Why Not?

Keizer Times Jason Cox July 3, 2008

Sean Bates, along with a small troupe of friends, family and well-wishers, were at McNary High School last week in Bates' first town hall forum as an independent Congressional candidate.

It's a long way from the walls of McNary High School to the halls of Congress.

But that's the road Sean Bates aims to take.

Technically, he's in the best financial straits, when compared to Democrat Kurt Schrader and Republican Mike Erickson, both seeking the 5th Congressional seat to be vacated by Rep. Darlene Hooley.

They've got thousands of dollars in debt. Bates claims absolutely no debt. The problem is he's also raised absolutely nothing.

And without the advantage that access to big money provides, Bates – as the presumptive nominee for the Independent Party of Oregon – would seemingly have to overcome astronomical odds to be competitive, let alone win.

But that isn't deterring the 25-year-old McNary alumnus who now resides in Salem.

"I do believe I have a realistic shot," Bates said. "As long as people know they have another choice, I honestly believe that they will take it."

His disillusion with the two-party system stems from simply being "sick and tired of being sick and tired.

"Nothing gets done," he said. "Everything is at a standstill simply because no one can get along because, you're either a Democrat, or you're a Republican."

His town hall at McNary High School Thursday was his first political event – with no inoffensive music typical for many candidates, no flag lapel pin, and a rather unpolished manner. But he certainly had something to say.

Speaking to a small crowd of mostly family and friends at his alma mater, he said his mainstream opponents "are representative of what's wrong in Washington.

"They belong to the two parties that have led us down a path toward corporate ownership of our rights, and special interests controlling the direction of our nation."

Bates identifies himself largely as a centrist – an example would be striving to reduce the number of abortions through making contraception more widely available, while not using the power of government to actually restrict abortion rights.

"As far as I'm concerned, the government has three places it should never be: Your bedroom, your doctor's office and your gun locker," Bates said. "The Second Amendment is to keep the government in check. … That if it decides to get too big for its britches, Americans can do what we did in 1776."

He favors decriminalization of marijuana laws because "you're not going to stop people (from using it) and classifying the cannabis plant differently at the federal level. Currently listed as a Schedule I narcotic, it is essentially off-limits for any type of government-funded research.

"We need to move it so we can actually do reasonable research with it," Bates said, adding Oregon's medical marijuana law has created a "black-market" culture.

He characterized himself as a conservative when it comes to fiscal and foreign policy, and more on the liberal side on social issues. In summation, he feels these views leave him without a home in either major party.

"We need a party that is as centrist as possible, and the Independent Party of Oregon is typically fairly centrist," Bates said.

He described the Independent Party as a big tent of sorts, designed not around an ideological platform. Instead, he views the Independent Party of Oregon as a vehicle for ballot access. The party's Web site indicates slightly less than 20,000 members.

Without the small party's backing, Bates would have been forced to find 10,000 people to sign a qualifying petition just to get on the ballot.

Being neither a Democrat nor a Republican, he's also had a hard time finding a campaign treasurer.

"I call an accountant or a lawyer and ask them to be my treasurer, and I get shut because I'm not a Republican or a Democrat," Bates said.

He wants to run what he called a "ninja" campaign – taking advantage of any news coverage he can get as well as using the Internet to get his message out – but he knows money is an essential component of attaining elected office.

"The plan is to do town hall meetings to try to get my point across because I can't afford TV," Bates said. "I can't afford to not do anything. … I have to actually do something, and I have to be able to do it as cheaply as possible."

And that, for Bates, is one of the most frustrating parts of launching essentially an insurgent candidacy.

"I'm kind of worried no one is going to pay attention to me. People see a Republican or Democrat and think that's the way it's always been," Bates said. "When it comes to a third party or independent candidate, they think, ‘Well, they're not perfect.' Nobody's perfect. The Democrats and Republicans are so entrenched they can basically wave their magic wand and get people to pay attention to them."

Bates' young life has already taken him full circle in many ways. He was born in Salem to an Air Force family when his mother flew home from Germany to give birth to Sean in the United States. He lived in Germany, Mississippi, Alaska, Kansas and Nebraska before settling in Salem for good around middle school.

Coming from a military background and being what he called "pro-military," he joined up with the U.S. Army. However, a club foot and a subsequent ankle injury led to his discharge while he was still in basic training.

And Thursday, the would-be congressman who makes a living repairing arcade games at a Salem pizza parlor was back at his old stomping grounds at McNary High School, making the case that he – not the established candidates we've come to know – is the best choice to send to Washington, D.C.

He meets all the constitutional qualifications – he is at least 25 years old and a U.S. citizen.

"The rest of it is convincing everyone else that you're intelligent enough and honest enough to do the job," Bates said.