AP is reporting that Independent Party candidate John Frohnmayer has dropped out of the Oregon US Senate race, which should improve Jeff Merkley's chances of defeating the much-unloved Prince of Peas, Gordon Smith.
Frohnmayer apparently had trouble raising enough money to run a credible campaign, which speaks well for Oregon's political contributors. And grudging praise to Frohnmayer for not staying in if he couldn't be a credible candidate. Action item below the fold.
This is the guy, Papa Bush's National Endowment for the Arts head, whom Merkley primary opponent Steve Novick said would be a better senator than Merkley. If that was a sincere statement rather than a political calculation, it was delusional. But it did raise the spectre that Frohnmayer would have taken more votes potentially available to Merkley than to Smith. The idea that he would steal votes from Smith was a pipe dream anyway. Oregon Republicans are going to vote for a Republican, and independents would have had no particular reason to settle on Frohnmayer than Merkley or Smith.
So, all in all, a good day for Jeff Merkley, which we might celebrate by visiting Senate Guru's ActBlue Merkley page and giving until it feels good. and then doing it again cos it feels so good.