Bernie Sanders Loses Oregon

from Willamette Week, May 17, 2016

Nope. Sorry, Bernie. 53% (or whatever it winds up being) isn't good enough as a victory. You lost. Consolation prize is that Hillary lost too.

My Uber driver this afternoon---a young man named Abdel who is in his last term (via remote instruction) at the University of Oregon---was trying to convince me that Bernie was going to get 85% of the vote tonight.

I was skeptical. He backed off a little. "Maybe 80%," he said.

Abdel is getting degree in Public Relation.  As a student at U of O, he ran the University of Oregon's football team social media site on a famous social media platform.  He wants to go into PR for a sports franchise, which basically means social media management.

As we drove by the Moda Center I mentioned the Blazers. We talked a little about their awesome season that just ended,. He mentioned how his dream job would be to work in social media for them. He already had contacts there. I waxed a little about how amazing it is, the history of the neighborhood around where the Moda Center is located.

"Williams Avenue," I said. "All the jazz clubs that were there. So much history, but I don't feel that the Blazers are connected to it at all."

"Some day they will find a way to do it," I said.

He was more interested when I mentioned that the Blazers might sneak in a championship during the Golden State era of dominance.

"Sneak one in," he said, repeating my words with a sense of glee.

I mentioned the Birdie Sanders incident too. Abdel was excited to talk about the election. We switched gears and spent the rest of the long ride talking about presidential politics.

Traffic was heavy and all screwed up (it was the first time I had to use surge pricing).  To get to Hawthorne, we had to detour past it on MLK to Division, and then pick our way on side streets all the way up from the river through Ladd's Addition then on side streets to 39th Street..

I asked him lots of questions about the election. He could not imagine Trump winning. "He lost the minority vote," he said. "He lost the Moslem vote completely."

Despite his prediction for primary tonight, he didn't think Bernie had a chance to get the nomination. "Hillary is going to win," he said. "She's hardly better than Trump. But she's better than him at least."
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He mumbled something about her experience as Secretary of State being good. His voice trailed off while saying it, as he was looking down side streets as picked our way down Salmon north of Hawthorne, having to zig and zag on little dog legs on the tight streets to get to 45th Street.

Hawthorne there was blocked off with construction, so the mapping application had him keep weaing on side streets to get there. He dropped me off a half block away from the construction zone. I gave him a big cash tip, for all his effort. Before I closed the door, I asked him if he thought Bernie should run third party. He said no, because that would throw the election to Trump.

At last I had met a Hillary voter in Portland!

 Red had waited eight years to eat at this famous pizzeria. We found it to be decent pizza but its designation as the one of the best pies in the country was a bit elusive for us. I enjoyed the Marionberry Cider. She had the apricot version. Enjoy this review from comedian Bill Burr (warning profanity).