Yup. I'm Happy, Politically

Why I Continue to Avoid the Idaho GOP

I’m a pretty conservative guy. In New York or Illinois, or New England, or California, that holds true.

At home here in Idaho, not so much. I’m fairly liberal-minded for Idaho. And that’s okay. It doesn’t bother me, and I don’t hear – overmuch – people criticize me for such political leanings. Not that I air them a lot in public.

But the Idaho GOP does. And they provide me with ample reasons to remain leery of them.

The Talking Points Memo, confirmed by The Ridenbaugh Press, presents the GOP platform for Idaho, containing some pretty good noodle-scratchers.

• Repeal the 17th amendment. Effectively, it appears the Idaho GOP distrusts voters to choose senators, wanting that responsibility to go back to the state legislature. I have yet to have anyone explain to me why this is a good idea.
• Nullification of any “existing and future unconstitutional” federal laws that violate Idaho’s 10th Amendment rights. Okay. Name me five federal laws you don’t want to see applied in Idaho. Then prove to me that the majority of Idahoans agree with you on that. Then prove to me that the majority of Idahoans really understand what it means to be “unconstitutional,” given that the majority of Idahoans are not Constitutional scholars, lawyers, or, really, even paying attention to this idea.
• “Taking back” federally-controlled lands. Why? So we can cut the forests down and open up lots more mines – uh, I mean, open them up to taxation and private enterprise? No thanks. I kinda like my wilderness areas and national forests.
• “Encourage citizens to participate in a systematic acquisition of precious metals which represent real value,” as a hedge against inflation. They also suggest state and county agencies accept payments in precious metals. Does that mean I can still pay in, say, copper? Lead? They all have value, you know. And how about iron pyrite? Are they going to offer gold-identification training to all state agency reps who accept payments? I can’t get the folks at the DMV to process my license plate renewal request in less than half an hour of gum-chewing. And they seem to forget that, you know, mortgage companies, grocery stores, gas stations, et cetera, aren’t exactly geared to accepting gold or silver as payment. And no word on what’s going to happen when precious metal prices go down and you’ve got a bunch of irate metal-holders on your hands.

The 17th Amendment thing is what really rankles. State legislative rights should trump the rights of the individual voter? Why? How is that going to increase state control in the Senate? Please explain.

I’d link to the Idaho GOP platform on their website, but they haven’t yet updated the platform from the 2008 version.

To be fair, I decided to look up the Idaho State Democratic Party Platform, as adopted June 12, 2010, to see if the Dems have any similar howlers, per my political point of view. Let’s see:

• We will work to ensure that public and private institutions are free from corruption and that all citizens are treated equally and fairly.  We affirm our commitment to social and economic justice.
• To ensure quality of life and good health for all Idahoans, we support access to a simple, affordable, quality health care system and we support the 2010 health care reform as a good beginning.
• We believe our national security will be enhanced by becoming independent of foreign oil.
• Government should play a limited role in our private lives but is the essential framework for our coexistence in a civil, tolerant society. Government should be accountable and transparent at all levels.
• We support the right of communities to self-govern, including but not limited to, the right to vote on local option taxes without the impediment of a “super-majority.”

Yeah, I know where I belong.