State of the Blog: Politics

At Blogfest 2016, I told the audience that one of the draws for me to continue blogging for The Spokesman-Review was the big election year that’s facing us this year. We’ll be electing partisans from the courthouse to the White House. Huckleberries Online wants to be part of that process. The closed Republican primary that favors extreme candidates poses an obstacle for good government. But not an insurmountable one. I don’t hold out much hope for change in Districts 2 and 3 in Kootenai County. In Coeur d’Alene, however, we can elect legislators who understand the value of urban renewal in upgrading the city and building the future Education Corridor. Legislators Mary Souza and Kathy Sims have fought urban renewal efforts at every turn. They need to go. Unlike almost everywhere else in North Idaho, Coeur d’Alene is a center-right town instead of a radical right community. We saw that when the town turned back the radical right that had overthrown the nonpartisan Coeur d’Alene School Board and was threatening to take over the mayor’s chair and City Council.

I consider my self to be an independent voter. Unlike most independents in this community, who form a group that is bigger than the Republican Party that dominates the political land scape, I am a registered Republican. I wasn’t denied a voice in the election process when the Tea Party schemers in this state maneuvered to close the primary. In actuality, neither party impresses me that much. My motivation for voting and blogging is the betterment of this great place I call home: Coeur d’Alene.

I consider Huckleberries Online to be the voice of the majority of independents in this area and somewhat beyond. Conservative RINOs call this blog “liberal.” Then, they call everyone a liberal who doesn’t meet their party purity qualifications. Huckleberries is here for everyone who is tired of political gridlock that hurts the average citizen and those lower on the economic ladder. This will continue to be a cyber space where ideas are shared in a fairly civil manner/ DFO.