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Corin I wrote about it on JRs thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1788489/posts?page=270# 270

Heres the long, but not very well written post:

In Idaho the primary was loaded, This is a few of them: One forum rich, rich state senator who was indorsed by one of our Congressmen, and Very popular former Conservative Senators, the Speaker of the Idaho House, etc etc. She started running early on, and had so much money. She had huge signs all over, back roads, all over. and so much media. The polls kept saying from the beginning that she would win.

Than we had our very good looking, quite charismatic State Controller who was "Anointed" by the Chairman of the Idaho party, and many others higher up mostly Rino types. He is a personal friend and I do like him except he will never stand a stand on issues. He wanted to portray himself as a "moderate". He started running early and so many people expected him to win. He got alot of big donors on his side. He expected me, and others in the party to support him.

Robert Vasquez was a county commissioner who gained his fame from one issue and only one issue. He was running on the immigration issue and none other. His campaign chairman was a woman who'd never done a campaign this big before.

We had two others, both good conservative guys, Helen Chenoweth endorsed one of them.

Then at the very end, just before things really got started in the primary Bill Sali announced. Most people in the "political world" had already committed long before. From the very beginning all those, I mean ALL those who supported the three I mentioned started ridiculing, reviling, Bill. Several including our other Idaho Congressman, our speaker of the house etc. called him an "idiot", "mean", "won't get along with others", "the business community hates him " Bill had been in the legislature for 16 years. He had a very strong record of not compromising. He was never one to go along to get along. He was the leading outspoken, pro-life, -pro-family, no taxes, legislator. That’s not all he stood for, but no one was stronger on those issues. To some he was a trouble maker, a pit bull, etc.. had an argumentary style. He wasn't involved in the Idaho Republican party at all, so I never met him. Also he is a short guy, which was ridiculed too.

During the primary the polls had him way down in the single digits, usually last. He got the worst press ever. I was made fun of for supporting him. Anyway he won the primary quite big, and Vasques the border guy came in 2nd. Followed by the Rino, and the “moderate” who had the support of the “important” people. They blamed it on the democrats who had to have voted to him, so he wouldn’t win the general, etc etc..

All through the general the polls the media released were so ridiculesly low , some showing him in the single and teens.,really! The press kept tearing him apart, They portrayed him as a war escalator, and far extreme rightwing nut, a grouchy , pushy, mean spirited guy, who not even the Republicans liked guy. And his apponent was just a moderate democrat, astute business man, etc .. The Rinos including those in powerful GOP positions tried to undermine him.

Guess what? He won big! Even I who was on the campaign couldn’t believe how big.

We did get more democrats in Idaho this election, but it was mostly RINOS, and “the go along to get alongs” that lost. Some good conservatives got caught in this wave too.

I believe the GOP lost because people are sick of those who pretend to be Republicans and vote like democrats. The Republican Party has grown to stand for certain principles and that is what I believe most Americans want. The want real principles, not phony politicians. And they want someone who really stand for those princples, and not give in like so many have been doing.

270 posted on 02/21/2007 10:34:30 AM PST by Delphinium

I worked on the same winning campaign. EV was a great Asset .