Idaho Politics: Column
Idaho Dems Throw Down the Gauntlet With Hansen Hire
By Jill Kuraitis, 4-04-08
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| Hansen, Minnick and Roark in Boise | |
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When one Idaho Democrat heard the news yesterday that former state representative Jim Hansen had accepted the job as Executive Director of the state party, “the clouds parted and the sunshine shone down,” said candidate for Congress Debbie Holmes.
“We could not have hired a better person” was the quote of the day among those gathered at party headquarters for a press conference.
State Party chair Keith Roark made the announcement, saying Hansen is “a man of great integrity, talent and commitment who will serve not just Democrats, but all the people of Idaho.”
Hansen, 48, is the son of former U.S. Congressman Orval Hansen and has served as executive director of United Vision for Idaho since its founding in 1995 and of United Action for Idaho since 2005. When he retired from the Idaho Legislature in 1994 after serving six years, he began working on behalf of many of the coalition participants to organize the founding of UVI, a nonprofit coalition of progressive groups working to advance progressive policy.
Blogger Julie Fanselow wrote: “As the founder and executive director of United Vision for Idaho for the past 13 years, Hansen’s greatest strength has been his ability to convince everyday people - teachers, clerks, mechanics, truck drivers, homemakers, and more - that they can take action and lift their voices to improve our communities. He’s as committed to small-d democracy as he is to the party - one big reason that his selection is so exciting.”
Noting that his first day on the job will be April 15, Hansen said it was “an auspicious day. I’ve always believed Democrats are far more careful with managing the public’s money.”
“I attended the caucuses, and I know the potential – the future of the party was in that arena. We’re Democrats; we grow from the bottom up – but you have to be patient before leaders see themselves as leaders. We need to help our brothers and sisters see themselves running the state.”
“Nobody rides in on a white horse; everything happens through organization – how you fund, reach out, inspire and organize to grow and share through vision and change. We must be a network of leaders throughout the state.”
Hansen is trained as an attorney and mediator. He practiced law with a Boise law firm from 1986-1991. From 1992-94, he ran the Office of Conflict Management Services at Boise State University. From 1986-1991 Hansen practiced law with an Idaho firm, focusing primarily on natural resource issues. He helped to create the Fund for Idaho, a new foundation in Idaho nurturing social justice. In 2006, Hansen took a sabbatical from UVI to run for Congress, taking no contributions from special interests (PACs).
“I think Idaho Republicans should be trembling in their boots,” said former state rep. and current national committeewoman Gail Bray. “We’ve got a team here with Keith and Jim whose combined leadership is unparalled in recent party history,” she said. “Jim is a visionary who can turn vision to action, and he’s unafraid to teach and learn. This is a phenomenal opportunity for Idaho Democrats.”
Candidate for the Democratic nomination for Congress Walt Minnick said he thinks Hansen is “the perfect guy to translate the huge caucus turnout this year into effective political action that will turn Idaho from red to blue.”
“Everything Jim Hansen has done makes him the best qualified person in the state to lead the party and send (1st District Congressman) Bill Sali back to Kuna.”
Minnick’s primary opponent, Larry Grant, did not attend the announcement but later issued a statement: “Jim will be a great asset for the Democratic party. His experience with United Vision for Idaho gives him broad knowledge of the issues that face the families of Idaho and his experience as an advocate for them will be of great value for the party.”
Whether or not Idaho Republicans see the hiring of Hansen as a threat to their dominance in state politics isn’t clear, since no Republican would go on the record on the subject despite many phone calls.
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Comments
The Republican noise machine in Idaho is predictable with only slight chances of surprises coming in the form of "how low can they go". They seem to top themselves in that category quite often.
I can only hope that Roark and Hansen build up a tag team and a reputation that puts Democrats at the top of fundraising and allows them equal time in the press. Until they can get the press to recognize that Democrats now have a pretty good chance in elections outside of Boise a lot of this seems sort of pointless self-congratulatory cheerleading.
One really interesting nugget I learned via Randy Stapilus' good analysis at his blog was that when Jim was first elected to the statehouse in 1988, he defeated the sitting House Majority Leader.
Yowza! I moved to ID a year later and I don't know who that person was and whether there was scandal involved or what, but for a political novice to beat that day's equivalent of Mike Moyle must've been a big deal indeed. (Jill, do you remember anything about this?)
Here's hoping that Jim can help this year's District 14 Dem candidate (three want to run against Moyle) work the same sort of mojo, and replicate that beyond the Treasure Valley as well.
Don't blame the press for lack of coverage. Winning does not depend on good press. Winning takes party action. Complaining about press coverage is an excuse for losing. Let's go out there and beat the pants off the Republicans! (Except Larry Craig -- his pants are already off). When we win, then we can kick the press around legitimately!
The old guard Idaho democrat is completely out of touch with the progressive movement and the 14,000 and more across the State that came to see Obama talk of change. Those who attended the caucuses were exposed to the pandering and bandwagon jumping on of recyced democratic losers of the past glad handing as if they were beacons of change, what a pathetic attempt, hard to respect that.
These recycled losers of past elections are not the future of this State or Idaho democratic political party. Old guard democratc party leaders failure for over 20 years is a disgrace, they are far from being the agents of hope and change let alone being organized, they could learn from the grassroots of the Obama campaign. If they win with the vote of people demanding change lets hope they come through and don't just use this opprtunity to get power.
This choice of Hansen is suspect, is he just another old guard democrat just looking for control and power. If the old guard democrat use our votes and fail to be agents of change, they won't last long. We are tired of bad career politicians that extensions of corporations, power hungry and don't work in the peoples best interest.
I have live and owned a buisness in Boise since 1994 and at no time has the opportunity for progressive ideas and democratic canditates been viable, please old guard Idaho democrats dont' F**k it up for us.
Equal access doesn't mean that the press should measure "power" with a yard stick to determine if they are being fair.
So, zippie, what have you done to help bring the Obama folks in out of the dark? The caucus this year quadrupled previous years. Is that f**king it up?
They better step up and bring something to the table, tell me what you'll do for Idaho and my country, will guarantee you will be a representative for the people and not at the will your corporate donors.
Not one candidate has held any type of champaign rally or visited the neighborhood's of Boise for town hall meetings. Lack of communication with voters is the reason no media coverage, nothing of substance is happening. They meet and greet the elite of the treasure valley in there homes pandering away and fail to connect with the everyday person who has the most to lose.
Again, the Idaho democratic party run by old guard democrat is so far out of touch and obviously incapable of using the power of motivation found in hope and change. I am very disappointed and not encouraged by the Idaho Democratic Party.
It's put up or shut up time, I don't care who his elitist daddy was.
Just because Hansen has 25 years of being a career politician doesn't, 25 years of a non-existent democratic party. I wish him all the luck to make this party viable again in Idaho.
Success will be found in the grassroots not in the elitist old guard they offer nothing.
Hey fish boy, what's with zippie you'd think a old Idaho press fool could do better. To bad your incapable of a discussion of ideas that's were old guard Idaho democrats have failed and even they know that.
I am a part of the process fool.......So get your old archaic ideas and help those losers win.......I will.
I would suggest that any Democrat in this state that isn't working directly for the party can never be considered "entrenched". Both Roark and Hansen have been working in a "private" sector position for many years before taking their positions with the D party.
Noiselessly accusing them of being entrenched doesn't help future candidates, it only makes you more of an outsider from the real process at the heart. Roark has already proven that he is willing to discuss differences with progressives and I expect that Hansen will follow his lead.
When you've done that, then I'll see if you have earned the right to complain about what "Old Guard" Democrats have done.
In fact, at the Frank Church Banquet, Markos Moulitsas (Daily Kos himself and probably the leading new-school Democrat) said that Idaho's old-guard Democrats were the toughest Democrats in the world. Whey? Because we have survived battle after battle despite the fact that so few others have helped us win.
I have been working every day for the past three years to help get Democrats elected. I have given more time, money and other sacrifice that I even care to recount.
Don't ask what your party can do for you...
And don't be rude. It only makes you look like a jerk.
Putting DEM behind your name in Idaho over the past 20 years has been an act of courage, frankly, and unfortunately has generally been the kiss of political death. So those who have done it and are doing it again certainly aren't doing it out of a raw desire for power etc. If that's what you want, you put a R there.
That forces one to wonder why they do it -- and maybe, just maybe, it's because they believe in what they've spent so much energy on. That kind of persistence and energy makes every one of them worth a second look, in my book.
Your points on innovation and change are worthwhile -- but why don't you go work for someone who's out there busting their butt to make this state and country incrementally better? I bet they'd welcome it.
Who is this "we" you imagine you're representing? All I can figure out from your posting code is that it must be badly-behaved whiners.
83701, I take your point about old guard Dems. Many of us are ready to move on, believe me - and it would be great to see some young'uns seeking office. I believe we will see more of the Obamanians running in the next two cycles, and it will be a very cool thing.
But please don't lump Jim Hansen in with the old guard. For one thing, he joined the early Obama effort here last March (2007), way before Obama seemed viable and nearly a year before other Idaho pols jumped on the bandwagon. For another, he hasn't yet hit 50, and he's spent the past decade-and-a-half seeding the Idaho grassroots.
Yes, he has an Idaho political name and pedigree, but he's a populist and a rebel at heart. I don't expect to see him lose that in this new role.
This is beginning to sound like bubble politics of the worst kind.
I'm worried that President Obama might be left to row his own boat by this hopeful, hapless exuberant crowd of idealistic dreamers.
My mind keeps taking me back to poor ol' Jimmuh...
Please do not hold it against Jim that he is a forth generation Idahoan. Or that his father served in the Congress of the United States (albeit on the wrong side). He is a man who has been raised to serve the public to the best of his abilities. I will note He is an Idaho Democrat. I only wish Mr. Hansen was the candidate in the second Congressional District race.
I would hope Mr. Hansen will cultivate those younger democrats who's future is on the line, success for this party will require younger voters to accept those old Idaho Democrats of the past who are in control and participate in the process, lots of work to do.!!
Mr. Hansen must get the candidate's out there into the public were voters live there everyday life, reach out ask young and old voters to participate, meet them in townhall meetings, hold small neighborhood events, get the small donation, show the voter they are more important than any special interest group, it's not hard those voters are built-in waiting for that candidate with a vision and idea for leadership in Idaho.
Give those voters a reason to participate, show them that with there help democratic candidates will win and those opportunities will lead to media coverage.
Hey, angry old democrat fish boy your Frank Church refernce is great, I have attended all of the most recent years. They are great for Idaho, yet unfortuntley it is not made ready avaliable to the masses, they need to involve younger voters, a youth day prior to the main events. I know sounds easy, but its not, good luck tater.
Mr. Church was an extremely fine man and represented our state better than anyone in modern times.
Fish guts.
He's also completely committed to grassroots efforts and reaching out to new people. I daresay he's the single best and most experienced Idaho-based grassroots organizer alive today. He is in a unique position in that he is trusted by the old guard, yet capable of facilitating the necessary changes within the Idaho Democratic Party. There's simply no one else in as good a position in that regard.
There are plenty of younger Idaho Democrats on deck. The very solid Idaho State University Democratic organization and T.J. Thomson from the Idaho for Obama campaign can be cited as examples. That's just the tip of the iceberg, too.
Given all that, keep in mind that no one - not even Jim Hansen - is going to turn this around overnight. Even in a best-case scenario it'll take two or three election cycles to revitalize the Idaho Democratic Party. It would be a truly grave error to give up on the project or the people involved before then.
Honestly, I'm still not getting your point, Zip. Is it, "include young people and involve new people?" What, you think the old party dinos haven't figured that part out? Or do you just like to bash on old people?
I am neither old (well, OK, under 45 years isn't old to me) nor am I an old-timer to the party. In fact, I'm relatively new to Democratic Party politics; though not a member of Generation O(bama).
My point -- and (I promise) my last one on this thread -- is that you gotta respect the oldsters for hangin' in there when there was nobody hangin' with them. When they filled three-quarter-empty ballrooms and listened to speeches from candidates they knew were going to lose. That takes TOUGHNESS. It takes COURAGE to lose and lose and come back every year for more. That's why I'm proud of the old party hacks who have been around forever. No, I don't like every one of them. But I respect what they have done to hold on until the calvary comes over the hill. Now, that's OUR job.
As to Mr. Hansen I sure hope he can get the closet Democrats to come out and be not afraid of who they are. The silence is terrible.
Hansen's greatest challenge will be to take the energy and enthusiasm the Obama campaign generated and inject it into the Idaho Democratic Party. I don't think his objective can be stated more clearly than that.