Three Years and Counting in Portlandia

As the tear gas rises in plumes above ICE headquarters in South Portlandia, a vastly outnumbered cadre of conservatives reflects: it’s going to be a long three years. They’re furious in the streets here. Getting out of town, outside the left-coast’s heavily-populated Blue Corridor is the only escape. Outside that corridor, in the Oregon hinterlands, they vote red, all the way, always do. Here in town, TDS is at pandemic level—with the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti providing fresh enragement.

Because of the aforementioned Interstate 5 corridor—Portland, Salem, Eugene and Ashland—the Beaver State will never approach swing-state status. Both U.S. senators are Democrats, U.S. House representatives include five Democrats and one Republican, Democrat representatives hold a super-majority in the state house, and the governor’s a Democrat. The last Oregon Republican Governor was in office 1979-1987.

Safely buffered in Blue-State governance, hate for the right moves onto the national scene to find targets. It’s a slog, unless something happens to President Trump. At which time tens-of-thousands in the state will either secretly, diplomatically, or openly rejoice. Same as always: they hated Bush 43 and would’ve found a way to hate Romney and/or McCain. But Trump fuels that fire like no other.

Last Saturday, Trump announced that he’s directed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to keep the federal government from intervening in protests or riots in Democrat-led cities unless local officials request help, while ordering a strong federal response to protect federal property. Local enforcement jurisdictions will be effectively on their own against violent unrest as long as federal property isn’t threatened. It’s a safe bet that Oregon’s uncontested Democrats will never ask Trump for help. Theoretically, protests that turn violent in areas where no federal holdings exist will be allowed to run whatever course is allowed by ideologically-aligned state and local politicians, without intervention by Border Enforcement, ICE, or National Guard deployment.

The directive will have the effect of creating flashpoints at federal installations, tear gas rising into the atmosphere, streets blocked, helicopters circling overhead.

It’s another deft move by the President. Staunchly defend federal properties, appealing to a silent majority who either support Trump’s law-and-order efforts or who are on the fence, watching to see what unfolds. Leave the “poorly run Blue Cities” to twist in the wind when shit hits the fan, the way it did during the 2020 George Floyd riots under the watch of Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

There won’t always be federal buildings in play when protests turn violent. When there are, Trump will be there. Everything else will be left to the predilections of those in political control, and the predations of the mob.