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Jordan inspires diverse Women's March II crowd |
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January 21, 2018 |
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Angela Kucera-Baker gets video on her
cell phone during the Woman's March II
event Saturday at Sandpoint Middle
School. |
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By Angela Kucera-Baker
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| Idaho
gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan |
Two term Idaho State Congressperson Paulette
Jordan, Plummer, is running for the Democratic
nomination for Idaho Governor in 2018 and she is
on fire! Jordan, who currently represents
District 5A, was the keynote speaker at the 2018
Women’s March II Saturday in Sandpoint.
Born and raised in North Idaho, she is familiar
with our way of life and our common values.
Jordan ran in a very red, “unwinnable district,”
even though she chose to run as a blue Democrat,
a young person and as a woman.
She won. Twice.
Jordan spoke about her time in immemorial
contract with the entire ecosystem as an
indigenous person of our land. It is stewardship
of our lands, waters and wildlife she advocates.
She has upheld that contract since day one of
her tenure.
Jordan spoke of division in our country and how
many are so far left or so far right that we
forget how many ties we have between us.
In her district, staunch Republicans and Tea
Party Republicans have become some of her
greatest supporters. She won over her very red
district by listening and respectfully speaking
to landowners, ranchers and businesspeople,
mothers and single parents and many other people
in her community.
She has kept and gained support voting for and
doing the things that she promised. Though she
is running as a Democrat, it would not do to
call her a liberal. Congresswoman Jordan talks
like a centrist who leans conservative. She is a
gun owner and advocates protecting our Second
Amendment Rights as well as being a strong
proponent for education.
Jordan serves on the Idaho State Affairs
Committee, Business Committee, Energy
Environment and Technology Committee and was
selected to serve on the Legislative Council.
She advocates for the choice of Medicaid
Expansion.
“We have a lot of work to do to get the Medicaid
Expansion Initiative on the ballot, so that we
are able to vote on it, to give every Idahoan
the Healthcare they deserve." Jordan told those
who filled the Sandpoint Middle School gym
Saturday.
There are several petitions going around
statewide to get this initiative on the ballot
in November.
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Boundary
County Democratic Central Committee
Chair Debbie Flory and gubernatorial
candidate Paulette Jordan. |
One thing people may find surprising is that
Jordan spoke of her friendship with Republican
Heather Scott, who represents District 1A,
Boundary and Bonner Counties, in the State
House. When she spoke of this she said,
“Even though we may have our differences,"
Jordan said, "if we talk to our neighbors we
will find we have much more in common than not.”
She spoke about her neighbor, a staunch
Republican. She said that even though they may
disagree on many issues, they found they agreed
on these things: Our right to gun ownership, our
human right to clean air and water, quality
healthcare, protection of our public lands,
protecting families and that the aging have the
right to live and prosper.
She talked about less taxes and limited
government, so we can be equalized with a strong
justice system. She also said government should
not be telling us how to be, how to live, how to
speak and how to be divided.
One of her mantras is “Idaho First, Idaho
Always."
She believes that to truly love Idaho, we must
respect our differences, yet learn to look past
them. We must be friends and realize we are all
related.
"We must all fight for Idaho and each other,"
she said. "We must all own each party’s
problems."
Democrats, she said, should listen when someone
wants to point out something they see as an
issue in the party, and she will, she said,
point out all the problems she sees created by
Republicans and speak out. No finger pointing,
but owning up and facing it to do something
about it on all sides.
“Our children deserve to inherit not just a
beautiful Idaho but a fair and justified Idaho,”
she said.
Integrity, as Paulette Jordan relates it, is
simple: Your word is your bond, your handshake
the affirmation that will fix Idaho.
The crowd was as divided as all of Idaho, a mix
of protestors and counter protesters. Yet all
were respectful, listening intently to her speak
and, it appeared, listening intently to what she
had to say.
Despite the many differences that make Idaho the
diverse, sometimes maddening yet always
wonderful place it is, the crowd, as a whole,
was enthusiastic in its response to the
gubernatorial candidate.
"I will live and die by Idaho because I was born
and raised by Idaho," Jordan said.
Many in the near capacity audience, in spite of
their diverse points of view, seemed convinced
they were listening to Idaho's next governor. |
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