[h1]Chris Dudley: In race for Oregon governor, the best metaphor wins[/h1][h4]By
Susan Nielsen, The Oregonian[/h4][h5]April 18, 2010, 12:08AM[/h5]
View full sizeFiligree AdvisorsChris DudleyRepublican Chris Dudley is the least experienced candidate for Oregon governor, but he's got the winning narrative.
Thishelps explain why the former Trail Blazer is raking in money andendorsements for the May primary despite his limitedrésumé --and why Democrats are nervous about hiscandidacy.
Dudley, a retired NBA player and Lake Oswegoresident, has never held public office. He's far less steeped inpolitics and policy than his three chief rivals, Republican Allen Alleyand Democrats John Kitzhaber and Bill Bradbury. Yet he possesses an Xfactor that goes beyond his Yale education or prom-king appeal:
His story -- all about coaching and winning -- best matches what Oregon wants to hear.
Candidatesfor major office run on metaphors, not just on platforms. They describethemselves and the job they seek in ways that are both self-serving andrevealing. They tell stories that speak to voters' unmet needs.Dudley's story fits the moment better than his rivals'.
Forexample, Dudley says the next governor must act "a little like a coach"to persuade Oregon businesses to rally despite their frustration overthe state's new taxes and uncertain economic outlook. ("You don't justleave," he says. "You stay and fight.") He also repeats the same storyabout his best former coach and the same quip about NBA locker rooms toexplain how he could handle big egos in Salem.
Dudley sayshe's dissatisfied with Oregon being "43rd in everything" and would likeus to improve our standing. He's dismayed that Oregon didn't play towin in a recent race for federal education funds. Without using theexact words, he characterizes Oregon as a talented team with a losingrecord. The state's mediocrity makes no sense, given its potential.
Thischaracterization of governor as head coach is predictable but weirdlyeffective for reasons that have more to do with Oregon's weaknessesthan Dudley's strengths:
Oregon needs to break its losing streak. Dudley talks a winners' game.
Bycontrast, Republican Allen Alley plays up his high-tech businessexperience and leans heavily on the CEO analogy. He's a strongcandidate. Unluckily for him, the public's mistrust of CEOs is at ahigh-water mark.
On the Democratic side, former Gov. JohnKitzhaber seeks a third term. His medical degree, health care expertiseand cool analytic approach to Oregon's problems make the doctorcomparison inevitable. The question about Kitzhaber is whether he's asgood at healing the patient as at diagnosing the illness.
Asfor Democrat Bill Bradbury, he campaigns more like a cheerleader thanan executive. (People need a positive message, he explains. You can'tcampaign on budget cuts.) His pledge to find an extra $2 billion forschools, while defiantly cheery, is too disconnected from reality topersuade.
That leaves Dudley, a political newcomer with a philanthropic heart and a winning story.
It almost makes you forget how untested in civic life the guy really is.
Kitzhaberand Dudley are favored to win their primaries next month. Kitzhaber hasthe edge in the general, as the knowledgeable political veteran in ablue state. If Dudley sticks to his sound bites, he will sound awfullyshallow next to Kitzhaber.
But in politics, it's dangerousto underestimate the power of a narrative. It's also foolish to thinkvoters will value experience when they're frustrated with the statusquo.
This year, Oregon voters want their state to comefrom behind and win. If Dudley taps into that feeling, his successshould come as no surprise.
-- Associate Editor Susan Nielsen, The Oregonian. How would you rate this year's field of candidates? Comment below. 
