Gary Lewis Outdoorsman
Brought to you by award-winning writer and TV host Gary Lewis, Gary Lewis Outdoorsman (formerly Ballistic Chronicles) tells the stories of great hunts, provides insights into the firearms industry, discusses custom rifles, wildcat calibers and hunting for mule deer, elk, blacktail deer, whitetails, bear and coyotes. Other topics include hunting trucks, steelhead fishing, upland bird hunting and dog training.
Gary Lewis Outdoorsman
Trailblazer Chris Dudley, 10,000 miles around the state and the Glock 17
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In this episode we hear from Chris Dudley, candidate for governor in the great state of Oregon. He makes his home east of the Cascades and he knows rural Oregon. He played 16 seasons in the NBA, he played center for the Trailblazers, was a big shot blocker and was voted the most caring NBA player by USA Today. And we have him for 18 minutes of conversation to talk hunting and fishing and leadership. Visit https://www.dudley4oregon.com/
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And now here's Gary Lewis. Next, next on Fox. But I undersold him when I said he was cogent. He's far beyond cogent. In fact, I think he's better than he's ever been intellectually, um, analytically.
SPEAKER_00This is Gary Lewis, and you found the podcast. Gary Lewis Outdoorsman, our guest today, went to Yale. He studied political science and economics. He shoots a Glock 17. He played 16 seasons in the NBA with the Cavaliers, the Nets, the Blazers, the Knicks, and the Suns. He's gonna tell us about what he thought when he started driving around Portland and looking for a place to live. That was back in the 90s. He won USA Today's Most Caring Athlete Award. He's running for governor in Oregon, and he wants your vote. We've got him for 18 minutes on the podcast. So we're gonna hear from Chris Dudley today. And we're rolling. I've got Chris Dudley here. Chris went to Yale, studied political science and economics, 16 seasons in the NBA, the Cavaliers, the Nets, the Blazers. I remember that. The Knicks and the Suns. I actually remember some of that. What did you think when you got traded to Portland, Chris?
SPEAKER_02Well, I I was actually I was a free agent. So I was able to choose. And uh I came out and I met with Jeff Petrie, who was the general manager there. Great guy. I hit it off with him, and Rick Adaman was the coach. And it was a special time. I just was uh uh you know, fell in love with Oregon, fell in love with that relationship between the Blazers and the uh uh the city of Portland and the state of Oregon that that was there. And it was a great team, good guys on it, and so it was a perfect fit for me.
SPEAKER_00And then I can only imagine since I lived there then what it you did you had to go look for a place to live.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you look, you know, when you come in, you're in your twenties, you have no idea you have people showing you around, and uh we ended up uh uh renting and then buying a place in uh Forest Heights, which is not that far from the city. Uh yeah, that makes sense. From from the arena, you go down the back side through the through the forest there, and uh uh it was yeah, it was great, great spot.
SPEAKER_00And you won USA Today's Most Caring Athlete Award in 1997. You actually donated$300,000 scholarship for a whole class of fourth graders, and um what what I noticed about you is that those fourth graders are kind of dear to your heart, and it really makes sense because you gotta set those children up for success and um because their brains are the most nimble in fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, and then after that it's harder for them to to learn and take in information. So anyway, I this was something I didn't know about you that I learned while I was preparing for this interview.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and that's something education's uh something I've always been passionate about. And I come from a family of teachers, and you know, my philosophy in life is fairly simple in that I want everybody to be able to get to the starting line of life uh prepared, you know, yeah, educated, healthy, and and you can do everybody can have their different opinion on what what is that starting line 18, is it 20, whatever? But and then from there, what you do, the effort you put into it, uh obviously has a huge impact on how you do, but you you want people to to have those opportunities. And this was uh fourth grade class, it was called the I Have a Dream program. It was started in New York and it came out here, and it was the idea of taking a class and making sure they had the opportunity, uh A to graduate high school, but also had the opportunity to go to college. And I I still I literally just got a note the other day from someone who was successful, was able to uh graduate, then he went to the military, and now he's uh back in DC and DC doing well. And it's and that's when I'm on the campaign now. Uh probably heard one of my top platforms is education. And it really pains me where Oregon is, where we're literally ranked uh 50th right now. Wow, based on demographics, 50th in the n dead last in the nation for reading and math in fourth grade. And fourth grade is such a pivotal pivotal time as you were talking about. If you're not literate by fourth grade, you're four times as likely not to graduate from high school. Uh you have up to, I don't know, close to 70% chance of being incarcerated or on welfare. You're just not set up for doing well in life if you're not literate by fourth grade. And it's to me, it's unacceptable for our state. I've said as governor, and I declare a uh state of emergency on day one in education that we have to we have to address that. And and it's uh it's just unfortunate that what where we've allowed it to get, and we don't have to get into all the reasons why we're here, but we are here and um we've we've got to fix it, and we've got to recognize it for what it is. It's it's it's a crisis, right? Right, right.
SPEAKER_00Okay, well, um I remember your bid for governor before, and I was so proud of you and and what you were uh accomplishing and seeking to accomplish. And um then it was six years ago. I was out to dinner with my wife. We were in a Mexican restaurant in Sisters, and you sat next to us, and that was a rough time. It was COVID, and people were afraid of each other, and there you were. I was proud of you out to um dinner with your daughter. We didn't talk, but I heard you talking about handguns and shooting, because I mean we were seated very close to each other the the Mexican restaurant. So so what's your uh what's your caliber? Would you you come down on the 44 Magnum or are you a nine millimeter guy? Where are you?
SPEAKER_02Well I'm a nine millimeter. I have a uh Glock 17, and it's I like it because it's got the bigger, bigger hand grip. Uh I'm comfortable with it, and uh so that's yeah, that's my choice. And then, you know, we have the uh the kind of makeshift, well not makeshift, it's an actual, it's a good setup for the uh uh fire and range, shooting range uh over in Sisters. Uh uh I'm sure you've been over there with the Senior Rock and, you know.
SPEAKER_00Actually, I'm going there this evening. Usually I'm going out to the Central Oregon Shooting Sports Association, Range Cosa, but um I've got to go. I've taken my grandson fishing, fly fishing. We're gonna work on his casting, and he's doing great, and then we're gonna work on some handgun skills. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um that's awesome. And and my uh uh wife's father, uh, my father-in-law was great. That's where he would take right that same spot in Sisters. Uh he would take our take our kids, his grandkids, out and work on gun safety and how to how to handle it. And he I was so happy he did that. He he was so good at being instructional and giving the the proper respect to the gun, not scared of it, but know how to handle it um and and and deal with it. Um he did a great job with that. Out on the public land.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah. Okay, so one of the questions I wanted to just float past you is are you as governor going to listen to the small voices in eastern Oregon that have been so under uh uh listened to, underrepresented for so long?
SPEAKER_02Oh, absolutely. I you know, and it's you you brought up 2010. Afterwards, I I remember saying this after after the uh election that I was obviously disappointed for myself, you're competitive and you want to win and all those things, but uh I said that who I felt the worst for was rural Oregon because their voice is not uh not being heard. So many people in our state feel like their voice is not heard. And one of the first things we did in in announcing uh back in January for for governor was travel the state. And we've driven over 10,000 miles, we've been all 36 counties, we've spent time with roundtables, meet and greets, and uh they it it's uh I've said as governor, I will be a governor for the entire state of Oregon. And it's you it seems crazy that you actually have to say that, but you do. Yeah. Because so much of the state just feels like their voice is not being heard, and it and sometimes it I mean it's not even they don't even uh today's leaders don't even fake it. Um it's like they just don't seem to care. And I think that it's important that you represent the entire state, and and we have an incredible state, and we have so many opportunities across the state um uh to for for economic development, whatever it may be, um and our natural resources in in different areas that I think we could we've underutilized and we need to pay attention to. And so absolutely I will a hundred percent be across the state.
SPEAKER_00I think you are uniquely um capable to do that, given your history and and and just the fact that you live on the east side of the Cascades.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I think I'd be the first governor from the east side of the Cascades since uh well, I guess McCall. Uh you know, probably since McCall. But uh uh no, I i it's important. And I think having had um a very I think it's important I've had a lot of different experiences. And I think sports is good with this as well, where you come, you're on a team, you have people from all different backgrounds, and you realize, you know what, they're good people and and you you focus on a common goal. And I think at the role of governor is uh connecting people as well, is bringing we've gotta heal our urban-rural divide. We've got to um the partisan politics has become such an issue across the country and certainly in our state. We have to we have to be able to bridge some of that. And I think it's important. Um and I it's really gotten worse. It's gotten worse. And it's you know, and I'll give you a quick example of that. I I was a stark contrast, I was in uh Coos Bay uh uh down doing uh toured a uh uh timber facility where I know some of the people, been friends with some of the people down there, and they're telling me that they're bringing uh uh they're having to ship their logs uh down from British Columbia, which is just crazy. Um and and talking in their frustration and just what's going on in our state and what's happened in in areas and how the counties are struggling uh with the loss, lack of jobs and uh lack of revenues. And we're talking about that. And and you know, I've I've said on timber, for example for example, that we're in a what I'll call lose lose. We've lost the jobs, we've lost the revenues, and uh environmentally I don't think it's been you can't argue it's worked either because we have these catastrophic wildfires every summer. And so I'm talking about this. So I go back and doing an event in Portland, right in the city. And afterward, and it was a mixed crowd as uh uh politically, uh lady comes up to me and says, you know, uh I really like what you had to say today, but you know, I I just don't think we should cut any any timber at all anywhere. And and I said, Well, that's you know, and I spent some time with it. I said, that's people really resent what you just said because so much of the state feels like the rest of the state is supposed to be Portland's playground um and not supposed to touch it. And I said, and by the way, and we kind of went over things, you know, the counties count on these revenues, there's jobs there, and by the way, you have to manage the forest where you have these fires. And by by the by the end of the conversation, she was in agreement. And she said, No, you're right, I hadn't really thought of it that way. And it's and it's so much of it's just the not understanding what's going on. And I think that's where that's uh the role of the governor, governor, uh, a big part of it is the power of the pulpit, talking about these issues and and making uh connecting those dots and making sure that people understand. And I think that's something we're we're missing. And uh I remember being in I I think it was uh Burns, I think it was Burns, or it might have been anyway, it was somewhere in eastern Oregon on the last campaign. I'm uh it always stuck with me a uh lady saying, you know, it'd be great if we did exchange programs where we had kids from Portland come out here for a week, a couple weeks, whatever it might be, um enough to really understand what's happening and and vice versa. You know, our kids going into Portland and understanding what's going there. And I said, you're right, you're right. Um what a great idea. Yeah, no, it is, it is. I mean, obviously you do some outdoor schooling, different, but even more but even more just more of an exchange where you just understand what's uh the way of life in the rest of the rest of the state.
SPEAKER_00One of the best things people can do is travel, and if it even if it's just travel inside of the state, there's so much diversity here in in um attitude and experience that it it's really great for sharing. My oldest daughter went to Kenya when she was 16 or 17, and um they stopped along the way, and a guy tried to trade a herd of goats for her.
SPEAKER_02Well, I know Ken, believe it or not, I know Kenya and I know Nairobi. My mother uh was uh a teacher at a uh English school, my mother and stepfather. Uh so I did I did I went on safari, but it was photo safari. That was that was what she was doing, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I went on and it was it beautiful. But it does traveling is important to to have that perspective. And as you said, you don't have to, you can just travel our state and you get uh it's incredible diversity, beautiful it really is incredible. Uh beautiful state. It's just so so fun to do, and uh uh I really enjoyed it. And great people, that was something that really encouraged me is how many good people there are out there who care passionately about it and and want to make it better.
SPEAKER_00Well, it would really be great to uh to have you for our governor. And downstairs on my counter is the ballot, and I didn't want to fill it out till I had talked to you just in case you shocked me with something. Okay, real quick on the what they call the Peace Act. Oh gosh. Which is so grossly misnamed, it's comical, but let's let's hear it real quick.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, that's again the power of the pulpit. The Peace Act is IP twenty eight, and that's getting rid of uh uh it's it's in theory to stop cruelty to animals, but it's getting rid of hunting, fishing, uh farming.
SPEAKER_00Farming, I mean animal husbandry.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was and it's such a poorly uh makes no sense at any level.
SPEAKER_00Uh if you eat chicken eggs now, you'll probably want to start getting a dozen mushrooms when you go to the store instead of chicken eggs.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, and the crazy thing about it is you'll instead of getting your beef and chicken and eggs from Oregon, you can order, you can still get them, but just from other states. Uh what you know, what sense does that? And and the idea, and we talked a little a little bit about this before we started, but the idea that um hunters, fishers don't care about animals or um even life, I mean, to me that's uh or or the environment is so insulting on so many different levels. And this is such a poorly the fact that we even have this cra something this crazy, uh this close to getting the number of signatures to make the ballot is is scary in our state. And we have to, and as governor, that's where using the power of the pulpit to talk about these issues and really say this makes no sense. Uh hunting, fishing is something that we've uh uh enjoyed and is made Oregon, Oregon. Um uh there's you know you can't have people come from other places and and try to take that away, and we've gotta fight back against it.
SPEAKER_00Yep. Yep. Okay. Well, what's the best thing people can do right now, Chris?
SPEAKER_02Well, uh Dudwe for Oregon is our website, volunteer, uh, volunteer donate, uh, getting the word out, you know, final stretch here. Uh a lot of excitement, a lot of energy out there. We just had our debate, which went great on Monday, felt really good about that. Um, if you have any questions, you can see the plans that we have up. I just put out the one-day plan things I do on day one to turn our state around and obviously vote. Uh, make sure you're talking to other people to get make sure that they're voting. And we've got to have a have a big election, send, send a message, and then go ahead and carry through November. So uh really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00Dudley for Oregon. That's where I'm at. Thanks, man. It's been great talking to you. Great seeing you again.
SPEAKER_02Thank you, Gary. Appreciate it, and I'll see you around. Okay. All right.
SPEAKER_00Got it, man. All right, good job. Our forage plans at Jerry LewisOutdoors.com. Thanks to our sponsors, Not War Incorporated, Warren Stop Mount, area, WestLake Resort, Arson, Arson Oil, T S North Andrew, Frontier Face, Delitarian Chamber of Commerce, Green Highlight, Optimized USA, Art West Coast World, Frontier Road Coffee, High Desert Tactical. And Thanks for listening. Uh, we appreciate you out there, and uh, we want to bring you good conversations. Tune in again soon. We're gonna have another episode up quick.