Politics
Why Wyden?

Why Wyden?

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has contributed enormously to the advancement of nearly every modern liberal cause, from socialized medicine to same-sex “marriage.” ...
Charles Scaliger

When he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1995, Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden pledged to his constituents that he would hold a town hall meeting in every county of Oregon, every year that he served as senator. Visiting with his constituents in all 36 of Oregon’s counties every single year is a steep commitment. Yet Wyden has been as good as his word, and as of the first of June had attended 773 town hall meetings in every part of Oregon, from the deserts of the east to the rugged Pacific coast.

Oregon is not only diverse in landscapes; its politics have long pitted the liberal Democrat interests of Portland and Eugene against the conservative ranchers and farmers who populate much of the rest of the state. Whatever outsiders may think, Wyden has obviously found a recipe for winning statewide elections. He has served in the Senate for 21 years, and as of this writing his seat appears safe for this fall. Yet his constituents — both liberal and conservative — should ask themselves, “Why Wyden?” And their answer should be based on a good understanding of how he actually votes in Washington, not just his rhetoric.

Unlike many of his higher-profile Senate colleagues, Wyden is not generally a household name outside of Oregon and the Beltway. But the man characterized by the political information website On the Issues as a “hard core liberal,” and who, for the current Congress, has earned a measly seven percent rating on The New American’s Freedom Index, has contributed enormously to the advancement of nearly every modern liberal cause, from socialized medicine to same-sex “marriage.” While Wyden characterizes himself as “an independent voice for Oregonians and the nation,” only seldom in his long political career has he deviated significantly from liberal Democratic orthodoxy.

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