Today I listened to both David Wu and Goli Ameri in person. It’s no surprise that Goli Ameri runs a negative campaign in person also.

Some other things I noticed:

David Wu never refered to Goli Ameri, either by name or indirectly, until just before he left. He did hand out a paper showing the differences in their positions, but he didn’t refer to it. He talked about what he has done in Congress, what he plans to do during the next term, and what his ideas are for issues of interest to Oregonians like high unemployment and trade.

Goli Ameri didn’t discuss her plans. She mostly discussed how David Wu is “wrong.” When asked how she would address our leaky borders, she replied that it’s a tough issue and a Congressional study needed to be funded. She picked up the sheet that Wu had left behind showing the differences in their positions and insisted that “he has it all wrong.” And, yet, when she went down the list to “explain” her position, he pretty much had it correctly.

For example, Wu said that Ameri is “for privatization of Social Security.” “No I’m not,” she said, “Because that would be ridiculous.” But she is for letting some Social Security contributions be voluntarily added into a fund to be invested in the stock market by the Social Security Administration. (Oooo… that’s who I want investing my money! U betcha!)

Another example: She insists that she would never vote to “deprive a woman of her right to choose.” But she promises to vote to make it damn hard. (i.e. 24 hour waiting periods, parental notification, voting to outlaw some medical procedures) From where I’m sitting, there’s not a lot of difference there.

My vote had already gone to David Wu. But had I not voted yet, this would not have changed my mind.