Oregon: a microcosm of national GOP politics

In the comments of a post over at Don Diesel's site, Dare!PDX (of NW Republican fame) makes an interesting observation about Oregon's three main Republican gubernatorial candidates:

If you look, we have each of the main ideologies currently tugging at the national Republican party running for governor of Oregon.

Mannix the neo-con (reformed democrat who is legislative happy and though is socially conservative all ideas begin and end with government).

Saxton the Rockefeller Republican (socially liberal leanings with a soft spot for the potential of what good government can do leaves him capable of reforming government but likely to negotiate away potential reform for conservative redux of liberal programs).

Atkinson the Reagan Republican (Grounded in an ideology of personal responsiblity and self determination. Dedicated to transforning a new-deal government into one limited to that of necessity and therefore able to align ourselves for a free-er and therefore much more productive society. His rhetoric is towards removing the shackles of unnecessary taxation, family farm crushing land use laws, and counterproductive legislative games.)

I think that's a very fair, even-handed, and illuminating glimpse into the choices we face on May 16. Which one would you choose?