By David Goerg

A NEW BREED

“Mama said don’t give up, it’s a little complicated / All tied up, no more love and I’d hate to see you waiting.”

“That’s my jam,” says Ron Nate with a smile, as “High Hopes” by Panic! at the Disco sweeps to its conclusion. “I love that song.”

According to Nate, he often pumps rock ballads through a set of overhead speakers—a prelude to the university courses he teaches at Brigham Young University-Idaho and a way to set the tenor and mood for detailed discussions of free markets, constitutional government and Keynesian economics.

Nate is obviously in his element as he answers questions from his students.

In place of the pandemic’s typical surgical mask, he sports a fashionable handkerchief that reaches down to the top of his V-neck sweater and tie, somehow striking a reasonable balance between the Wild West and Oxford University.

Ron Nate smiles a lot.

He also makes up his own “dad jokes,” which is fitting, given his status as a family man and father to three girls and one boy.

All of this belies another side to a good man and an important voice in local and national politics.

IN THE PUBLIC EYE

The Nates are often brought into the public eye.

In fact, we can look at two specific examples from the New York Times.

The first mention of Nate occurred in 2017 and was very brief.

“House Results: Nate Wins,” read the headline. Two brief sentences clarified that he had been reelected in the “uncontested Position 34A State House race in Idaho.”

But four years later, the NYT noticed him again, and he was back in the news.

This time, there was more of a story.

“The Social Justice Purge at Idaho Colleges” was written by Michelle Goldberg. Her article targeted Rep. Nate’s successful opposition to critical race theory, and not in a favorable way. Critical race theory, or CRT, is an educational theory that basically presents American history as being a narrative of African-American oppression, in which the oppressed are eternally pitted against their oppressors: white Americans.

Nate was accused of employing “McCarthyite” tactics for asking a university president questions during a public hearing and formal inquiry.

More specifically, Nate was quoted as having asked:

“Does (Boise State University) plan to continue diverting university resources to this Marxist cause and encouraging students to consume more Black Lives Matter content?”

The concern Nate expressed about subtle Marxism is widely shared by many people across Idaho. In this regard, he simply acted in his capacity as a representative of the people—not all the people perhaps, but certainly many.

Nevertheless, the NYT piece then went on to frame political conditions in Idaho as inherently hostile.

“Particularly in conservative places like Idaho, it’s the professors, many of them untenured, who feel intimidated,” Goldberg claimed. “With the climate as it is, I wouldn’t doubt that folks are starting to look over their shoulder.”

For those who know him, it is nearly humorous to imagine Ron Nate as a purveyor of intimidation or fear. He’s far too happy and joyful for intimidation, for what its worth. He couldn’t pull it off.

And moreover, Nate is a professor. Apparently Goldberg was unaware of that fact.

Her claim about the inclinations of professors in Idaho could very well be a strategic invention, because in Idaho, the chief voice against CRT (and a notable subject in the same article) is Nate himself, a professor with over 20 years of experience.

Nate’s identity is largely defined by his dedication to the students he serves at BYU-Idaho.

Additionally, it might be the case that CRT and BLM are largely irrelevant to many Idahoans. Idaho is mostly rural, isolated and independent, and accordingly probably does not suffer from the problems and challenges that afflict the massive coastal cities, places where CRT and BLM originated and thrive.

It seems apparent that for many (not all) Idahoans, Ron Nate appears to be one of the only people standing firmly between Idaho and the external forces that have led to real chaos and riots throughout the world.

AT HOME

At home in November, surrounded by Christmas decorations in his family room, Nate seems completely at peace.

His wife, Maria, has set up an expansive nativity scene on top of the mantle. Two oversized bauble ornaments herald a festive entrance to their kitchen. An electronic Santa greets every visitor at the front door with a familiar carol and some erratic arm movements, and their Christmas tree features proudly in the front window, covered in brilliant and colorful lights.

“We still need to decorate the kitchen,” Maria says thoughtfully, as she surveys her handiwork.

It is the day after Thanksgiving, but for the Nates it might as well be Christmas Eve.

You wouldn’t know about any of this if you heard about the Nates from their political opponents.

IN THE HOUSE

It is easy to understand why those on the political left clash with Nate over policy and politics.

He is a bold voice of the conservative movement, and in the eyes of the left, a formidable foe.

Nevertheless, it is slightly more difficult to understand why members of the Republican Party choose to clash with Nate.

To see Rep. Nate in action on the floor of the House can feel more like a sporting event than a legislative session.

For instance, during a recent ethics hearing for Rep. Priscilla Giddings, Nate provoked supporters of Idaho Speaker of the House Scott Bedke, by observing that the speaker was juggling a serious conflict of interest by actively campaigning against Giddings for the office of lieutenant governor.

That is to say, the Speaker of the House was somehow able to censure his political opponent in the middle of a campaign against her.

Nate didn’t seem to mind the outcry of boos from the galley, as he continued to address Bedke as “Speaker … and candidate” throughout the proceedings.

CURRENT ISSUES

“The Constitution is most at risk when the people are the weakest,” Nate says. “We need to be on top of things. But our leadership seems to be more worried about the next election than they are about the citizens of Idaho, and I’m as frustrated as can be.”

The political climate that Nate is describing is unprecedented.

All of the normal considerations of politics and all of the natural drama that accompanies campaigning has been eclipsed in view of the federal government’s sudden explosion of power.

For example, in September, Nate and 15 of his colleagues put together eight different legislative solutions, took them to the steps of the Capitol, and attempted to reconvene the legislature in order to pass the best of the bills and break the yoke of Biden’s federal mandates from off the necks of Idahoans.

“These are crucial life decisions that are affecting not only our friends, but also their families,” Nate points out. “We’ve already seen the psychological impacts of people losing their jobs. We’ve seen increases in suicide rates and all sorts of social problems.”

The attempt to reconvene failed as most of Idaho’s legislators stayed home.

“I am disgusted with the behavior of the leadership right now,” Nate says. “It seems they have no sympathy or empathy for the workers in Idaho. The President does not have the constitutional authority to issue an executive order that violates constitutional protections. We need to nullify this at the state level by passing legislation that says the executive order doesn’t apply to Idaho … If we can’t protect our rights in these times, we’re going to lose them forever. The government will shut down churches, shut down businesses, restrict your travel, force you into medical decisions you may not be comfortable with—and all for the sake of safety.”

Nate’s commentary on this front has been demonstrably true, as Americans across the nation have witnessed and lived through unprecedented lockdowns and other forms of societal restriction.

While many people may perceive the government’s response to the global pandemic as a source of safety, Nate warns against adopting an attitude of “all is well.”

“A lot of people start to feel comfortable,” he says. “But it’s exactly at those times where our vigilance needs to increase in terms of protecting your Constitution. That’s when it’s most at risk.”

Nate hopes voters will take the upcoming 2022 election seriously, and elect legislators that will vote to preserve freedoms.

“I’m as frustrated as I can be.” Nate concluded. “I can’t say it any stronger than that. Idaho voters ought to be very careful what they do next primary election, and make sure that they get these people out who are standing in the way of your medical freedom and your constitutional rights.”

If Ron Nate loses this upcoming election, our state will lose one of its greatest defenders, and it isn’t clear that anyone will be able to compensate for the loss of Nate’s influence.

His unique competence as an effective legislator has been proven in the crises of this pandemic, partly through the swiftness of his responses, and partly through the persistence of his continuing efforts.

In the future, when we encounter unexpected overreach from the federal government, we will be glad to have the steady hand of Ron Nate to help steady the ship of state government.

Now is the time to support him, and anyone else who chooses to risk their reputation and their lives for the sake of the truth.

WORD ON THE STREET

“I’m a little bit sad now,” exclaims one of Nate’s students as she leaves his classroom and walks down the hall on the last day of the Fall 2021 semester.

Her companion, also a student in the same class, asks, “Why? Do you think you did poorly on the final exam?”

“No,” she says. “I’m just going to miss this class. It was really fun.”

Professor Nate may never hear the comments like this from his students or his constituents, expressing approval of his contributions to their lives and the community he is a part of.

But rest assured, Ron Nate is deeply appreciated by many of the people he so freely serves.

So let it be written, and so let it be said, that, as Helaman 5:6-8 reads, “he was good.”

You can find out more about Ron Nate at his website, NateforIdaho.com, or his Facebook page: “Nate for Idaho.”

David Goerg (pronounced George) is a native Idahoan and a local journalist. He enjoys reading, writing, yard-work, and winning.

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