Outrageously miseducated candidate surprisingly loses Texas school board race

[Stellar]

Do we have Zach Kopplin to thank for Mary Lou Bruner's surprising but welcomed political defeat? Kopplin, the son of New Orleans Deputy Mayor Andy Kopplin, took the same passion he used to rail against the teaching of creationism in Louisiana to expose the racist, homophobic, colonialist, conspiracy-minded musings Bruner expressed online before running for a seat on the Texas State Board of Education.

After the 69-year-old Bruner got 48 percent of the vote in the primary, Kopplin published a piece at The Daily Beast that listed some of the candidate's most ridiculous Facebook posts:

"I am not saying the Native Americans deserved what happened to them but sometimes God removes his protection from people who worship pagan gods."
"In the beginning the dispute between the North and the South was not about slavery. It was about the railroad."
"I heard from a reliable source that Obama was also a male prostitute for a while when he lived in New York with his male 'partner.'"

Because she was so close to victory in the Republican primary, there was a lot of worry that Bruner would win the Republican run-off, which meant that she'd win the general because she's in a district dominated by Republicans. Had Bruner won, even those of us who are outside of Texas would have had reason for alarm. That state's board of education plays an outsized role in what goes into textbooks because they buy so many.

Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, a group that vehemently opposed Bruner's candidacy released a statement after Tuesday's run-off: "Texas escaped an education train wreck tonight. If Bruner had ultimately won election to the board, she would have instantly become the most embarrassingly uninformed and divisive member on a board that already too often puts politics ahead of making sure our kids get a sound education. We commend the majority of East Texas voters for their wisdom in this particular race."

NOLA.com

[annabanana]

1. It seems that Zach Kopplin is one

sharp kid. One to watch.

[longship]

2. Thank god (so to speak)

And yes, Zack Kopplin is a treasure.

Yes, that's him with Bill Moyers.

(Please correct spelling.)