Huckleberries Online

GOP Chairman Wants Your Input

Posted by DFO

May 14, 2009 10:38 a.m. • 19 comments

Dear Friend, As Chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, I need your help. The Idaho Republican Central Committee and I realize that we can always improve how we listen to our supporters, how we communicate our message to all Idaho Republicans and how we put our resources to work as we serve Idaho. We are here to reaffirm our Party’s core values; and we are looking for your input in ways to enhance those values. We want to ensure that we understand which are the most critical changes needed in our Party. We also want your ideas for the most necessary changes required to promote responsible government/GOP Chairman Norm Semanko, in e-mail to Idaho Press-Tribune newsroom. More here. H/T: Editor Vickie Holbrook.

Vickie Holbrook’s response to Semanko SOS

Question: Is Semanko jumping at shadows here? Obviously, the Idaho Republican Party continues to dominate state politics. What do you consider to be the party’s strengths? Weaknesses?

19 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

pthompson on May 14 at 11:21 a.m.
Holbrook is jumping at shadows here. She disappoints the reader because her questions present obvious blatent bias, especially her embarass question. That immediatly destroyed any amount of credibility I had in her as a journalist.
Sisyphus on May 14 at 11:35 a.m.
He wants my input? I’ve not been really shy about giving input. I’ll make a list.
Arch_Druid on May 14 at 11:41 a.m.
He shouldn’t want only the input from the supporters. How about those who are governed? Don’t they count?
OutofStaterTater on May 14 at 11:42 a.m.
I don’t think Semanko’s being paranoid here. The party, under his leadership, is in a shambles. Fundraising “surveys” like these are just a way for him to seek validation of what he thinks needs to be done to “fix” the party’s problems.

However, if Semanko actually knew how to get out of the woods, Republicans wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.

In an e-mail sent out to party faithful shortly after his election in Sandpoint, Semanko stated that some of his top priorities as chairman would be promoting party unity, electing Republican candidates, and raising sufficient money to help elect said candidates.

Well, since that e-mail went out, Norm’s buddy, Bill Sali lost to Democrat Walt Minnick; we witnessed one of the most acrimonious legislative sessions in history; and the party has about $3,000 in the bank, according to FEC reports. One year after taking the reins, Semanko’s tenure as party chairman is hard to interpret as anything but a disaster. He’s right to be looking over his shoulder.
scootermom on May 14 at 11:56 a.m.
Dear Norm,

Please keep doing what you’re doing.

A Democrat
ejs on May 14 at 12:05 p.m.
Ya know, you think these folks would look at all the proofs of their pictures before going with the one’s they do.
I mean is it me or does this guys pick look like a archived Hitler Youth ID photo or what?
OutofStaterTater on May 14 at 12:15 p.m.
Ha! I get it! Republicans are Nazis, right, ejs?

At least try to be civil for a few posts before resorting to the name-calling. I don’t exactly like Walt Minnick, but I’m not running around calling him “Stalin.”
scootermom on May 14 at 12:16 p.m.
That’s what Norm looks like in real life.
JamesBond on May 14 at 12:19 p.m.
Don’t raise our taxes. Cut them. Cut government. Get rid of the Kempthorne crowd.
DFO on May 14 at 12:21 p.m.
Ah, OutofStater Tater, EJS is on your side ideologically. I think you’re misreading what he said. Mebbe I am, too. EJS, are you saying the Semanko photo looks like some “archived Hitler youth” photo? If so, you’d probably like to know that Norm sent it to me to replace the one I’d been using. So there’s that.
ejs on May 14 at 12:26 p.m.
Shees take it easy Tater, I didn’t say that, hell I don’t even know the guy. I’m just saying if you throw a photo out for the world to see then it’s fair game. Besides Minnick looks like a living Muppet character in his stock photo.
Just coincidence that Semako is repub and looks like a nazi youth if he was the Dahli Ilama I’d still say the same thing.
BlueinIdaho on May 14 at 12:26 p.m.
Sure the republican party has dominated party politics in Idaho, but can anyone tell me how that has benefitted this state? Is it so wrong to want your government to govern rather than attempting to fix everyone’s moral compass to fit a perceived ideal?

All I want from either party when governing is for them to find a way to fairly collect taxes and use those taxes effectively to benefit Idaho residents. I don’t want my government telling me what’s morally wrong with my neighbor and enumerating the various ways we can make his life miserable.

Is that too much to ask?
LukeB on May 14 at 12:33 p.m.
Quit trying to legislate how people live their lives and you’ll attract more members.
HonestGeorge on May 14 at 12:35 p.m.
Norm:
Four out of ten Idahoans are Democrats. We have even elected a few of our own to serve in the State Legislature - only to see these representatives unable to get legislation out of committee or even get a basic hearing as to their merits. If you truly want to improve government then start by listening to all sides - not just from what comes from your own party.
misc on May 14 at 12:39 p.m.
More purity tests, please.

Signed,

A Liberal.

:)
ejs on May 14 at 12:46 p.m.
Dave thanks for the input and yes I’m only saying that it looks like an archive hitler youth photo, Jesting of course, I can only imagine what the other one looked like.
Sisyphus on May 14 at 1:39 p.m.
Actually I have no disagreement with anything outofstater stated. He nailed it. I really hope Norm takes Bondo’s advice to: “Get rid of the Kempthorne crowd.”
Phaedrus on May 14 at 9:20 p.m.
Dear Friend, As Chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, I need your help.

When I read this I thought Mr. Semenko was asking for money. Anyone know if has he gotten current with his mortgage?
Arpie on May 14 at 11:38 p.m.
He looks a little less like Pee Wee Herman in his new photo.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.