“America is the only nation in the world based on an idea – freedom and self-government – so if we don’t understand that idea and what sacrifices were made to win that freedom and keep it for over two centuries, how can we possibly continue to keep it?” – Eric Metaxas
I started putting my thoughts into print in early 2021. I was frustrated with the direction of our country and state, but even more so, I was frustrated with a political class that was uninterested in my frustration. In my estimation, I was not alone in this. After several years of writing, my concerns have only been validated. I have been fortunate to find a tribe of like-minded commoners who, somewhere along the way, were convinced that this nation was founded by and for us, the people.
This frustrated class resulted in a wave of grassroots conservatives getting activated and sweeping a bulk of establishment politicians and the political class out of state Republican power in the summer of 2022. You may recognize the weekly grievances of the ousted political class, broadcast in the pages and airwaves of the local and corporate press. They sound something like this… “dictator this.. fascist that.. homophobe.. white supremacist.. yada yada.” Believe it or not, I count this a victory. When your opposition fails in its message, it sinks into impugning your character. This suggests that our message is winning and resonates with others. Our like-minded tribe has doubled in size, and the conservatives of Bannock County are finding a voice opposing the previously unchallenged voices of the political class.
To regain lost political clout, several state “Republican” coalitions have sprung up with the express intent of assuming power at the neighborhood precinct level. The first of these is the Gem State Conservatives who count amongst their leadership, Former GOP Chair Trent Clark and Former GOP Chair Tom Luna. First deemed the Gem State GOP, they changed their name after receiving a cease and desist from the Republican National Committee for utilizing the GOP monicker. They have amassed a minor war chest of a million dollars and recruited Republican legacies to run for neighborhood precinct seats within the Idaho Republican Party. Don’t be surprised to see a slew of seventy and eighty-year-old neighbors pulled from the bench of politicians past to pinch-hit on your ballot.
Another group working hand-in-hand with the Gem State Conservatives is the North Idaho Republicans. Though we won’t see them on our ballot in Southeast Idaho, they, too, were made to discontinue the use of the Republican red elephant logo in their official communications. They can be recognized by the white elephant in their logo. Fitting. More insidious than even the Gem State Conservatives, the North Idaho Republicans are largely a hodge-podge of Joe Biden Democrats and anti-Trump moderates like “Women for Biden” representative Christa Hazel.
You may have recently received a mass text from Idaho’s wealthiest billionaire, Frank Vandersloot, about the upcoming precinct committeeman races in May’s primary. This campaign is tied to the work of the Gem State Conservatives and the like. Nothing screams grassroots like a text message from a billionaire in a literal castle, pointing you to a list of establishment and legacy politicians to vote for in your commoner neighborhoods. To his credit, Vandersloot walked back the campaign and claimed he was not told that his campaign would point to a specific slate of candidates. The damage was done.
In his recent columns and posts, fellow columnist and Gem State Conservative Trent Clark has made his disdain for Idaho Republican Party Chair Dorothy Moon evident. Indeed, his most recent article is titled “What I Have Against Dorothy Moon.” Trent has made his case that Chairwoman Moon is unorthodox and departs from how things have always been. For the uninitiated, that’s the point. Moon’s predecessor, Tom Luna, squeaked out a GOP chair win in 2020 by 12 votes, while Dorothy Moon beat Luna by a resounding 147 votes in 2022. That was the mandate of the grassroots of Idaho for the Republican Party to course correct or find themselves outside of political relevance.
I am in full support of the current Idaho Republican Party leadership, and I intend to preserve it so that we might maintain the grassroots momentum we’ve built in the last two years. In full disclosure, I have been critical of the country club nature of the Bannock County Republican Party, and some time ago, I was asked to run for committeeman to represent my corner of Bannock County. I obliged, so a few of you in precinct 66 may find me on your ballots next week.
My fellow committeemen candidates across the state don’t represent monied interests. Many live paycheck to paycheck but volunteer their time to preserve posterity for their children and grandchildren. Many will lack expendable funds to advertise their campaigns, so we have created a list of vetted grassroots conservative committeeman candidates republished here: https://stopidahorinos.com/comprehensive-list-of-liberty-pcs/ . If Idaho is to continue to lead the conservative charge in America, it starts in our neighborhoods first.
Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash
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