Got that old feeling

When I was growing up in Newark and Jersey City in the 1960's and 1970's, politics in those places was strictly big-D Democratic, and the grownups called it "The Machine." A handful of bosses ran the cities and counties, and they hand-picked, or at least had veto power over, everybody who held public office or had a government job. The "leaders" were highly organized, and they had an obedient constituency. People voted as they were told. Occasionally some opposition candidate would appear, but for a long time they never won. 

I remember the ward captains, or whatever they were called, going door to door handing out little cards that you were supposed to take into the voting booth with you. They had the names you were expected to pull the levers for. "Palm cards," I think they called them.

The main problem with this setup was the corruption that resulted. Once you had your elective office or patronage gig, you could steal from the public, one way or the other, without consequence, so long as the right people got a piece of the action. It went on for decades. There was a disruption every now and then; mayors and county freeholders would sometimes get carted off to jail after a Republican White House would sic the FBI on them. But The Machine was invincible. It is doubtlessly still in place back there, in some form. Senator Bob Menendez had gold bars in his house in Englewood Cliffs. That was four years ago.

When I moved out west, I figured I was leaving all that behind. The long-time Oregonians encouraged my fantasy. They assured me that nothing like that went on around here. But the older I get, the less convinced I am. Human nature is the same everywhere. The manifestations differ around the edges, but the core is the same.

Here in Portland, there seems to be a machine that controls politics, and it feels a lot like the New Jersey setup of 60 years ago. At the moment, all that's missing is the all-powerful boss. For decades it was Neil Goldschmidt, but he was defrocked and is now deceased. Whoever took over is not bragging about it, as the New Jersey guys would. Maybe it's a committee, Wyden, Blumenauer, construction guys, union bosses, "nonprofits," who knows?

Whoever's calling the shots, they mobilize the masses as well as the Jersey boys did. You don't need palm cards any more; instead, you just look to see which candidate's got all the logo doo-dads from the unions, special interest groups, and "nonprofits" on their campaign flyers. There are so many of these Bat Signals to collect these days that they get too small to read. Hey, you don't have to read them, just fill in the bubble for the bobblehead whose face is right above them.

Julia Brim-Edwards

Shannon Singleton

Serena Cruz

Tina Kotek

The dangers of the one-party state, well-illustrated by the North Jersey version, makes you wish that there were a viable alternative to The Machine. But right now, the alternatives are MAGA, which is out of the question; and the socialistas, whom I can't stomach, either. I'll take the corruption over either of those two extremes. There's really no choice.

As we Boomers die off and the kids take over, the Portland version of The Machine may experience some turbulence. For one thing, the Angelita Morillos are not going to answer to some old guy who smells like cigars – at least not publicly. But in the end, money will talk. Even on TikTok.

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The other myth a newcomer hears about Portland politics is the official line that most of the local elections are "nonpartisan." This may have meant something 50 years ago, but not today. Sure, no party affiliations appear on the official ballots, but there are parties deeply involved in the campaigns, and the candidates eagerly belong to them. 

As I've written about before, four current members of the Portland City Council have apparently signed some sort of loyalty pledge to the Democratic Socialists of America, which is a political party in every sense of the word except that it thumbs its nose at regulation. And look at what the local Democratic Party has been circulating in the lead-up to the current elections. Except for the first four races, these are all supposed to be "nonpartisan."

At least in New Jersey they are smart enough not to elect the judges.

Years ago, the Oregon tourism slogan used to be "Things look different here." I don't know about that any more. Politically, things look rather like Jersey City. Except weirder. A lot weirder.