Our battles are many and the enemy well intrenched.
Information and freedom of speech are vital to maintaining our God given rights. Legacy media has failed the people, whether by intent or accident I don't know. Fortunately a new media has sprung from the roots of freedom and capitalism, all it takes is a person to step up and take the arrows and provide the facts, and Mr. eager you have done that, thank you.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah everyone. May 2026 (or 5786/7) be a more peaceful and prosperous year for all. Our work is cut out for us.
Merry Christmas to you and your family Jeff. We all appreciate all the hard work you put into bring us the important news in Oregon politics! Keep up the good work and we will keep reading!!
This so perfectly and completely captured what everyone I know is feeling. Thank you for articulating it so well. My biggest fear is that the chaos we are witnessing is not the product of incompetence. That it may be, in fact, a massive success. As terrifying as that is, it's hard to reach any other conclusion.
The current power brokers are determined to protect the most dangerous while doing all they can to crush the people who actually benefit the state.
Can this go on? I look at Chicago and California and draw no comfort from the fact that no matter how bad things get there, they always get worse. But it's Christmas Eve and if there is any hope for Oregon tomorrow we will celebrate the birth of the one who can save us.
Lately I’ve been thinking about a concept from Carl Jung called enantiodromia — the idea that when anything pushes itself to an extreme, it eventually flips into its opposite. Pressure builds, imbalance grows, and the system snaps back in the other direction.
Looking around Oregon today, it’s hard not to see that pattern playing out. One party has held nearly all the levers of power for so long — in the Legislature, the Governor’s office, and in most major cities — that the political culture has drifted further and further toward one extreme. And according to the principle of enantiodromia, that kind of dominance doesn’t stay stable forever. When a system becomes too lopsided, people eventually reach a breaking point and start moving the other way.
I’m not predicting outcomes. I’m just pointing out a very old psychological truth: when imbalance becomes extreme, the pendulum doesn’t politely slow down — it swings. And Oregon feels like a place where that swing may already be starting.
With regard to Seattle and Washington state, I’m not holding my breath
Merry Christmas to you, Jeff, and to my adopted state of Oregon. May our choices in the next election offer up a chance for better leadership and some semblance of accountability, fiscal sanity and a focus on improving life for all who call themselves Oregonians.
If you were the Doug that left Ashland City Council. Based on this post and you reading Jeff column I am sorry to see you have left Ashland. Completely dysfunctional city council.
I just finished reading Willamette Week publisher Anna Zusman’s self-congratulatory “Letter From Our Publisher.” Your essay is truly a message of hope. Willamette Week named The Frog “Portlander of the Year.” That’s how desperate they are to keep Portland “weird.”
Something much more significant appeared in the Dec. 15 issue of The New Yorker. An essay by David Sedaris that takes on Portland and other places with its similar “values.” Sedaris nails it when he tries to explain why Portland, et al make so many allowances for drug addicts and their disgusting behavior: “We’re afraid we’ll be mistaken for Republicans, when, really, isn’t this something we should all be able to agree on?”
In her letter from the Publisher, Zusman dutifully refers to President Trump as “the Orange Man.” Gotta reassure the progressives.
I suspect even Zusman prefers the better Oregon you envision. She just doesn’t know how to get there without offending the progressives.
Oregonians (in the aggregate) are well intentioned toddlers that prioritize short emotional gratification over long term consequences. I have lived most of my life in Oregon, even if I wasn’t born here, and I used to find it endearing. Unfortunately, it makes them easy marks for equally naive but ideologically rigid people that can’t distinguish their wishes form reality.
I've given up on our politicians saving us. There's too many Epsteins at the top. I've turned to people and orgs who have proven to save lives and move the world fwd with little admin costs. WE are the power. To that end, I've been chasing hope outside of the political arena.
I just finished a 5-year project curating all the good news in the world (and Far Side cartoons). It's all tech, medical and energy breakthroughs that I believe will save us. In dark times, I hope it shines a light.
Our battles are many and the enemy well intrenched.
Information and freedom of speech are vital to maintaining our God given rights. Legacy media has failed the people, whether by intent or accident I don't know. Fortunately a new media has sprung from the roots of freedom and capitalism, all it takes is a person to step up and take the arrows and provide the facts, and Mr. eager you have done that, thank you.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah everyone. May 2026 (or 5786/7) be a more peaceful and prosperous year for all. Our work is cut out for us.
Merry Christmas to you and your family Jeff. We all appreciate all the hard work you put into bring us the important news in Oregon politics! Keep up the good work and we will keep reading!!
This so perfectly and completely captured what everyone I know is feeling. Thank you for articulating it so well. My biggest fear is that the chaos we are witnessing is not the product of incompetence. That it may be, in fact, a massive success. As terrifying as that is, it's hard to reach any other conclusion.
The current power brokers are determined to protect the most dangerous while doing all they can to crush the people who actually benefit the state.
Can this go on? I look at Chicago and California and draw no comfort from the fact that no matter how bad things get there, they always get worse. But it's Christmas Eve and if there is any hope for Oregon tomorrow we will celebrate the birth of the one who can save us.
Merry Christmas Oregon Roundup.
Merry Christmas, Jeff and all my fellow Oregonians! May the New Year be uplifting.
Excellent observational column once again.
Lately I’ve been thinking about a concept from Carl Jung called enantiodromia — the idea that when anything pushes itself to an extreme, it eventually flips into its opposite. Pressure builds, imbalance grows, and the system snaps back in the other direction.
Looking around Oregon today, it’s hard not to see that pattern playing out. One party has held nearly all the levers of power for so long — in the Legislature, the Governor’s office, and in most major cities — that the political culture has drifted further and further toward one extreme. And according to the principle of enantiodromia, that kind of dominance doesn’t stay stable forever. When a system becomes too lopsided, people eventually reach a breaking point and start moving the other way.
I’m not predicting outcomes. I’m just pointing out a very old psychological truth: when imbalance becomes extreme, the pendulum doesn’t politely slow down — it swings. And Oregon feels like a place where that swing may already be starting.
With regard to Seattle and Washington state, I’m not holding my breath
You make a great point and I agree! I think that is what happened at the federal level and hoping it soon happens here in Oregon soon!
Merry Christmas Jeff and to all of us who seek a better Oregon where our faith in Jesus Christ will overcome the dark side, finally.
Merry Christmas to you, Jeff, and to my adopted state of Oregon. May our choices in the next election offer up a chance for better leadership and some semblance of accountability, fiscal sanity and a focus on improving life for all who call themselves Oregonians.
If you were the Doug that left Ashland City Council. Based on this post and you reading Jeff column I am sorry to see you have left Ashland. Completely dysfunctional city council.
One and the same. Decamped to Portland for family reasons, but I do miss Ashland.
Merry Christmas, all!
I just finished reading Willamette Week publisher Anna Zusman’s self-congratulatory “Letter From Our Publisher.” Your essay is truly a message of hope. Willamette Week named The Frog “Portlander of the Year.” That’s how desperate they are to keep Portland “weird.”
Something much more significant appeared in the Dec. 15 issue of The New Yorker. An essay by David Sedaris that takes on Portland and other places with its similar “values.” Sedaris nails it when he tries to explain why Portland, et al make so many allowances for drug addicts and their disgusting behavior: “We’re afraid we’ll be mistaken for Republicans, when, really, isn’t this something we should all be able to agree on?”
In her letter from the Publisher, Zusman dutifully refers to President Trump as “the Orange Man.” Gotta reassure the progressives.
I suspect even Zusman prefers the better Oregon you envision. She just doesn’t know how to get there without offending the progressives.
Best to you in 2026.
HOPE! it keeps us going.
Thanks for everything you try to do, Jeff. One of the precious few bright spots in the state.
Someday even if not in my lifetime it will happen.
Oregonians (in the aggregate) are well intentioned toddlers that prioritize short emotional gratification over long term consequences. I have lived most of my life in Oregon, even if I wasn’t born here, and I used to find it endearing. Unfortunately, it makes them easy marks for equally naive but ideologically rigid people that can’t distinguish their wishes form reality.
Thank you so much and bless you for the good work you do ❤️🙏🏻. Tim
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God bless.
Merry Christmas 🎄! I appreciate this stack-it makes me feel less alone, and that in itself gives me hope. Thank you.
I've given up on our politicians saving us. There's too many Epsteins at the top. I've turned to people and orgs who have proven to save lives and move the world fwd with little admin costs. WE are the power. To that end, I've been chasing hope outside of the political arena.
I just finished a 5-year project curating all the good news in the world (and Far Side cartoons). It's all tech, medical and energy breakthroughs that I believe will save us. In dark times, I hope it shines a light.
https://darby687.substack.com/p/headlines-of-hope