GOP: Fractured in a good way

This letter is in response to the article "Republicans: Party Has Fractured," which appeared on Oct. 5.

Some people are making this a far bigger issue than it is. As elected officials, we all serve at the pleasure of our constituents. Mr. Roetter was elected to his position by a vote of the elected members of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, and as such he has the unique benefit of sitting amongst his constituents once a month at the KCRCC meetings. Mr. Roetter has every right to act according to his principles. In fact, I applaud him for doing so, particularly in the face of strong opposition. His constituents likewise have the right to remove him from his position if they feel they are not being properly represented. What we have here is a case of everyone exercising his/her rights according to the established system. However it comes out, it comes out and we all move on. That's really all there is to it.

Is the party "fractured?" Of course it is. It's supposed to be. That's why there is an entire committee in the first place; to make sure multiple viewpoints are represented. If everyone were supposed to be in agreement on every little detail, then it would be much more efficient for the party leadership to be appointed based on agreeableness to the agenda of those at the highest levels. But this is not the case. Precinct Committee Officers are elected by the citizens of their respective precincts. Thus, the citizens ultimately guide the GOP, not the other way around. This is healthy government.

What is divisive, however, is name-calling. Name-calling is generally what a person resorts to when he doesn't have a congruent argument. Mr. Jorgenson states that the county party has been "taken over" by "a group of wackos." Considering that every member of the KCRCC was elected by the Republican voters of Kootenai County, and that Phil Hart was also chosen as the GOP candidate (for Idaho House, District 3, Seat B) in the May primary by many of those same citizens, the only group he can possibly be referring to as "wackos" are the voters. Insulting the voters is generally not an effective strategy for unifying the base behind your cause. Perhaps Mr. Jorgenson should keep that in mind if he decides to run for office again.

JOE MALLOY

GOP chairman

Legislative Dist. 5