Boise News

State and national politics

Western Ideas Spur Idaho Democrats At Convention

By Anthony Shallat, Guest Writer, 6-15-10

Allred takes aim

Trap shooting and horse sense still move the Party of Obama in Idaho.  So does the need to protect public education and jobs. 

“We are taking the low road in education,” said Democrat Keith Allred, the party’s gubernatorial nominee. 

Allred, in western hat and boots and his 12-gauge shotgun in hand, blasted Republican incumbent Governor C. J. “Butch” Otter at last weekend’s state Democratic convention in Worley near Coeur d’Alene. 

At the party’s trap-shooting fundraiser, the candidate wove his personal story into support for Idaho schools. “Over the past 20 years we have decreased spending in education while increasing spending on prisons,” said Allred.  “If you look at surrounding states that have done well, the key has been investment in higher education.”

A Ph.D. from UCLA, Allred briefly taught government at Harvard’s Kennedy School. Boise State University’s John C. Freemuth, who taught college with Allred, describes the candidate as “centrist” with multigenerational Idaho roots. 

Allred is “a classic western Democrat,” said Freemuth.  He is “fiscally conservative, pro-education, middle-of-the-road on the environment [and] a pragmatic centrist looking for ways to solve problems by linking up values on different sides of issues.” Allred, Freemuth believes, was never really comfortable teaching college in Boston.  “No mountains on the horizon.  And not enough places to ride his cutting horses.’“

Worley on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation is indeed a world apart from Boston. The Worley lumber mill still advertises the Coeur d’Alene tribe with a painting of an Indian headdress.  The county’s rate of unemployment hovers near 11 percent. “If a higher proportion of our population is educated,” Allred continued, “it will attract higher paying jobs.”

The premise that an investment in education is an investment in jobs spread through the state convention.  Stan Olson, Democratic candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, echoed Allred’s approach. In a state where Democrats rarely win statewide office, both downplayed the “D” next to their names.

A vigorous Olson, who also has a doctorate - in education - denounced ten years of Republican neglect for public education. While teacher salaries rose in neighboring states such as Wyoming, a first-year teacher in Idaho, said Olson, can still expect to earn less than $30,000.

“My role as superintendent is that of a practitioner,” said Olson. The incumbent Tom Luna, according to Olson, “has no real experience as an educator.“ Public schooling had been “dismembered” under Republican control.

Olson and Allred battle uphill in a heavily Republican state.  Until two years ago, the Democratic Party in Idaho hadn’t held a national office since former Rep. Larry LaRocco was unseated in 1994.  In 2008, however, Walt Minnick narrowly defeated incumbent Bill Sali to become the representative for Idaho’s 1st congressional district.

“The day after the election I got a call from Obama’s camp in Chicago to confirm the results,” said Jeanne Buell, Vice Chairwoman of the Idaho Democratic Party. “They couldn’t believe Idaho had elected a Democrat.”

Muted at the convention was the thorny issue of Rep. Minnick’s “blue dog” conservative votes.  An opponent of Obama’s stimulus funding, Minnick also voted against the American Clean Energy Act and health reform.  Minnick remains the lone Congressional Democrat to be officially endorsed by the Tea Party movement. 

“You may not always agree with how he votes, but Walt is a pragmatic leader who isn’t afraid to reach across the aisle,” said Keith Roark, Chairman of the Idaho Democratic Party.

So far the message has been connecting liberal and conservative Idahoans. In 2010 Allred has raised more money, but spent less than, Gov. Butch Otter’s campaign for reelection. And Sharon Parry, Otter’s fundraiser for Bonneville County in 2006, recently come out in support of Allred.

Former District 19 state representative and Democratic National Committeewoman Gail Bray also supports Allred and believes Idahoans “would be very lucky to call him our next governor.”

Being DNC committeewoman and a supporter of President Obama, Bray would not be considered a fringe element of her party. However, Bray is the first to say that Idaho Democrats are a different breed.

“We are products of our state,” said Bray. “We hunt, fish, conserve, and believe in preserving the beauty around us. By virtue of that we support guns, and using the resources to create energy but not destroying the environment. We have a feel for nature that a lot of Democrats don’t.”

If more Idahoans like Bray and Parry agree, Allred will have an opportunity to become the face of the Gem State.

Shallat is a recent graduate of the University of San Diego, with a B.A. in political science. A Boisean, he reports on state and municipal politics for the Center for Idaho History and Politics, Boise State University.

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