Who represents the GOP?

Humans tend to prove over and over that if left to our own devices -- we degrade and devolve.

With the goal of having "true" and "real" Republican conservatives in office, inappropriate candidates have been chosen. Arrest is no longer a negative if one does not spend at least 24 hours in jail. Losing one's license (any license) for an illegal activity and being on probation no longer is a negative if one has done better since the offense.

Bill Clinton's anecdotal lifestyle perspectives seemed to be more the model for qualification rather than a more admirable effort to keep the bar high; even at the precinct level.

Has holding private closed meetings to endorse some candidates for the primary with money raised by all the candidates now become acceptable and deemed true and real Republican behavior? Antonymic to the shades of red within our GOP, our party platforms have apparently been insinuated with one shade of crimson.

Precinct and central committee people are valuable when they pursue their valid function but with 38 to 308 votes cast for precinct members they do not serve as guide-on or intercessor for other elected officials. Precinct committee members are not elected to be policy makers or to act as the final voice in who should run for office.

Some individuals have become very active in this campaign. To you I say -- thank you. Whether for or against me that is one of the most American things you could do. Some chose to hide behind anonymity or in the darkness and demonstrate their cowardice and callous disregard for the rights and property of all people. Still others, with questionable and selfish motives, chose to use flyers and in the process hurt candidates and incumbents. Those people make all of us smaller.

In Elmore County 2812 "R's" voted in my race and 265 "D's", the most for any race in the county with the commissioner race next at 2,792. Boise County had 1537 "R's" in my race and 84 "D's". One might assume that there were no more dem's that stayed home than "r's".

I am curious about these numbers because there are some that believe that when Democrats cross over to vote in the Republican primary they do so to make it easier for their candidate to win in the general election -- hummm? Let's see how the numbers say that is working out?

A decade ago, at the time of the last reapportionment, there were approximately 37,500 citizens per district -- let's just round that to 40,000 today. In District 22 (Boise and Elmore) 4,698 people voted in my race including the D's. Of that 4,698, Democrats voting were 5.2 percent in Boise County and 8.6 percent in Elmore or 7 percent in the District. Total voting were 11.7 percent of the potential 40,000 with less than 1 percent D's. If Democrats comprise 30 percent of our population, 12,000 people, and 1 percent showed up to vote in the "D" primary, that would be 120 people. If another 1 percent crossed over then I got 120 "D" votes. So something just doesn't make sense.

Either the "D's" account for far more of our population than we think or the vast majority of them voted in their Democrat primary to account for the 349 total voting in the district.

One might conclude then, if Republicans want to change the outcome of a primary or prevent the Democrats from influencing same, then just show up and vote. Seems like a legitimate function for a viable central committee focused on good open government where exchanges of ideas and philosophies are not feared.

Outside interests are having far too much influence on our elections and spending far too much money to sell their half-truths and lies. It would be great if central committees, on both sides, became interested in holding forums where those in office could talk about the votes they have made and why, so that everyone could understand and be more involved with keeping the politics and the politicians honest and honorable.

A great by-product of such activity would be the education of potential future candidates. Too many candidates make promises they could never keep and make statements they simply don't understand where the effect is a confused and sometimes angry electorate with a distrust of their officials.

If a valid goal of a central committee is to recruit viable candidates and not just those that meet predetermined ideological criteria then there is plenty of work to do. Every bit of that valuable work can be done openly and need not be divisive.

I have been criticized for votes I made at the last convention. Individuals were recruited and agreed to be delegates that I had not seen before the selection meeting and have not since. They met the ideological demands of a preconceived outcome.

I remember stating that those who were going to vote should spend time understanding the will of the folks they were representing. I remember stating that I spoke with a great number of people every year and that I believed those constituents did not seek the result that was being discussed and sought after by the central committees at the convention.

The outcome of this election indicates either: 1) the wrong opponent was chosen again for the second time in a row, or 2) the majority of the people, for the second time in a row, have clearly indicated a direction they want their constitutionally sworn officials and other elected officials to follow.

Do we believe in a democratic republic or not? There are not optional modules to adopt and others to disregard.

It is clear to me that I have constituents who want me to be more cautious and discerning -- and I intend to do just that.

It is also clear by this primary election and the margin of approval for the Mountain Home School supplemental and the Horseshoe Bend School bond approval that citizens want accountability and openness and the ability to secure the futures of their children.

They will even tax themselves to do so when the state lacks the courage to do it for them. The people have spoken and I expect will continue to do so -- I will do my best to listen to ALL of them. I heard it said that I do not listen to constituents -- bull. I listen -- then I try to do the will of the majority and I believe that is the most Republican republic of all.