The Portland World Affairs Council brought corporado Howard Dean and desperado Karl Rove to the Arlene Schnitzer Theater for what the Council billed as a "debate". The use of the term is itself debatable. There was of course, a topic, and the topic was America's role on the world stage. About all you can say there is, Yes we have one. A world stage and a role. Here's what happened: Protesters milled around beneath the blazing marquee on Broadway. Police and private security drones mingled with the crowd. Tight-lipped, steely-eyed audience members silently indicated in which camp their fires were located. In fact, allegiances could not have been made more explicit had the crowd worn team uniforms - In a sense they were wearing team uniforms.
What went on over the next hour or so was a glorified Q & A session. Council members' questions had Priority One. Excitable activist attendees, Priority Not At All. The rhetoric oscilated politely between these poles for the duration, never landing anything like a serious punch.
- KBOO