Next time will be better

Take a deep breath, Republicans.

Lasting seven excruciating hours, the caucus Tuesday night was far from perfect; on that point, everyone agrees. But it was the first of its kind, and like a kid learning to ride a bicycle - well, did you really expect there wouldn't be some bumps, bruises and bad words?

Ron Lahr, president of the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans, nailed it when he told The Press that caucuses are naturally drawn-out processes. In fact, that's part of the fun; just ask any Iowan.

In Kootenai County's case, paperwork created big bottlenecks. Because much of the administrative stuff had to do with independent-minded voters signing up as Republicans, it's possible many will stay that way and won't need to go through all the same paperwork motions again four years from now.

In our view, the biggest problem had less to do with time and more to do with timing. Even before some Kootenai County precincts really got under way with their caucusing, Ada County-dominated southern Idaho was already reporting that Mitt Romney had captured enough votes to ensure all 32 state delegates were his. When the outcome has already been determined, why bother to stick around?

In that regard, Kootenai County GOP Chair Tina Jacobson is right: The entire state, split by two time zones, must be allowed to start caucusing at the same time. If the overall objective is to have a real say in who advances as a presidential candidate - which is why Idaho adopted the caucus system on Super Tuesday in the first place - an equitable statewide plan is imperative.

We understand the widespread anxiety. We also believe a level playing field and lessons learned from a challenging first attempt will go a long way in making the 2016 caucuses not just more expedient, but politically more enjoyable.