GOVERNOR: Ours is the real deal

On Thursday, October 17, 2013, I boarded a crowded, noisy Southwest flight from Boise to Las Vegas. The flight was completely sold out and it was uncomfortable, so I was surprised to see Idaho’s Governor, Butch Otter, seated in the middle of this chaos, quietly reading.

I was impressed by the governor taking a flight like that, just like any other citizen. He had no bodyguards and no entourage. Can you imagine Governors Chris Christie or Jerry Brown traveling like that? What about Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid or John McCain or John Boehner?

I don’t know Governor Otter, but he appears to be a regular person. I shook his hand once, and he gave me a firm handshake and looked me in the eye and said, “Nice to meet you, I’m Butch,” and now I know that he flies coach, just like most others do.

I won’t always agree with our governor, but knowing that he is a real human being, instead of an isolated, pampered elitist, certainly raises his stock with me and gives me hope that maybe he hasn’t lost touch with the citizens that he represents like 99 percent of our country’s elected officials have.

RON DILLON

Caldwell