Ron Paul Making More Mischief
by mcjoan
Mon May 12, 2008 at 09:10:38 AM PDT
Following their stunning success in Nevada, Paul supporters are back at it. And it couldn't happen to a more worthy Republican state party.
The Texas congressman and former Libertarian presidential nominee has targeted Idaho as part of his quixotic challenge to John McCain. Paul loyalists seek to yank the Idaho GOP organization up from the grass roots by fielding candidates for precinct committeeman in the May 27 primary. But they refuse to identify their slate.
An unusually large number of candidates, many unfamiliar to party regulars, seek to fill the county and state central committees, especially in Ada, Twin Falls and Kootenai counties....
Idaho GOP Chairman Kirk Sullivan said Paul's tactics were a hot topic at a recent National Committee meeting.
"They are working hard to have an impact on the national convention," Sullivan said. "But they don't talk to anybody. I have never been approached by a single Ron Paul person about what the party's doing, how they get involved, how the platform will be rewritten, how the rules will be established."...
Challis McAffee, 32, has been attending Central Committee meetings, where he declines to sign in. He is a self-employed Capital High grad who is converting a travel trailer to a food service rig in the driveway of his parents' Boise home, the address he lists for his candidacy.... McAffee chuckled at the notion the Republican Party, which dominates Idaho politics, is nervous about Paul's guerrilla tactics. "They oughtta be," he said in a stage whisper. "We're taking the party back."
Paul has quite a following in Idaho, and enjoyed an enthusiastic reception there last month. If his followers are organized enough, they might be able to pull off a repeat of Nevada and possibly throw a monkey wrench into the downticket races. Both Bill Sali, Idaho's first district represenative, and Jim Risch, current lieutenant governor and the party establishment's heir apparent for Larry Craig's seat, have primaries. Risch, in fact, has seven of opponents, a few of them the run-of-the-mill Idaho Republican kooks (including the Californian who has never been to Idaho), and a few of them fairly serious and committed.
A serious revolt by Paul's people, should it trickle down the ticket, might give Risch a bit of a scare in his march to the nomination. Once he gets that nomination (and he almost certainly will) he's going to have to contend with one of two Independent challengers: the elk rancher who has made it his goal in life to harrass Risch (so much so that he decided to run as an Independent, to up his chances of being on the general election ballot), and Pro-Life, a Ron Paul supporter), who has made it his goal in life to be on the Idaho ballot every two years. Is any of this enough to really endanger Risch or McCain in getting their respective nominations? Highly unlikely, but it could make things a little more fun to watch.
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