Tuesday contrarian takes

Contrarian Take #1: If Gordon Smith has no better issues to tackle in a campaign ad than Jeff Merkley's office furniture, he deserves to lose. That is a lame ad, and a lame issue.

Contrarian Take #2: I have no dog in this fight, knowing nothing about the candidates. That said, those people who are making an issue out of Gresham Police Chief Carla Piluso wearing her police uniform in an ad for the Multnomah County Commission race need to get a hobby -- needlepoint, bocce ball, something. Because this complaint is a sure indication of people with too much time on their hands. She's the chief of police, for goodness sake! Get a life, people.