Posted on 05/21/2008 9:13:36 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
When there’s trouble in Idaho for Republicans, you know they’re hurting everywhere. We’ve already seen the grassroots revolt in the works on the part of Paul supporters. But the fissures in the Idaho party run deeper.
At the core of the party split is a fight over Idaho’s primary system between the state central committee and many elected officials.
The battle came to a head this week, causing one Idaho observer to take note of the strong contrast between a united Democratic party in Idaho, and the Republican infighting [sub. required]:
With Obama at the top of the ticket, Democrats head into what promises to be a very good year for their party in congressional and state races across the nation with reason for hope.
Meanwhile, Republicans are still feuding. Their state central committee, comprised of people elected locally, finally succeeded in forcing the party to sue a state government dominated by Republicans to require voters to go on record as Republicans before voting in party primaries. Statewide elected officials, GOP Chairman Kirk Sullivan and legislators had resisted both closed primaries and the lawsuit.
Monday, it appeared that resistance had not been fully overcome. Although the suit was filed a month earlier, it turned out state government had yet to be served with the paperwork, which would begin actual legal maneuvering. Worse, party officials gave differing reasons for the delay....
(Excerpt) Read more at newwest.net ...
Normally, I’d dismiss an article like this. Problem is, I have heard some rumblings of dissatisfaction with Jim Risch and what looks like a coronation for him. I can’t imagine him losing to someone like Larry LaRocco. But a lot of things I never expected to happen are happening.
I’m just thankful that the wealthy moderate Walt Minnick isn’t challenging Risch. LaRocco is a flawed candidate.
And that would be 15 potentially endangered seats.
Minnick's running for Sali's seat. Minnick's hitting Sali hard on oil and ethics right now. Course you look at his website and Minnick has nothing to bring to the table except attacks on Sali. His "issues" page is emptier then Obama's hope and change speeches.
I guess the Obama and Hillary idiots are totally united.
Two guys running on the Republican ticket for State offices had no idea about the attempted Moscow gun ban nor the college preemption law that got rewritten to specifically allow colleges to ban guns.
Just maddening for me.
The problem, as usual, is liberals in charge of a conservative party.
Closing the primary is a no-brainer, and is supported by most Republicans in ID. But, Sullivan has fought it tooth and nail.
When you have a state like this that is overwhelmingly Republican, unfortunately lots of folks that would wear a “D” elsewhere are wearing an “R.”
The Idaho GOP is in the toilet.
I think I heard them tapping.
The GOP everywhere throughout the U.S. is in the toilet! Good-bye, GOP!
The problem Idaho Republicans have can be summed in two words: Kirk Sullivan. The Party has voted three times to close Primaries and he has stubbornly chosen not to respond. After the third time, he proposed a bill in the legislature that had no chance of passing and he did file a lawsuit as required by the party’s third action on this, but he “forgot” to serve the State of Idaho.
I called this guy Christ Troupis on the phone the other day, and talked with him for about half an hour.
I was favorably impressed.
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