The 2014 Idaho Republican convention in Moscow was memorable, but not in the way many would have preferred. The process was so dysfunctional and even peripheral issues so contentious that the party was unable to build a political platform. Voters are left to wonder what the state GOP stands for. Some anti-government ideologues may have sought and relished the dysfunction that defied unity among delegates. Some political opponents probably thrill at the implosion. The fiasco generated both giddiness and grief. Takeaway messages are mixed. At the national level, it helped cement Idaho's reputation as a haven for backward-thinking, naysaying obstructionists who are not serious players on the national stage, but colorful sideliners, so outrageous in right-wing entrenchment as to have become almost comic relief from increasingly serious matters of the day. Idaho and its citizens deserve better than that/Nancy Chaney, former Moscow mayor. More here. (Facebook photo of Nancy Chaney)

Question: Do you ever get the impression that the rest of the nation isn't laughing with us?