The University of Idaho Argonaut

Good to be liked
I always look forward to Chris Bidiman’s columns, perhaps surprising for a 63-year-old woman. His capacity for educating people is endless, and the information you disseminate is valuable and sometimes amusing as well. I think his column is a real service for the students and even for us old folks. In addition, he truly know how to write. Keep up the good work.

Elaine Queener
office specialist
mechanical engineering

The maverick and the empty podium
I was in Boise for a bunch of events put on by the Idaho Democratic Party and I couldn’t help but contrast the two Democratic candidates running for Congress. Larry Grant and Walt Minnick both want to beat Bill Sali and either one probably will, but one difference between the two candidates I saw at the Frank Church weekend is their ability to communicate clearly. Larry Grant was fun to listen to, due to his ingenious blend of eloquence and humor. I wish I could say the same thing about his Democratic opponent. Listening to Walt Minnick drone on about being “a bit of a maverick” left something to be desired, but his legacy, to me, will forever be the empty podium. Larry LaRocco and Larry Grant both gave eloquent, humorous, and inspiring speeches, but Walt Minnick is a maverick. Rather than speaking from the podium as all of the previous candidates had, Walt took a cordless mike and wandered from one end of the stage to the other, hesitating for long periods of time at each end, leaving the podium completely empty. Don’t forget that there were more than 500 people at this event, many of whom relied on the enlarged video (which was zoomed in to the podium) on either side of the stage to see the candidates.
Many people seated near the back saw only one of Walt’s shoulders and then the other. This may have actually worked to his advantage, because listening to Walt speak is boring enough without being able to see him.

Minnick and Grant may not be very far apart on positions, but for me it boils down to a debate with the republican. When it comes time to debate Bill Sali, who can communicate his ideas clearly and eloquently? For me, it’s Grant, hands down.

Paul Alvey
senior, political science