused on a vital issue of public policy: Is Irish rock singer Bono the most hypocritical human on the face of the Earth?

We'll have to wait for the returns from Roseburg on that one.

... If the best chance to unseat Smith belongs to the candidate most capable of biting large chunks out of him, the edge probably went to Novick. But whoever wins the May 20 primary will start the next day essentially broke, while Smith will face the morning with at least $8 million.

Oh, yeah, there's that bitter dose of reality as well. Ouch! Obviously it's gonna take somebody a little different to bite into Smith.