fbpx
Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

Oregon and the Past and Future of Conservatism

Many of my personal political preoccupations probably come directly from my childhood in the Pacific Northwest. Live-and-let-live localism, natural resource conservation, the complexities of federalism, personal conservatism alongside populist folk libertarianism—all are highlighted in particularly obvious ways by the pioneer culture and governmental realities of Oregon and Washington. Talk to anyone from either state about […]
Portland,,Oregon,-,August,7,2020,-,Blm,And,Federal

Many of my personal political preoccupations probably come directly from my childhood in the Pacific Northwest. Live-and-let-live localism, natural resource conservation, the complexities of federalism, personal conservatism alongside populist folk libertarianism—all are highlighted in particularly obvious ways by the pioneer culture and governmental realities of Oregon and Washington. Talk to anyone from either state about the Columbia River crossing or federal forests and you’ll quickly realize how many jurisdictions, levels of government, and interests are at play in even seemingly basic infrastructure questions and how that complicates getting anything practical done. I live and work in D.C. now in hope that a settlement can be established nationally that lets the communities I grew up in continue to flourish. I try to keep that in mind, and to stave off the temptation to play the D.C. game for its own sake. No one wins that way.

I recently had the pleasure of joining Ben Bowman and Alex Titus of the “Oregon Bridge Podcast” along with journalist Nate Hochman for a conversation about everything from conservatism after Trump to the Portland antifa riots and the struggles of the Oregon GOP. Take a listen.

Advertisement

Comments

Become a Member today for a growing stake in the conservative movement.
Join here!
Join here