Seeking a challenger to Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna, Idaho Democrats are attempting to draft Barbara Morgan, the former teacher from McCall and astronaut. Morgan is now a distinguished educator in residence at Boise State.
Emily Walton of Boise started an electronic petition Wednesday, writing, “It doesn’t take rocket science to be a good superintendent of schools. But it sure would be a nice contrast to our current superintendent.”
Former Democratic Party Chairman Larry Grant floated Morgan’s name, a development reported Wednesday by Boise Weekly.
Morgan didn’t reject the idea, the Weekly reported, but laughed at length. “That’s funny. I really can’t tell you anything, but that’s an interesting rumor.”
Morgan would be a formidable candidate, even as a Democrat in a heavily GOP state. Stanford educated, a former elementary school teacher and as media savvy as they come, Morgan has star power. Were Luna to seek a third term, he must overcome voters’ sound rejection of his Propositions 1, 2 and 3 in November.
Every statewide office and all four seats in Congress have been held by Republicans since Congressman Raul Labrador replaced Walt Minnick in 2011. But Democrats have had success running for superintendent. Marilyn Howard held the job from 1999 to 2007, defeating Luna in 2002.
Swapping one space cadet for another. Normally, that wouldn’t work. This time, slamdunk!
Run Barbara Run.
My fellow Republicans and the lobbyists who pay them will quickly frame and pass legislation protecting Idaho Citizens from Barbara Morgan. Declaring an Idahoan who is Stanford alum, astronaut, and elementary school teacher unqualified to serve as Idaho Superintendant of Public Instruction.
After all, Stanford is in “California!” She is a “Teacher!” She is a “Woman!” If she really loved Idaho she never would have left Earth’s atmosphere and orbited the globe!
Then as with the bill passed Wednesday that impedes access by Idaho Citizens to the initiatives process. My fellow Republicans will say “Perhaps there’s not been an abuse of the system so far” in Idaho, “But our members are familiar with the old adage, ‘It’s always important to close the barn door before the horse gets out, rather than afterwards.’”
Walton. Emily Walton. Thanks Dan!
I think the rush to distance themselves from the cold, hard reality of all the crap we’ve tried to ignore in our economy, government and petty lives in general has finally become a genuine mental illness.
Try electing people who will support Morgan instead of “making the dead horse beat itself”.
Wouldn’t that be a great change from the regressive, anti-public education leadership we’ve had during the Luna regime?
We need a Superintendent of Public Education who actually can be a leader / advocate of public education.
Don’t forget the idiotic LEGISLATURE that supported him…
THAT WON’T CHANGE.
Get your IT to fix the formatting…it’s wonky again.