Culver's Latest Problem Could Be An Opportunity

Gov. Chet Culver's latest political problem strode through The Gazette's front doors first thing Monday morning.

Jonathan Narcisse, Des Moines newspaper publisher and former school board member, announced over the weekend that he's running for governor as a Democrat. That means, on top of dismal polls and a resurgent opposition, Culver has a primary challenger.

Narcisse is a hard-charger, but he's running uphill. His odds of knocking off Culver in June are so low that he's already said he plans to run as an independent in the fall. That's an odd way to seek a party nomination.

Still, I think it would be a mistake for Culver to take Narcisse too lightly, or to pretend he's not out there.

Because, for all of Narcisse's disadvantages, you can't ignore the fact that he's traveling the state and laying out a passionate and at times devastating diatribe on Culver's first term. On top of that, he's pitching some pretty interesting ideas that only underscore the lack of guts and real innovation we've seen in the last four years.

“I think that there's a better chance that a Prairie Meadows jockey will agree to a cage fight with Quinton ‘Rampage' Jackson than Chet Culver will debate Jonathan Narcisse,” Narcisse said when I asked if he thought Culver would go toe-to-toe with him. “I think that if his people let him debate me, I would sue his people for political malpractice.”

He's probably right. Culver will play it safe. Instead of seeing Narcisse's challenge as a chance to stand up and make a case for his accomplishments, showcase his own ideas and try to shake up the game, Culver will play keep-away.

Smart, sensible politics, after all, is what put the governor in such an excellent position for re-election, with an approval rating too cool to melt much of the snow piled around.

Meanwhile, Narcisse will be out there, saying what some top Democrats are afraid to say: Culver has been a disappointment to so many folks he promised to champion, labor unions, environmental activists, poverty-fighters and education advocates.

Narcisse is talking about dramatically restructuring state government and schools and ending special interest tax breaks to help fuel small business investment. He wants to slice the sales tax rate while eliminating a long list of exemptions.

It's meatier stuff than, say, shifting the state patrol to the highway fund.

Will all his ideas work? No. Is he the longest of long-shots? Yes. Will Narcisse ever stop to take a breath? No.

That's a problem for Culver, but it's also an opportunity. The governor uses the word “fight” a lot lately. Now he has an early chance to show what it means. He should get in the cage.

Comments: (319) 398-8452 or todd.dorman@gazcomm.com