It is going to be a grand ol' party at the upcoming GOP convention, especially for Idaho Democrats. Norm "Norm!" Semanko has announced that he will seek the Republican party chair as the unity candidate. Even though he assured the party poobahs that he wouldn't run, he now realizes that he's got to save the party with his candidacy.
The contest for chair will be split into three factions: the poobah faction, also known as the good ol' boy network, and consisting of all the big names in Idaho Republican politics, favoring Sullivan; the ultra conservatives plus the Ron Paul insurgents, supporting Rod Beck; and the "party regulars" as Norm calls his constituency, which I guess makes them the more moderate wing.
This can't be good for Idaho GOPers, but it's one more reason why this election is the Dem's best shot at gaining seats in years. Fractured GOP party leadership and battling splinter groups in the electorate, Obama excitement, lots of new young voters, a good slate of energized Democrats such as Larry LaRocco and Walt Minnick, and many good candidates in lots of state legislative races, all point to exciting prospects for Idaho Democrats.
I've been disappointed before, and I never misunderestimate the tendency of Idahoans to reflexively vote R, but this could get exciting.
h/t Mountain Goat Disarray schmisarray
Update: Beck removes hat from ring, supports Norm.
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SANDPOINT -- It appears the Ron Paul wing of the Idaho Republican Party has scored its first victory at the party's state convention in this North Idaho resort town.
The state party's platform committee voted overwhelmingly Friday to add to state platform language supporting abolishing the Federal Reserve System and pegging the dollar to gold and silver.
The idea has been championed by Ron Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican who recently gave up his run for the presidency.
Paul won 24 percent of the vote in Idaho's Republican primary and many of his backers are at the convention trying to pull the party to the right and get Paul delegates seated at the Republican National Convention.
Left out the attribution above- it is from the online Statesman, June 13th.
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