Is Jordan 'cool' enough to win now?
A year ago, you could do an internet search for Paulette Jordan and find a smattering of references.
But now, according to CNN, you can try the same thing and select from a choice of roughly 24,500 items.
The numbers changed significantly when the 38-year-old member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe gave up her seat in the Idaho Legislature to run for governor.
They exploded last week when Jordan rolled over Boise businessman A.J. Balukoff to win the Democratic nomination — and a predictable underdog role in November’s race against Brad Little, the current lieutenant governor.
Suddenly Jordan became one of those hot national stories, a cover girl and subject of profiles in The Atlantic, Huffington Post, The Nation, BuzzFeed, The Washington Post, most major TV networks, and of course, every media outlet in Idaho and the West.
For sheer publicity, she seemed to become our immediate answer to Harry, Meghan and the Royal Wedding.
The obvious hook, besides Jordan’s innate glamour, is that Idaho has never seated a female governor — and no state ever has had a Native American governor.
It’s a neat story of undeniable charisma meeting poise and intelligence, just as Butch Otter steps down atop the executive branch of Idaho government.
Jordan has locked up the crown as the year’s top political story in Idaho, but she also has posed a bigger question.
Can she actually win?
Sheer numbers and recent tradition seem to say no.
Even though Democrats turned out in startling numbers for the primary — Ada County temporarily ran out of ballots — the ultimate total was about one-third the Republican ballots cast on the same day.
And by now, Jordan only rolls her eyes when someone points out that Idaho has not elected a Democratic governor since 1990.
She seemed to be scoffing at such rationale during her victory party on primary night.
“We are not afraid,” she told her cheering supporters, “and never again will we stand down.”
The opposition, for what it’s worth, is taking Jordan seriously.
LISTEN TO Bill Colley of FOX News Radio, who thinks Jordan may be just one voting cycle away ...
“Jordan is intelligent, a good public speaker and she looks like a magazine model.
“The woman is direct from central casting when it comes to the role of candidate. Oh, and she’s descended from indigenous people.
“While I think her chances of winning an election this year are slim, Idaho demographics are changing so rapidly she could be a powerful force in four years.
“I don’t believe Republicans have many long-term answers to such a charismatic candidate.”
Balukoff, by the way, also suggested Jordan would be a more serious candidate “next time.”
The Boise school board member spent $3 million trying to keep Jordan in her place for just one more election, and watched her grab 60 percent of votes in the primary.
Beating Little, however, will take more than just Democratic enthusiasm.
Record numbers of young people claim they intend to vote, and some early primary results seem to indicate the reign of older white men could be fading quickly.
Jordan will need out-of-state money (meaning help from the Democratic National Committee), a coherent plan for governing that lures independents and unsure Republicans, tireless work in rural areas where the GOP considers votes close to automatic, and most importantly ...
She must simply be herself.
“The most important thing for Jordan to do, she’s already doing. And that is to make Idaho cool and smart,” wrote Mark Trahant for Indian Country Today.
“On election night the music of Drake singing ‘God’s Plan’ filled the room. Later on, supporters posted a video of Jordan dancing.
“Cool.”
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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press. A Brand New Day appears Wednesday through Saturday each week.
Email: scameron@cdapress.com.
Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA