Remember “Service”?

When I was a kid I remember you couldn’t pull into a gas station without having the attendant wash your vehicles windows. That was just the way it was done. It was part of the service at a service station. On a recent trip to Lakeview, Oregon, this man in the picture above, said those same words. I said I wanted to take a picture of him washing my car window and he said to me “that’s just part of what we do”. I’m not trying to knock service stations because most don’t do that anymore, not at all. But this got me to thinking. Do we even understand what the term “Service” means anymore? I wonder.

Take for instance “Public Service”, that should mean to serve the public right? But instead today that service is not about the public but instead about serving special interests, different groups, parties or platforms that really don’t mean all that much to the “PUBLIC”.

Wouldn’t it be nice to pull up the gas station again and have someone wash your window? Wouldn’t it be equally as refreshing to put someone in office who cared more about what you think than what the “Groups” think?

I’ve got a crazy idea. Maybe it’s time for the public to redefine what it sees as “Public Service”.

Ten Days to Go.

In 10 days my life will change. In 10 days the campaign trail will come to an end. For eight months I’ve lived my life on this trail that was so foreign to me and yet now so familiar. The guy I was, is no more. Like the process of making gold, the heat was turned up, the dross makes its way to the top, and what is left behind is pure treasure. But getting to this point was not easy. Now, as I prepare for the answer I’ve worked and waited so long to hear, I understand there’s not much more I can do. Oh, this week will be busy, phone calls for dollars, phone calls to voters and all those requests for interviews, will not go away and that’s okay. But at this point it’s up to the voters of Oregon to decide the future.

There’s something very peaceful about that. I’ve made my choice, I ran. I’ve made my pitch, to give government back to the people. Now, it’s up to Oregonians to make up their mind.

10 Days to Go.

So you think you’ve got me figured out? Go figure.

When I look at this picture I have to laugh. Here I am, a guy from Hillsboro, Oregon, whose dad worked for the Oregon Education Association, and I’m running for Secretary of State on the Republican Ticket. Life is filled with irony. When I talk of being nonpartisan, people get this funny look on their faces like, you can’t do that. But the truth is you really can and I will. People draw so many wrong conclusions because of the labels we try to attach to one another. I’ve never been labeled more than I have in this race for office. I’m shocked at what people think, or try to sell to others, about me, when they’ve never talked with me. I have newspapers who endorse my opponent without ever talking with me. How can you not endorse someone if you’ve never talked with them? Something has to change. I’m not calling for a revolution, just a return to some sort of “Sense”. A reporter who I respect a lot said to me today, Rick, you get very personal on your blog. I said, yeh, I do. I guess for me, people need to see me for who I am. If they want to draw false conclusions based on paranoia or their desire to try and destroy me, go ahead.

What I Like About Campaigning.

This is a shot of downtown Lakeview. A small Oregon town that feels forgotten. Times are tough here but the people just dig in, help each other out, and assume there is no government rescue about to come over the horizon. I visited a town hall at the middle school the other night. I got to talk about my campaign. But the bigger concern in Lakeview was a hospital bond measure that voters will be voting on. Close to fifty people showed up to listen, learn and try to figure out what to do.

Health care is a big deal to all of us. But listening to those in rural Oregon talk about the need to have doctors, a surgeon that is more than part time and a place to put an emergency room that’s not an old closet, really put things in perspective.

Tommie Dodd, a longtime radio newsman, let me talk on his radio show. We had such a great conversation we missed a couple of commercial breaks. You can do that when you’re in Lakeview, time is different there. Deadlines a bit more relaxed. Our conversation started with the campaign but quickly turned to people, ideas and the idea that Oregon’s east side needs more representation in Salem. If you feel voiceless you should live over here.

I meet with a lot of people in Eastern Oregon this trip. Life really is different over here. But there’s something about all Oregonians that doesn’t change no matter which side of the mountain you find yourself on. We are rugged individualists. We do care about what happens in Salem, even though many of us get tired of the partisan politics. We want someone who will go to Salem and simply do the job for people, not simply do what’s best for our party.

So far I’ve visited with 24 of Oregon’s 36 elections clerks. If you want to know what will or will not work, Oregon has 36-plus experts on elections. They are such a huge help to me as we research what will and will not work for Oregon’s Elections System. I was in the office in Burns when some of the ballots started coming in. Yes, voters here get those ballots in early. As I meet people, and told them my name, they would say, “Hey Rick, I just voted for you”. It’s an odd feeling for a guy who used to sit on the other side of the process.

So, here we go. There’s not much time left until election day. I’ll continue to travel the state these next few weeks talking with voters. The good thing is the decision is not mine it’s yours. You get to decide who the next Secretary of State will be. Please, don’t forget to vote.

Rick’s Road Trip

Normally when I travel the state I go with someone but tomorrow I’m heading out on my own. I was with my wife Kathy the other day, and I just had this idea that on this long trip I needed to go on my own. Yes, my staff has plenty to do, but this is more than that. I need to be in the car, driving through the countryside of Oregon, all alone. In 19 days my life will change. I will no longer be on the campaign trail. I will either be the next Oregon Secretary of State, or I will be ready to start all over. After eight months of campaigning, yes I want to win. But it’s really up to the voters of Oregon to make that decision. My opponent and I are very different so Oregonians will have a clear choice.

So, early tomorrow morning, I will pack the car (Yes I have signs) and head out by myself. I won’t tell you tonight where I’m headed. But I’ll keep you posted as I go. This has been the most amazing journey and our polls show we are doing very well. Oregonians don’t care what party you belong to. They just want someone who will do the job. I’m that guy and tomorrow I will take that message on the road again. So far I’ve put 26,000 miles on my car…..and counting.

In politics you meet some of the most interesting people.

She’s taller than I thought she’d be.