OPINION: Counterfeit candy

Investing in quality is sometimes a difficult decision to make, but it is an easy decision to live with.

Quality is valued because it is not just a thing that is added. Quality is not a component in the list of materials. Quality is part of the process of creation. We refer to people who produce quality as not just builders or makers but as craftsmen who are masters of their trade.

In industry there are entire departments dedicated to quality. They write and oversee innumerable standards and procedures that must be followed to ensure a quality product. Quality is therefore the result of good processes and practices.

Quality depends on process. So if you are asking for a recommendation from someone, the process they used to arrive at their opinion should be important to you. If you plan to take someone’s advice, you should ask yourself why you should trust their opinion.

If you needed a referral to a medical expert, you would probably ask your doctor and not your plumber because your doctor would have direct and relevant experience needed to offer sound advice. Likewise, if you need a recommendation for a political candidate, you would be wise to ask someone who is involved in politics.

The Republican Party of Idaho is organized at the state, region, district and county levels. Idaho has 44 counties so there are 44 Republican county central committees. The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee is the only organization sanctioned by the Idaho Republican Party because the KCRCC was created by and operates under IDGOP rules.

Unlike other organizations where the members appoint themselves and then put “Republican” in their name, the KCRCC is a grassroots organization because its members are elected by Republicans in each of the 73 precincts in Kootenai County. To be a member of the KCRCC you must be elected by your neighbors to represent them, and because there is only one member for each county precinct, the KCRCC is the most diverse representative organization of Republicans in the county.

“Republican” is a brand. It represents a set of ideals and beliefs that are articulated in the Republican Party Platform. Because of this, when people vote for a Republican, they expect the person they are voting for to hold a particular set of ideas and beliefs.

Anyone can call themselves a “Republican” even if they don’t align with the Republican Party Platform. But should they also be able to run for office while claiming to be a “Republican?”

Should a random Chinese candy maker be allowed to manufacture a counterfeit version of Reese’s Pieces and sell them claiming to be the Hershey Company? Obviously not. When a customer buys a bag of Reese’s Pieces they expect a genuine product. The customer trusts the Hershey brand, and Hershey has a reciprocal obligation to the customer.

Similarly if a candidate wishes to carry the Republican brand, then the Republican Party has an obligation to protect that brand and ensure the candidate is an actual Republican. The KCRCC takes this obligation seriously and has three committees dedicated to ensuring the quality of our recommended candidates.

The Recruitment Committee finds prospective candidates who are qualified for office and who substantially agree with the principles and positions of the Republican Party.

The Vetting Committee asks prospective candidates to fill out a questionnaire and then be interviewed. During the interview, the committee seeks to understand the candidate’s qualifications, motivations and fundamental thinking about governance. A background check is also performed. All results are reported to the KCRCC.

The entire KCRCC membership has the opportunity to meet and question the candidates face to face at a series of candidate forums. All members of the KCRCC then meet to discuss and debate the prospective candidates. At the end of this meeting, the members cast secret ballots to determine who will be recommended by the KCRCC. All votes are considered equally so no one person, even the chairman, can overrule the will of the majority. Candidates must receive 50% of the votes plus 1 to be recommended.

Quality depends on process and no other organization puts as much effort as the KCRCC puts into the process of evaluating candidates to determine their suitability and that they are a genuine Republican. Because of the multi-step process involving separate committees, there are no “favored insiders.” As a result on several occasions, sitting KCRCC members, who were also candidates for office, did not receive the KCRCC’s recommendation.

Quality has value, and so several groups have attempted to counterfeit the KCRCC recommended candidate list in an attempt to deceive voters. If their opinions had true value, they could stand on their own merit.

If you want a quality recommendation, you need to ask someone who has done the hard work.

It’s just common sense.

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Brent Regan is chairman of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee.