Jordan treatment shameful

No clearer sign of a political party at risk of becoming inbred, out of touch and self-defeating than the barrage of attacks-from-within against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan, intended to ensure the young Native woman would lose by at least as many points as the usual old white millionaire nominees do.

Andrus-era stalwarts expended vast amounts of oxygen and ink painting Jordan as lazy, corrupt, out-of-touch, privileged, insular, self-regarding, abusive and hopelessly incompetent. Never quite clear whether these were meant as anti-Indian stereotypes, anti-women stereotypes, or both.

And what was Jordan’s actual sin? Energizing too many new and cross-over voters, and thereby upsetting the apple-cart of a party with one of the lowest share of legislative seats in the country and unable to win anything statewide.

Those of us who served as delegates for Bernie Sanders at the 2016 Democratic state convention saw this coming. New ideas? No thanks, get lost. Energized young and first-time voters? Not interested.

Necrophilia doesn’t win elections.

Chris Norden

Moscow, Idaho