Some smart and experienced political advisers cautioned Kitty Piercy against campaigning as “a mayor for all Eugene” four years ago. The fear was — and remains — that the ends of the political spectrum are unwilling to abide each other. No matter what sort of mayor anyone could become, creating peace between the hard left and the hard right is beyond what any human can accomplish. That might seem an academic concern, except those in the middle value accomplishment and integrity. They favor those who do what they say they’ll do, no matter how small or large that task might be. If Piercy draws challenges from both sides in the next few days, she may see her support for a second term limited to that middle. She can feel confident that the middle is larger than most realize, but surpassing the 50% vote threshold in the May balloting might be tricky.
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Well, I don’t think Mayor Piercy ever planned on “creating peace between the hard left and the hard right.” And, I would propose that everyone, not just “those in the middle” value accomplishment and integrity. That’s what’s so impressive about Piercy’s accomplishments – that she kept her promises, tackled the tough issues, and followed her values all along the way. She didn’t get stuck on ideology (which is tiresome and ineffective) but looked for what was best for Eugene today and for the future. That’s closer to a Mayor for all Eugene than we’ve ever had. Undermining her successful term is like inviting a fire-breathing dragon to dinner. Sounds so clever on paper but you can pretty much count on having your house burned down.