"Who cares if Botch Utter serves a full term. After all, he has not served any as yet." - a commenter on Facebook
We have received an answer (the obvious one):
My SUN NOV 30, 2014 AT 02:56 PM PST diary called Will GOP Gov. Butch Otter Serve His Full Third Term? spoke of:
Brad Little: Sneaking in?
Is somebody trying to tell us something? We just reelected Gov. Otter for four more years earlier this month. Why are we suddenly being reassured that it'll be just fine if he steps down? - Sharon Fisher (who later credited various commenters on Idaho news outlets)
Just three weeks after the election, we receive this report in Idaho news media:
Idaho Lt. Gov. Little prepared to take on role of governor
And I went on to blog about how:
Talk of Butch stepping aside to allow Brad his turn at Governor has been around since the affable cowboy first became Idaho's chief executive.
In politics, timing is critical. Congressman Raul Labrador is in a great position to run from the right against Otter's Main Street establishment Republicans next time around.
Wouldn't it be great to give Little a year or two as a sitting Governor for organizing, name-recognition, and the many benefits of running as an incumbent?
Is somebody trying to tell us something?
Now, this is just in from KTVB:
BOISE -- Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter announced Thursday that he will be out of the officce for several weeks during the legislative session due to surgery.
Otter is scheduled to undergo hip surgery Jan. 20. The governor has already had a similar surgery in January 2008.
Lt. Gov. Brad Little will take over for Otter during his surgery and recovery Tuesday.
Butch had planned to step aside before this election ... at least, that is a very common theme often mentioned among the insiders I talk to. However, internal polling showed that Little could not beat
Russ Fulcher in a Republican primary.
Score: Establishment GOP - 1. Tea Party - 0.
Stay tuned for more action!