If Trump calls him, Gov. Otter is gone

Gov. Butch Otter talks about a lot of things when he meets with news reporters before the start of a legislative session.

Generally, reporters ask probing questions and Otter — an old pro at these gatherings — gives good answers. That certainly was the case last Friday at an event sponsored by the Associated Press.

But it took a while to get to the elephant in the room, and the most important part of the news conference — his future employment with the state of Idaho.

The governor is openly looking for another job, with hopes of going to work for President-elect Donald Trump. Otter says he still wants to be governor, but there’s a longer-term future with a Trump administration.

If it were up to Otter, he’d be Trump’s designee for Interior Secretary and probably a shoo-in to gain confirmation.

Otter did not get the Interior appointment, or come as close to getting it as Congressman Raul Labrador, who had an interview with the big man himself at Trump Tower. But Otter’s job hunting is far from over. His second choice, which remains an outside possibility, is Agriculture Secretary. A third possibility is working on international trade. Other names have been mentioned for the agriculture position, and Otter hasn’t been contacted lately. But he says that if the call came, he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity.

For a guy who doesn’t like Washington, he sure seems eager to go back. Of course, this isn’t about lifestyle. He thinks the new president, unlike those in the past, will make a sincere effort to transfer power from the federal government to the states.

So, if the stars line up the way he wants, the governor will be a short-timer in Idaho. If Otter does not get one of these jobs immediately, he could become a political version of former Boise State Coach Chris Peterson — a rumored candidate for any bigger job that might open. Memo to Lt. Gov. Brad Little: Don’t get too comfortable in your office.

The 74-year-old Otter is not discussing retirement plans, such as cruise ships, world travel and getting the baseball package through satellite television. He’s not talking about taking up golf, playing shuffleboard, or spending more time fishing.

Which raises a question. If the thought of retirement to him is so dreadful — and nothing opens with Trump — could Otter change his mind and run for a fourth term as governor? A year ago, Otter insisted he will not run for a fourth term, because his wife, Lori, would never allow it. But in this crazy world of politics, where a Donald Trump can defy conventional wisdom and rise to the presidency, anything is possible.

Little, who is one of Otter’s closest friends, has announced plans to run for governor next year. If Otter landed a job with Trump, he’d have no problem handing the keys to Little, and that would give Little a sizeable advantage in his campaign. But without incumbency, Little could have trouble beating former Sen. Russ Fulcher, who came surprisingly close to beating Otter in the 2014 primary. Little could have even more trouble against Labrador, assuming he gets in the race.

Labrador, who built his career as a thorn in Otter’s side, is about the last person Otter wants to see as governor. Labrador, as governor, would turn “swamp draining” into an art form. The governor and congressman are poles apart personally and politically.

One can only imagine what Otter was thinking when Labrador got that interview at Trump Tower, while Otter didn’t even get to shake Trump’s hand.

So, here’s a chance for revenge. He could run for re-election and remove Labrador from the political scene. And Otter would be making his fourth-term run at, perhaps, the height of his popularity. In recent years, he has gone from a budget slasher to a champion for education — which is appealing to a lot of people. The governor, with his country charm, cowboy boots and a wide grin, already has rural Idaho in his corner. He’s a living version of John Wayne in the hinterlands, and almost impossible to beat in an election.

But it’s evident that Otter is not interested in staying on as governor through this term, let alone running for a fourth term. One call from Trump, saying “You’re hired,” would end all speculation about the governor’s future plans.

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Chuck Malloy, a longtime Idaho journalist from the Silver Valley, is a columnist with Idaho Politics Weekly and an editorial writer with the Idaho Press-Tribune.