Many pundits believe that Oregon will be a "battleground" state in this election, and as such should be carefully watched by both people inside and outside of the state. I might disagree with them on the first point, but I certainly do agree with them on the second. With this in mind, here's a roundup of the way Oregonians (or at least the Oregon media) are reacting to the Democratic National Convention and John Kerry's acceptance speech.

The Oregonian, the state's largest newspaper, runs the AP story and the Dan Balz analysis on its front page this morning, though not at the top. It does not come as a surprise to this blogger that The Oregonian neglected to cover the story on its own as their out of state coverage over the years has waned to virtual non-existence.

The article that runs above the convention coverage today is perhaps more meaningful than any campaign story, as the paper leads with "Roadside explosion kills 20-year-old Oregonian." While the national media may continue to shun coverage of the many deaths Americans are still suffering in Iraq since the "handover" of power (we're still above two a day), you can be certain that local papers like The Oregonian--where many people get their news--are still letting their communities know each time they loose a young man or woman to the fighting.

The Salem Statesman Journal, which is increasingly becoming the paper of record in the state, at least in terms political coverage, runs three stories related to the DNC this morning. The first article, "Locals throw support to Democratic hopeful," details the reaction of Kerry supporters in Salem and their reaction to the nominee's speech. An entirely positive piece, it is worth reading if you are interested in politics in a so-called "swing state." The paper also runs an AP piece on Jim Rassmann, the man Kerry risked his life to save in Vietnam. The article is particularly germane to the state because Rassmann is a longtime resident of Oregon.

The last article the paper gives space to counterspin by Oregon's Junior Senator, Republican Gordon Smith. "'I am an example that a Republican can win statewide office in Oregon,' Gordon Smith said in a conference call with reporters covering the Democratic National Convention. 'I like President Bush’s chances in Oregon.'" The most interesting and actually newsworthy part of the article: "the Kerry campaign said it will station about 30 staff members on the ground statewide by Election Day to mobilize thousands of volunteers who want to deny Bush a second term."

The last piece I'll bring to your attention this morning comes from KGW, the NBC affiliate in Portland. The article contains three stories on lesser-known Oregon connections to the Democratic National Convention, all portrayed in a very positive light. The first short piece talked about "America’s Party," a short film created by two Oregon men that debuted last night at the Convention. The next story explains how "Dana Welty, a nurse at Oregon Health and Sciences University for the last 15 years," was one of six people across the country selected to address the convention last evening via satellite. Lastly, Retired Air Force chief of staff Merrill "Tony" McPeak, "a former registered Republican who led U.S. air forces during the first Persian Gulf War," was profiled. McPeak, a resident of Oregon, was one of the many retired military men and women who are supporting John Kerry.