True Bravery Is Leaving A Life You Love To Help Others
Nick Kristof doesn't need to run for Governor of Oregon...and yet he is
I’m not going to begin by pretending that Oregon is anything close to the honorific the late Herb Caen reserved for his beloved San Francisco- “Baghdad By The Bay.” No one here is (yet) screaming impotently about Critical Race Theory…or so many of the other issues that divide much of the rest of the country. In fact, in many respects, Oregon is the picture of peace, prosperity, and good government.
That’s not to say that the Beaver State doesn’t have its issues, of course. COVID-19 has scraped raw many of the same open sores that plague the other 49 states. Being a state governor these days falls somewhere between harboring a death wish and being a Cincinnati Bengals fan. You know good things are bound to happen- at some point- but you don’t know if you’re going to be able (or even want) to live until you reach 136 to see it happen.
I’ve lived in Oregon off and on (mostly on) for almost 40 years. I moved to Portland just prior to graduating from college in Minnesota (Bob Dylan attended my graduation ceremony; I didn’t). I’ve left and returned on four separate occasions, and after the fourth time (spending 3722 days in Houston), it dawned on me that Oregon is where I’m meant to be.
I met an amazing woman, bought an incredible house, and settled into a life that genuinely feels like something close to happiness. I feel as if I can say that because I know what it feels like to have spent so long on the other side of the equation.
So Oregon is home, I’ve accepted that, and though I sometimes think and talk about moving somewhere else, I have a feeling that when I finally get dragged out feet-first, it will be somewhere in the Beaver State.
As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in a resort looking out at the Pacific Ocean. I can hear the surf crashing as I watch the waves roll in. It’s about as close to bliss as I can imagine being. And yet, I know that, as incredibly fortunate as I am, there are far too many here in Oregon who are just barely hanging on. Or worse.
Nick Kristof and I have a few things in common. We grew up in small towns, we’re writers, about the same age, and we love Oregon. Kristof’s writing career has been far more remunerative than mine, but that’s not what this is about (and yes, this is the only time I will compare myself to him). He’s decided to take his life experiences and direct them into an effort to help Oregon lift those who need a hand up. He’s decided to do that by running for Governor.
I’m not going to pontificate about how Kristof is a fresh voice for a state badly in need of new ideas and perspectives. I’ve always hated the idea that experience is a bad thing only when it comes to politics. I mean, look at Donald Trump. He had no experience in government, and, well, who knew America was electing an actual fascist?
Yes, experience matters, but it’s not the be-all and end-all determining whether a person can be a successful politician. Leadership is a tricky thing. You can learn a few things here or there. You can tinker around the margins. But the truth is that you’re either born with the ability to lead, or you’re not. Good leaders don’t DO; they inspire, delegate, and supervGovernor’sconvince people to access their better angels and be their best selves.
Can that be Nick Kristof in the Governor’s mansion? He might have the right mindset for it, and I don’t believe there will be anyone in the race who’s more passionate about his home state.
No, you don’t have to be a screaming, charismatic populist like…well, you cGovernore names every bit as well as I can, right?
I can’t even lay out WHAT Kristof stands for yet, because he’s yet to do that. If you read his introductory Substack newsletter, he does an excellent job of explaining WHY he’s running for GovernGovernorn that Election Day is 363 days away, WHY is a pretty good place to start.
It’s not that Oregon lacks for politicians with some decent bona fides when it comes to government. Several have already declared their intention to run for Governor, so there’s no guarantee that Kristof would even survive a Democratic primary. What he has going for him that, at least in my estimation,Governorove to be a massive advantage for him is that he’s a communicator.
In my personal primary, Kristof is at the top of the list, more for his ability to communicate his vision than anything. I think that will be key if he does become Governor. He’ll be able to develop a sound, coherent vision, and then communicate it to a state that, outside of the Willamette Valley, might as well be west Idaho. Beyond that, he’s smart enough to hire good, capable bureaucrats/worker bees who will ensure the wheels of state government are appropriately lubricated and will keep turning.
The next few months will be interesting. Kristof will be a political outsider amongst a roster of insiders, all of whom have track records with successes, failures, and warts. Will Kristof be able to overcome career politicians intimately familiar with the inner workings of Oregon state government? We’re going to have an opportunity to watch that process play out.
I’m going to find it difficult not to cheer for a fellow writer and small-town kid. It’s a perspective I can relate to and one that I still live in many respects. I’ll be eagerly anticipating hearing Kristof fill in the blanks. What will his policy and budget priorities be? How will his experiences inform how he goes about fulfilling the duties of his office? How will he include Trump supporters and those with a reflexive red-state mindset? Can he make Oregon state government a compassionate vehicle?
There are still many more questions than answers, and I’m going to be fascinated to learn how he answers those questions. That said, what Kristof is doing isn’t unprecedented in Oregon, where journalists have on occasion morphed into politicians. It’s been done before, usually with some degree of success- after all, good journalists are excellent communicators.
I’m excited to see how this process plays out. It should be fun.