Hello friends, sorry to be away so long. Last week I was busy organizing our table at the Gem County Fair, and I have been busy with projects in my day job. I have several drafts in process that I will try to get out as soon as possible. I feel a responsibility to my subscribers, especially those who are generous enough to support me financially, so I will have those out soon. If you are not already subscribed, click here to sign up! It’s free, but if you want to keep me doing this long term, I invite you to sign up for a paid subscription as well.
In the meantime, there is a lot going on lately, in Idaho, America, and the world, so I thought I would do a quick rundown of various stories. Buckle up!
Primary Elections
Several states had their primary elections last Tuesday, including Arizona, Michigan, and my former home state of Washington. America First superstars Kari Lake and Blake Masters are on their way to winning the nominations for Governor and US Senate, respectively, while fellow MAGA figures such as Congressman Paul Gosar and State Representative Wendy Rogers cruised to victory as well. In Michigan, Trump-endorsed John Gibbs defeated first term Congressman Peter Meijer, whose first act after being elected in 2020 was to vote for President Trump’s impeachment.
Washington has not reported definite numbers as of this writing. Incumbent Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse both voted to impeach Trump last year and faced tough primary battles against insurgent America First candidates Joe Kent and Loren Culp. By the time you read this those races might be decided, hopefully in favor of the challengers.
These victories are big - yuge, even. In Arizona, both Kari Lake and Blake Masters had been strongly opposed by the Republican establishment, as represented by Governor Doug Ducey, former Vice President Mike Pence, and the still-powerful McCain family. They spent $20 million trying to stop Ms. Lake from winning the nomination - that’s ten times what Brad Little raised for the Idaho gubernatorial primary campaign.
After our primary I came up with a rubric for what sort of conservative candidate can win statewide here in Idaho, pointing to the victorious Raúl Labrador as an example. He or she needs to have name recognition, be an engaging speaker, and be free of scandals or controversies. Both Lake and Masters fit this profile, for the most part. Kari Lake was a former news anchor, giving her instant face and name recognition with millions of Arizonans. She is also an excellent speaker who handles the fake news better than anyone else in the party. She avoided any hint of scandal during her campaign.
The same is true of Blake Masters. While he started as a relative unknown, he was able to spread his message thanks to serious cash from his mentor, billionaire investor Peter Thiel. He too is a good speaker, and argues persuasively for principles that many Republicans find hard to articulate, such as national sovereignty and the necessity of an economy where a single breadwinner can support a family. Mr. Masters represents a new breed of Republican, one who holds America First principles but also has the knowledge, experience, and gravitas that comes from being part of our national elite. I expect him to be a leader of the conservative movement for the next generation.
The process of retaking our country begins with retaking our party. The GOP has gone astray in the last few decades, embracing open borders, free trade, and endless foreign wars rather than putting the American people first. Fixing our party is a long process, and sometimes we take three steps forward and then two steps back. Stay focused, and press onward!
Abortion
The Biden Administration is suing the State of Idaho over our trigger law at the same time as they are exploring options to bypass the Hyde Amendment and use federal funds and facilities to engage in abortion. It is clear that they will not let anything stop them in their desire to destroy as many unborn lives as possible.
The State of Kansas rejected an amendment to their constitution that would have banned abortion. Opponents predictably accused backers of wanting to control women, and not caring if women died. This is the same line they are using here. At last month’s State Convention, the Idaho Republican Party strengthened the pro-life language in our platform. We affirm that murder by abortion is always wrong, no matter the circumstances. During floor debate, future State Senator Scott Herndon spoke eloquently about how our language does not put women’s lives in danger, because treatment of ectopic pregnancies or other complications that result in the death of the unborn child do not fit the definition of murder. Yet this distinction is either too fine for the left, or (more likely) they are disingenuous in their debate. They know that many pro-life Republicans are nervous about being seen as anti-woman or not caring about the life of the mother, so they use that as their avenue for attack.
Now that Roe v. Wade is in the dustbin of history where it belongs, red states like Idaho will need more men like Mr. Herndon to articulate a consistent and coherent position in favor of the unborn. We must work to pass the most restrictive abortion bans possible while at the same time preaching a respect for life.
Boise School Board
The Boise School District Board of Trustees has an election next month and it is a big one. Five of the six positions on the board are up for grabs, which means this is a golden opportunity for conservatives to take ground in a leftist stronghold.
The Boise School District actually predates the State of Idaho, and thus their charter supersedes state law regarding school district elections. The state legislature passed a law in 2013 standardizing elections throughout the state, but Boise refused to alter their charter to go along with it. Thus they hold their trustee elections on the Tuesday after Labor Day, perhaps hoping that low turnout will always work in their favor.
From what I have read, Steve Schmidt is the most solid incumbent. He was appointed just last fall to fill an unexpired term, and had to justify his own existence to local media for the crime of being white and male. He is being challenged by a high school senior, Shiva Rajbhandari, who ticks all the leftist boxes. He calls himself a community organizer, he demands climate justice, and he is an advocate for every Marxist policy one could possibly imagine.
The Ada County Republican Party is holding a special meeting at the County Courthouse on Thursday evening at 6:30. Stop by if you’re in the area, as we will hear from some conservative candidates for Boise School District.
Vin Scully
Tuesday night also saw the passing of legendary broadcaster Vin Scully. What can I say about the man whose voice is synonymous with America’s pastime? Mr. Scully got his start calling games for the Brooklyn Dodgers, gave voice to their amazing World Series victory over the hated New York Yankees in 1955, and followed the team to California in 1958.
Vin Scully was the voice of so many iconic moments in baseball history - Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series, Sandy Koufax’s perfect game, Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run, Bill Buckner’s heartbreaking error, Kirk Gibson’s amazing walk-off homer, Joe Carter’s World Series ending home run in 1994, and Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter in 2014.
If you listen to those calls, you will notice that Scully’s genius was not so much in what he said, but in what he did not say. He always resisted the urge to insert himself in the moment, preferring instead to let the moment speak for itself. For 67 years, Vin Scully was our constant companion as baseball evolved from a pastoral American game into the multi-billion dollar enterprise it is today. Vin Scully was baseball for four generations of fans, and his passing leaves a hole that will never be filled.
I used to be a big baseball fan, and it still hurts that my Seattle Mariners never played in a World Series. I have not watched lately, as the MLB has become too political, too woke for me to waste my time with. But the history of baseball is an integral part of the history of America. Men like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr. - and yes, Vin Scully - belong in the pantheon of American icons.
The passing of Vin Scully marks the end of an age. I leave you with his touching farewell speech from his final game in 2016:
Sadly, as of now, the Trump backed candidates in Washington were defeated.
I must disagree with “He or she needs to …be free of scandals or controversies.“ One needs to look beyond the “scandals or controversies” into the reasons behind the controversies. These days, being patriotic, loving America, and supporting the constitution, rule of law, and other principles we hold dear are considered controversial, scandalous, and even illegal — including by the FBI.
Lies and smears often are the flavor du jour in political campaigns; unsuspecting, apathetic voters fall for these lies and smears with disappointing regularity.
We need candidates with honesty, integrity, strong constitutional values, and a willingness to stand up for them, even if they risk being jailed. Ignore lies and smears. Look behind the so-called controversies and find out — by doing your OWN RESEARCH — why a candidate is controversial.
We cannot continue to hand your government over to candidates who are supported by globalists, big money, and who lie or co-opt another candidate’s platform for expediency. If we don’t value honesty and integrity in our elected officials, we’ll lose everything.
Please think carefully when you cast your vote. Do not simply vote for the candidates with R next to their names, even if you are a staunch Republican and have been so your entire life. It’s time to think outside the box and look at the Candidates, not just the Party affiliations.
Also, follow the money/funding. Start here:
- https://sunshine.sos.idaho.gov/ (Idaho)
- https://www.opensecrets.org/ (Federal)
- https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page (Idaho / Federal)
ESS machines cheat, this comes from one of the owners. He testified that all machines can be hacked. Hacker said he can hack an ESS in 3-4 min. We don't truly know who won our Primary. It's time to be done with machines.