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Here’s how Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keith Allred responded, in a recent interview, to a question about whether his run on a partisan ticket will destroy The Common Interest, the nonpartisan citizen advocacy organization he’s worked for five years to build:
“If I run and win, I think I have powerfully advanced the vision of The Common Interest, and that’s the reason for running. If I run and lose, then I think I’ve set it back substantially, and I don’t take that lightly - it’s the passion of my life. But I don’t think I’ve ended it. I think there would be ways forward. (He said that might include getting a Republican co-chair, or taking a lesser role in the organization and having others step forward.) “This is a passion that I will follow for the rest of my life.” He added, “I’m not too worried about that, because I intend on winning and showing how to govern this way.”
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FreeIdaho on December 21 at 11:02 a.m.
The Common Interest is done at the Capitol. His entire campaign so far is based on CI, and that means it is now just a shell organization for his run for office. Cameron Wheeler figured it out and jumped off the ship before it sank.
For all of Allred’s rhetoric about special interests and partisan politics, I find it ironic that he grabbed the first opportunity to present itself to enter partisan politics. AND, he has as his campaign co-chairs a member of a special interest lobbying shop (Andrus), and a former legislator who was registered as a lobbyist for the Twin Falls Canal Company one session after retiring as the Chair of the Resources Committee (Noh).
At least he makes a good (typical?) politician when it comes to inconsistent consistency!
ericn1300 on December 21 at 12:15 p.m.
Nothing ironic about it. All campaign are partisan, us against them affairs. I applaud Allred’s jump into the fray and the way he plays the game. About time we had someone intelligent to to vote for.
slfisher on December 21 at 1:02 p.m.
You really think it was his first opportunity to enter partisan politics? Really? He could have done it any time he wanted.
As far as his co-chairs being politicians turned lobbyists, that’s what *most* Idaho politicians not of retirement age do when they stop being politicians. I would be happy to be presented with counterexamples.
Sisyphus on December 21 at 2:49 p.m.
Ah yes, the vindictiveness of Republicans. They hate it when anyone challenges their monopoly in Idaho and will taint anyone questioning their skills in governance with any slime they can muster. Cameron Wheeler recognized their vindictive nature and before he could be canned from the Fish & Game Commission, he resigned from CI lest he became a target. Now you have FreeIdaho, who may or may not be Jonathon Parker, essentially threatening Allred that he’ll never work in this town again for his temerity in challenging Butch’s less than stellar leadership. More surely to follow.
The claim that he has advisers who happened to be lobbyists is very amusing. I’m sure for Allred himself was required to be registered as a lobbyist to advance policies on behalf of the public at large. As Sharon notes its quite hypocritical for Republicans to assert undue ties to special interests when they ask ‘how high’ the moment IACI needs a tax cut. They’ll try to use any issue to detract from the notion that Allred solved more issues from outside the statehouse than Butch has while he’s been Governor. Imagine what Allred can do from that vantage.