Last week I went to a political rally for Kieth Allred. It was an interesting event* and I was impressed with the diverse demographics of the participants. Except for the 20-somethings. They were decidedly not there, except for us and one other tablefull. But there were lots of teachers and other professionals, independents, Democrats, and a large delegation of Republicans for Allred. It was a good mix and I'm glad we went, even if it meant I learned things about Kieth Allred that I wasn't at all happy about.
But I will vote for Allred.
Because he wants to improve schools and he's dedicated to funding education, or rather not defunding education and has good plans about how to make it happen. If you are an Idahoan, consider voting for Allred. If you haven't taken the time to hear from both candidates, you can read about the most recent debate here.
I like that Allred is a consensus builder and he has good experience with a number of issues unique to the West. He's an independent running on the Democratic ticket (his story is that he was asked to run despite his unaffiliated status), though in my estimation he's quite conservative, with a relatively open mind about where to find solutions to problems. He's more Bob Bennet than John Birch. And that, my friends, is about as good as it gets in Idaho - at least since the days of Frank Church and Cecil Andrus.
*My favorite moment from the evening was when one audience member wondered aloud why we can't just store nuclear waste in the ocean. A guy at the next table caught me with my eyes bulging out and we silently commiserated on the state of the electorate. Good times.
Thanks for the chuckle (from the previous post as well). Especially the "more Bob Bennet than John Birch" and that being as good as it gets. P.S. I am currently teaching Bob's grandson who is terribly brilliant and terribly disorganized. I'm proud of you for going to a rally.
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