OPINION: Rational thinking

In a recent Coeur d'Alene Press editorial, the lingering ghost of the former editor rises like swamp gas over the Florida Everglades to regurgitate tired and biased tropes against the Republican Party.

OPINION: Hate lost

We have the election results and all of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) Recommended Candidates won their races. KCRCC Recommended Candidates Leslie Duncan, Marc Eberlein, Bob Norris, Carl Bjerke and Elaine Price won their competitive races by wide margins. This is a repeat of the 2022 primary where all of the KCRCC Recommended Candidates won in Kootenai County.

OPINION: Principle or power

“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” — Alexander Hamilton

OPINION: White Elephant or Trojan Horse

“They have been calling themselves “Republican” for so long they have started to believe it.” — Senator Scott Herndon, Freedom Caucus member.

OPINION: Answering the critics

There is a coordinated statewide effort to destroy the Idaho Conservative Grassroots Movement from the inside and turn Idaho blue. A gang of Boise political consultants calling themselves “Gem State Conservatives” brag about having $2 million to accomplish this goal. In truth it’s the “Gem State Heist” because it’s nearly identical to the Rocky Mountain Heist which turned Colorado from deep red to blue. These efforts have the full support, approval and endorsement of the woke Democrat party.

OPINION: Shut up!

“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” — George Orwell

Smaller Idaho GOP committee to play larger role selecting national delegates

Normally, about 20% of delegates are selected at the Republican state convention, but that won’t happen this year

In a written statement to the Idaho Capital Sun, Moon and Brent Regan, the rules committee chairman, said the Idaho Republican Party made new rules to respond to the deadline issue and is following those new rules.

OPINION: Get Dorothy Moon

Since the moment of Dorothy Moon’s landslide victory at the 2022 Idaho State Convention, former chairman Tom Luna, his unhinged sidekick Trent Clark and fellow travelers have been waging a disinformation campaign to discredit and depose Madam Chairman Dorothy Moon. They formed the ironically titled “Gem State Conservatives” PAC and are using funds from undisclosed donors in a state wide effort to displace grassroots conservative Precinct Committeemen. Their tactics are worthy of the Biden Administration and are applauded by Democrats.

OPINION: Hate on display

It seems like our governments are populated with sociopaths that would rather blow up our institutions and economy than give power back to the people.

OPINION: Recommended candidates

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC), the official Republican Party, has made their recommendations for the upcoming May Primary Election. The KCRCC candidate rating and vetting process is just that, a process involving questionnaires, interviews, candidate forums, due diligence, sub-committee reports, discussion, debate, and finally a vote by the full KCRCC.

OPINION: Party on — Gem State heist

Last week I wrote about the need for political parties because they bring stability to our Republican form of government and how that stability is under threat from the Uniparty.

OPINION: Party on

Political parties are private organizations. They are the manifestation of our freedom of association, our fundamental right to increase our persuasive capability by gathering with likeminded individuals to petition our government.

OPINION: Caucus saboteurs

Last Saturday, thanks to efforts by the Idaho Republican Party, nearly 40,000 Idaho Republicans were able to cast their vote for their preferred Presidential Candidate. This could not have happened without the Republican Party acting after the Secretary of State, the legislature and the Governor all agreed to cancel the March Presidential Primary.

OPINION: Critics and liars

Hearing some of the complaints about the upcoming caucus I am reminded of the story of the young mother and son’s day at the beach.

OPINION: Caucus FAQs

As the Republican Presidential Preference Caucus approaches (Saturday, March 2) both interest and questions are increasing. Here are some of the questions and their answers, FYI.

OPINION: The media and the caucus

As we approach the March 2 Presidential Preference Caucus the amount of misinformation being generated by the media and talking heads is stunning. At the Republican Party headquarters literally half the staff’s time is being consumed correcting this misinformation.

OPINION: The new Republican Party

Kootenai County is the home of the most successful, respected and emulated Republican Central Committee in Idaho, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee or KCRCC. The mission of the KCRCC is to enhance freedom and prosperity by promoting fiscally and socially conservative candidates who will implement the Idaho Republican Party Platform as policy.

OPINION: Caucus or Primary

Over the last few weeks several individuals have crawled out of the shadows to “explain” the upcoming Idaho presidential caucus. Unfortunately these “explanations” are not based on any firsthand information and are full of misinformation, false claims and outright lies. Why would they falsely paint a doom and gloom picture? Who knows, but they aren’t being honest with you.

OPINION: Are you brainwashed?

The short answer is yes, we all are to some degree brainwashed. Our society is flooded with competing messages designed to influence your viewpoint and perceptions.

OPINION: Republican Party and crazy critics

Republicans from all over the state gathered earlier this month in Boise for the IDGOP Winter meeting. Every six months the 218 members of the Idaho Republican State Central Committee gather to take care of party business. This Winter Meeting was a total success. Not only was all business accomplished, but it was done in record time.

OPINION: Presidential Caucus fact check

“I’m a lifetime Republican and I’m really worried I won’t be able to participate in the Presidential Caucus,” said Jim, an 89-year-old combat veteran during a call with Idaho GOP Chairman Dorothy Moon.

OPINION: The business of politics

The most powerful lobbying agency in Idaho is unknown to most Idaho voters. This organization wields enormous power and influence over every state elected official. How do we know this? None of them will openly criticize, or even talk about it.

OPINION: Uniform Fairness

Imagine your child plays on their school’s Little League baseball team. You bought them their uniform and glove. You take them to practice. You attend all their games and encourage and support them in every way a parent should. You set a fine example for other parents who are also dedicated and put in the effort to support the team. As a result of all this hard work your school’s team is the state champion. You are justifiably proud of your child, your team and your school.

OPINION: Monetizing hate

Imagine you have two individuals. One individual holds critical opinions of a group of people and occasionally expresses those opinions in public. Many disagree with those opinions and some are even offended by them.

OPINION: The freedom of lie

The freedom of speech is dead. It has been for a while. If you doubt this, try saying something that is against the progressive woke narrative.

OPINION: Threat to democracy

Democracy is where a society is ruled by the people. It was understood by our founders that a pure democracy is an unstable form of government because as soon as the majority appreciates that they can vote for the seizure of wealth and property from the minority, revolution and chaos are only a matter of time. Our Founders’ solution was to give us a republic in which the people vote for their elected officials to represent them and then the officials pass laws to govern society.

OPINION: Libertarian Fascist

In politics, if you are effective you get called a lot of names.

OPINION: Caucus confusion

What is up with Idaho’s Presidential Primary or Caucus? Are we having one or not? When is it? Where do I go? When is the deadline to affiliate with the Republican Party?

OPINION: Republican brand

If you want the truth about what’s happening in the Republican Party you won’t get it from the Democrats or their allies in the media. They want you to believe a myth that the party is trying to disenfranchise voters and prevent candidates from running for office. Of course this is exactly what you would expect to hear from the opposition and those that have lost power due to a surge in grassroots engagement.

OPINION: Death of the primary

The Democrats running Reclaim Idaho and their supporters are pushing a voter initiative which they are deceptively calling the “Open Primary Initiative” and falsely claiming that “Leaders are handpicked by political party committees” and that somehow Idahoans do not have the freedom to vote in all elections. These ridiculous claims are easily disproven with a tiny bit of rational thinking.

OPINION: Pattern of deception

A large portion of what we call “intelligence” is pattern recognition. Patterns of sounds are recognized as words or music. Patterns of symbols are written language. Patterns of features are faces. Captcha asks you to recognize items that fit a pattern to prove you are human. Intelligence tests rely heavily on pattern recognition by asking you to find the next number or symbol of a set or to determine which word does not fit with others.

OPINION: Fear is the mind killer

Author Frank Herbert understood that fear can paralyze the body and prevent rational thought. Unlike the basic drives like reproduction, eating and status, fear is induced, a product of external circumstances. Fear is therefore a powerful tool for mind control and persuasion. Fear is the preferred tool in politics when facts or policy are not in your favor. The last Coeur d'Alene School Bond election demonstrated the power of fear.

OPINION: Fact check

"The mission of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) is to enhance freedom and prosperity by promoting fiscally and socially conservative candidates who will implement the Idaho Republican Party Platform as policy." — KCRCC Mission Statement

OPINION: Democrat chaos

An accountant friend would tell a story of the 1980 Savings and Loan collapse. He attended a meeting where the board members watched a presentation recommending that they upgrade their corporate jet to the latest model for several million dollars. After the presentation ended the chairman stood up and announced their S&L was insolvent and would be closing its doors and terminating all employees that afternoon.

OPINION: Affordable Idaho

[SARCASM LOCK ON] Reclaim Idaho has a brilliant plan to deal with Idaho’s drug, crime, and homelessness problems while making housing more affordable for everyone. Remember that Reclaim brought us Medicaid Expansion that they promised would cost $350 million but it performed three times better and now costs about a Billion dollars a year. Yippee!

OPINION: Stockholm Idaho

Imagine an office size cage containing four monkeys. In the center of the cage is a stepladder and above that is a bunch of bananas suspended by a cord from the ceiling. Whenever a monkey tries to climb the ladder to get the bananas, water jets spray cold water on all the monkeys. After several aborted attempts, the monkeys now assiduously avoid the ladder despite the promise of tasty bananas.

OPINION: Cancel culture cancer

Should saying something derogatory about a group of people cause a person’s professional life to be ruined? If someone utters a racial, sexual or ethnic slur, without breaking any laws, should their ability to provide for their family be eliminated? If someone “Likes” a post or forwards a Tweet(X) should they be fired from their job, shunned from society or both? Do you think this is justice? Do you want to live in a world where the answer to any of these questions is “Yes?”

OPINION: 2024 Idaho Presidential Caucus

During the last legislative session the Secretary of State Phil McGrane pushed legislation to move the Presidential Primary from March to May. Unfortunately the bill was poorly drafted and what it really did was to ELIMINATE Idaho’s Presidential Primary entirely. Despite this flaw, the governor signed the bill which disenfranchised every Idaho citizen from expressing their preference for the nominee for the general election in November.

OPINION: Ad Hominem Ad Nauseam

The Idaho Republican Party is in the midst of a shift from the established power elites to the grassroots base. The reason for this is simple; the voters have had enough abuse.

OPINION: Trump redux

In December 2015 I wrote an article that made the case for a likely Trump victory in 2016. I submitted it to our local paper and it was rejected as a “ridiculous notion.” At the time the Huffington Post would not even cover Trump in the political section. Let’s try this again.

OPINION: Power vs. Base

“Did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage” Roger Walters, Pink Floyd Because of mining, ranching, farming and timber, 50 years ago Idaho was a solid blue state. But as the Democrats made a hard shift to identity politics, they left Idaho behind.

OPINION: Republican summer meeting

The Idaho Republican Party wrapped up a very successful summer meeting held at the Living Waters Ranch in Challis. The facilities were superior, the food delicious and the meeting itself was well organized and efficient. Considerable effort went into preparing for the business the party needed to accomplish and that effort was evident as success.

OPINION: Wannabe Republican

George Orwell notoriously observed that language controls thought and thought controls action. If you can control the words, you can control people. If there are no words describing “revolution,” then there cannot be a conspiracy to revolt because the concept of a revolution cannot be communicated between individuals.

OPINION: Too far

Neuroscientists will tell you that the prefrontal cortex, the part of the human brain responsible for impulse control, prioritizing, planning and generally making good decisions, is underdeveloped until the mid to late 20s. This explains many of the poor decisions made by teenagers. As parents we ask “What were you thinking?” and the answer is that they weren’t thinking, at least not fully. The task of guiding and correcting immature behaviors falls to adults and society has developed moral codes, laws and taboos to help character development.

OPINION: Primary solution

Earlier this year the legislature, with the approval of the governor, disenfranchised ALL Idaho voters from the 2024 Presidential Primary. The plan was to move the Presidential Primary from March to May to “save money” but by May most of the delegates are already allotted and Idaho would be ignored by the campaigns. No rallies, no advertising, no enthusiasm. We would join only 5 other states with presidential primaries so late in the year.

OPINION: Relatively extreme

“Extremist” is a common pejorative often offered as a frame when discussing politics, as in “he is a right wing extremist,” but what does being accused of being an “extremist” really mean?

OPINION: Too clever by halfwit

The recently released Durham Report confirms what many on the right have known since 2013 and the Lois Lerner scandal, that government agencies have become polluted with a progressive liberal political agenda and that many in the media facilitate this corruption.

OPINION: Cultural programming

It is axiomatic that in order to hold a position on a topic you must first think about that topic. A corollary to this is that if you want to persuade someone you must tell them what to think. Experts in influence know that this and repetition are key elements of persuasion. They also know that while they may not be able to control exactly what you think, they can control what you think about. Think of a Unicorn. Gotcha!

OPINION: Counterfeit candy

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

OPINION: Call me crazy

In Saul Alinsky’s Marxist handbook “Rules for Radicals” Alinsky advises that “ridicule is your most powerful weapon.” This seems to be a lesson well learned as evidenced by nearly every Letter to the Editor or comment section which contains some name calling, insults, ad homonym attack, or slur.

OPINION: School solutions

If your boss tells you it’s “not acceptable” that you failed to do something that they wanted you to do, you could reasonably take that as a threat to your future employment. However, if the thing they wanted you to do is vote, then their words are a likely violation of Idaho law (Idaho Code 18-2318) which prohibits using threats, including “discharging from employment,” in an attempt to influence your vote.

OPINION: Library sophistry

Children are born with an amazing capacity for learning. Through observation, exploration and mimicry infants are able to decode human behavior. By age two, most have begun to understand that certain noises relate to certain concepts and that by uttering those sounds in a specific sequence they can begin to control their environment. Mastering the complex mechanics of speech is done completely through iterative trial and error.

OPINION: For the kids

Imagine a typical North Idaho family, Shawn and Jane Doe and their three children Mary, Mike and Becky. Shawn is the assistant manager at a local division of a national company. The Doe family is a comfortable, middle class family and happy, but money seems tight. Jane has been pestering Shawn to ask for a raise but Shawn is hesitant. What if the boss says no?

OPINION: Primary confusion

Idaho no longer has a presidential primary. The Idaho Constitution specifies that it is the duty of the Idaho Legislature to establish a system of free public schools for the purpose of providing a stable republican form of government. However, it is in this primary mission, endowing our citizens with a basic understanding of civics, that our public schools are failing miserably. Few and far between are the citizens that have a well-rounded knowledge of how our government actually works, or fails to work.

OPINION: Levy chat

The proposal for a new levy in Coeur d'Alene has caused quite a stir, given that a similar proposal was defeated only a few months ago. The levy is intended to raise funds for education, and while this is an admirable goal, there are reasons why it should be defeated again.

OPINION: The Shirtist

Once upon a time there was a peaceful town that was a true American melting pot; a cross section of races, religions, heritages and interests. Everybody, for the most part, got along with each other and was friendly to both neighbors and strangers. It was a good place to live. The town had one unusual quirk. Most of the people wore green shirts, but one in five people wore a yellow shirt. Whether by tradition or habit, people wore the same color shirt worn by their fathers. Nobody remembers why because nobody really noticed.

OPINION: Success and failure

People who have achieved success usually understand the relationship between perspective and outcome. Every action begins as thought; an idea that gives perspective. Martin Luther King had a dream, and John F. Kennedy issued a challenge. From these perspectives came great achievements.

OPINION: Canceling NIC

As you watch and listen to the public comments at the recent North Idaho College (NIC) Board of Trustee meetings you may be struck at how the demands of those testifying don’t match their actions. Faculty, students, staff and citizens would come to the microphone and for two minutes demand that the trustees fix the accreditation problem, or berate the trustees, or demand the trustees resign, or accuse the trustees of committing illegal acts, or threaten to recall the trustees, or on and on and on they go.

OPINION: The forever levy

Our public schools badly need the accountability only competition can provide but the Freedom in Education Act, a bill that would have allowed some education dollars to follow the student, died in the Senate on Monday. In March, parents are being asked to give up their remaining ability to hold the district administrators accountable by voting to approve a forever levy.

OPINION: NIC reframe

The three rules of great opera; make it loud, wear flashy clothes, and if things don’t go your way, kill yourself. What is Accreditation? Accreditation is awarded by independent accrediting agencies that periodically examine schools' curricular offerings to confirm that they are providing students with a quality education.

OPINION: Lincoln Day 2023

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee’s Lincoln Day has earned the reputation of hosting the best Lincoln Day in the state of Idaho. The secret to our success is a tremendous amount of hard work by a dedicated and talented team of volunteers combined with a focus to our mission.

OPINION: Conservative metrology

Nearly every candidate for the Idaho Legislature will tell you that they are “conservative.” They will tell you that they want to reduce the size of government, lower taxes, cut spending, reduce the burden of regulation and shrink bureaucracy. They will tell you these things when they run the first time and when they ask to be reelected. How do you objectively know if they are lying?

OPINION: Dueling realities

Now more than ever it seems that two otherwise reasonable people can look at the same set of facts and arrive at two diametrically opposed viewpoints. Both can absolutely believe that their version of reality is correct.

OPINION: Pro school choice

Life is competition. Every organism on the planet, from virus to human, is the champion of a generations long struggle for the right to exist. Every product you consider, collect or consume is the result of innumerable competitive transactions. There are so many competitive transactions that must occur to produce even the simplest product that economist Milton Friedman observed, “There’s nobody in the world who knows how to make a pencil.” While pencils obviously get made, his point was no single person has the knowledge to build the tools to collect all the raw materials and then process those into a pencil.

OPINION: Blame Game Fear

“Fear is the mind killer.” Frank Herbert Fear is a powerful motivator, which is why fear is often deployed as a tool for persuasion, particularly in politics where blame is assigned to past events and future predictions.

OPINION: Grassroots politics

The Idaho State Republican Party Winter Meeting concluded successfully last weekend, much to the chagrin of the critics. Our new Madam Chairman, Dorothy Moon ran an efficient meeting despite challenges by some intent on derailing the proceedings.

OPINION: Institutional racism of public education

“Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.” – Thomas Sowell

OPINION: Hate speech or speech they hate

Our society is besieged by a small but vocal group of self-appointed arbiters of what is acceptable to utter in the public square. Should you dare cross some imagined moral threshold they pounce and proceed to excoriate you for your transgression.

OPINION: Election confidence

On Jan. 2, 2021 the Citizens Committee for Election Integrity convened with the mission to “concisely articulate the minimum standards for free, fair, and honest elections.” The committee was successful in producing 14 Minimum Standards for Fair and Honest Elections (1) and having those standards be incorporated into the Congressional Record. The standards can be used by our local, state and federal legislators as a metric for reviewing and revising election law to ensure free, fair, and honest elections where the outcome is accepted by all citizens of good will.

OPINION: Urban renewal district, a city council's evil twin

Urban renewal districts are beloved by planners, bureaucrats, and developers as a way to secure “free money” for massive projects that the taxpayer may otherwise never agree to pay for.

COMMENTARY: Work not woke

Election season is upon us (again) and the air is full of so many claims, accusations and outright lies.

COMMENTARY: Protect the innocent

If you want to witness a small miracle, the next time friends or family are visiting with their weeks to months old infant, hold the child so that they can see your face. Once you have captured their gaze, stick out your tongue. The infant will likely mimic your behavior and stick out their tongue. This seems like a silly experiment until you think about it. To accomplish this feat the infant must recognize the face of a stranger and then notice the odd protrusion of your fleshy mouth appendage. They then mimic that behavior by moving an appendage they have never seen. This is completely by instinct as they have not been trained or witnessed their own tongue in action. It really is quite remarkable that we are born with this innate behavior.

COMMENTARY: The dog that didn't bark

As in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story “Silver Blaze,” sometimes the best clues are things that didn’t happen.

COMMENTARY: Student Loans vs. PPP

The Biden administration and their friends in the media are pushing the notion that it is okay to forgive student debt because the government forgave PPP debt.

COMMENTARY: School levy facts

This coming Tuesday Aug. 30 there is a School Plant Facilities Reserve Fund Levy Election that would authorize the Coeur d’Alene School District No. 271 Board of Trustees to levy and collect up to $8 million each year for 10 years.

COMMENTARY: Trafficking hate

We are emotional creatures and the majority of what happens in our brains happens in the subconscious, or child mind. The vast majority of our decisions are emotional decisions that are then rationalized by our adult, conscious selves. Understanding this interplay can significantly increase your mental well-being. Any psychologist can recite the three rules that govern our subconscious, child mind. The child mind cannot differentiate between fantasy and reality. As children we believe the monsters under the bed are actual monsters and as adults we can suspend disbelief while watching a movie featuring characters with super human powers. If you read a detailed, first person account of someone eating a lemon, you will begin to salivate. If you hear a sad story you may shed a tear. Fantasy becomes a physiologic reality.

COMMENTARY: The cancer of anonymity

The first 10 amendments to our Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights enumerates several rights. Some call these “Constitutional Rights” but they are in fact a list God given inalienable rights that the government is prohibited from transgressing. Phrases like “Congress shall make no law,” “shall not be infringed,” “No soldier shall” reveal that our founders were insistent on restraining the power of government.

COMMENTARY: Elephant Metamorphosis

There are two types of people who get into politics; those that are called to serve and those that desire to rule. The natural evolution of governmental systems is for those that are called to serve are slowly displaced by those seeking power. Because politics is a process that involves status and power, in the fullness of time the goals become less about serving the needs of the people to more about concentrating power. This evolution happens nearly imperceptibly and those in power justify the concentration of power as a necessary element of their “service.”

COMMENTARY: New Moon rising

The Idaho Republican Party’s (IDGOP) biennial convention, held in Twin Falls, wrapped up last Saturday under new leadership with the election of Dorothy Moon (chair), Daniel Silver (1st Vice-Chairman), Mark Fuller (2nd Vice-Chairman), Maria Nate (Secretary), Steve Bender (Treasurer). There were many factors leading to this wholesale replacement, but chief among them was the unilateral action by Chairman Luna to sue Bonneville County days before the May primary. His stated reason was to protect the state party from federal election fines. Most delegates believed it was because of the feud between Melaleuca’s Frank Vandersloot and then congressional candidate Bryan Smith, who is from Bonneville. Vandersloot donated $10,000 to the IDGOP and flew two Washington D.C. lawyers to Idaho to prosecute the case against the Bonneville leadership, who were named personally (including Smith).

COMMENTARY: The problem is the solution

There are always unintended consequences to consider

There are always unintended consequences to consider

COMMENTARY: Beware the elastic dictionary

'Misinterpreting what was written has become the Sport of Trolls'

'Misinterpreting what was written has become the Sport of Trolls'

COMMENTARY: Dreams of Electric Sheep

A green future is a nuclear future

A green future is a nuclear future

OP-ED: Rational Gun Policy

Recent proposals won't work; here's what will

Recent proposals won't work; here's what will

Response to accusations against the KCRCC

Can the truth be part of a lie? Yes. In fact the most persuasive lies have an element of truth.

Dems resist alleged takeover

Candidates have until 5 p.m. today to file

Local Democrats push back against alleged Republican takeover plan

GOP shows some incumbents were contacted for vetting

GOP provides proof of contact

The endorsement game

Candidates speak out against GOP asking some Republicans to quit

Valid, experienced candidates being asked to withdraw from local elections following Rating & Vetting process by the KCRCC.