It was excellent last night to see so many people turn up for our public endorsement interview, the Mayoral Inquisition—Rontoms was so packed that they opened their giant windows onto Burnside and a couple dozen people stood on the street, peering in to hear the debate. Even KATU was there!

At the end of the night, we posted a text-in straw poll to see where the crowd stood on the candidates. Of the 160 people who texted in their votes, Jefferson Smith was the clear crowd favorite. He took a surprisingly large lead.

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I’m still honestly undecided—there are definite strengths and drawbacks to both candidates. But luckily, I can listen to both politicians pontificate over and over because full video of the Inquisition is online thanks to our awesome livestreaming sponsors Blaze Streaming Media. For anyone who missed the Inquisition or wants to rewatch what happened, here’s the full 80-minute event:

Anyone who was there: What did you think? Highlights? Low-lights? Best ideas from the candidates and worst ideas? Did anyone make up their mind on who to vote for? I think the format worked better than most debates to get the candidates off their buzzwordy talking points and be a bit more specific and nuanced (banning certain key phrases definitely helped), but it still wasn’t perfect (like when I had to shout at the crowd to make the bar a “safe space.” Liberal arts college degree, everyone!).

Thanks again to Rontoms, Blaze Streaming Media, special event helper Alex Zielinski, lifesaving PC-haver Michael Andersen, and our badass panel of Chris O’Connor, Karol Collymore, and Jonathan Maus.

UPDATE! In contrast to our straw poll, check out the results of a KATU-commissioned poll of the race: More people are undecided in the race than are devoutly for Hales or Smith, but 34 percent of voters say they’re going for Hales and 29 percent say they’re for Smith.

Sarah Shay Mirk reported on transportation, sex and gender issues, and politics at the Mercury from 2008-2013. They have gone on to make many things, including countless comics and several books.

9 replies on “Straw Poll From Our Mayoral Inquisition: Jefferson Wins”

  3. When the candidates started pulling written questions from the basket, I saw Smith pick up mine, a foldedm large, white piece of paper and I hollered out loud “YES, THAT ONE!” Smith looked up at me with raised eyebrows. “YES, THAT ONE! I DARE YOU!” Darn, he didn’t read it 🙂 My question read…

    …Mr. Hales, this is a question about your view of the role that active transportation modes play among what you have called “core basic” city services… In March of this year, you responded in writing to KATU TV’s candidate questionnaire. One of your campaign’s written responses reads: Bike lanes are needed so that we can provide efficient and inexpensive transportation choices, but not at the expense of other basic city services that need attention as well. You can count on me to bring that focus back to our city….

    http://www.katu.com/politics/local/portlan…

    I was dying to hear Smith read my question to Hales, who had just a few minutes earlier replied to another question that, no, his repeated use of the term “basic services” was not code for “roads first and bikes second”.

  5. Once we got back to issues now that the summer media “pedestal smashing” of the candidates is over, I think it’s pretty clear that Smith’s positions resonate with most folks better. CRC, tax breaks to developers and skinny-infill without basic infrastructure is not where Portland wants to go.

  6. @Craig: I’m not sure why you’re beating Hales up for the same thing Smith does.

    Both of them have used the phrase “basic services” and I believe both have used it as a way to pander to the bike haters out there.

    That was my question, by the way. I thought they both made a pretty good stab at an answer, and both made a strong verbal commitment to support for bike infrastructure.

    In their typical style, Jefferson’s answer was more meandering while Charlie’s was more specific. The major difference was that the panelist reading the question allowed Jefferson to do his meandering answer thing all day long, then interrupted Charlie multiple times.

    I wish my question was simply read verbatim (it was not) and without editorial comment from a pro-Smith panelist. After all, he had all night to ask whatever he wanted and this segment was supposed to be for the public’s questions.

  7. Most annoying audience ever. That video was basically unwatchable due to everyone in the audience yelling shit out trying to outsmart the candidates.

  8. Beating him up? No. Just asking him to be accountable now for things he said back then when he had to contend with Brady for conservative votes in the primary.

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