Let’S All Work Together To Form Healthy Faction

Like the ocean, the ebb and flow of tides in political parties has occurred since their inception. To look at the future of the Kootenai County Republican Party, it is important to remember the past. Republicans have dominated elected office at high tides and they have been noticeably absent at others.

The foundation of county politics rests on the central committee. Not long ago, through lack of involvement, Republicans suffered meetings where they could not conduct business for lack of a quorum.

In those days, there may have been 25 precinct committeemen elected for the entire county and typically five or six would attend monthly meetings. Kootenai County now consists of 50 precincts, and county Republicans have 46 spots filled.

Quorums no longer are an impediment for doing business. With greater participation in central committee meetings, more points of view are expressed. That increases the chance for lively debate and more than one side of an issue being presented. Which is healthier? In my view, more opinions are better in the party. Debate is a learning experience and worth the time spent.

In the early ‘90s, another issue tore the Idaho Republican Party apart. While party stalwarts remained active in the political machine, many moderates who traditionally voted Republican simply found other candidates to support.

Kootenai County ended that cycle with only one Republican in our state Legislature. It took years to make a comeback. The change came from encouraging participation of all Republican voters and letting them chose the party standard-bearers.

With that bit of history, let’s look to the future. Someone or a group of people who call themselves the Idaho Republican Assembly endorsed a slate of conservatives from the First Congressional District race down to precinct committee people, including individuals who had been recruited as write-in candidates.

This was an overt attempt to gain control of the Republican Party in Kootenai County and, it appears that the effort failed. On Tuesday, newly elected precinct committee people took their first official action in determining new party leadership.

If that leadership reflects an exclusionary attitude toward any faction of the party, then the future of the Republican Party will ebb in the short term. Neither ultraconservatives nor moderates can risk shunning the other in this process.

Let me finish with a prediction. I believe all Republicans want to see a healthy party and will be willing to set aside differences to reach that goal. Differing opinions provided are respected, are healthy and should be welcome in the party.

While democracy is not the most efficient form of government, in my view, it is certainly the best. In the words of Trent Clark, Idaho GOP chairman, the Republican Party should strive to build the organization and to swell its ranks the Ronald Reagan way - by winning the hearts and minds of Idahoans to Republican ideals.