Op-Ed by Josh Gibbons
I must admit, I am not a fan of Twitter. When I go on the platform it seems like a liberal safe haven – a place for “they/them” (or whatever catchy title they have on their bio) to cheer each other on. But today I noticed a change among Idaho’s Twitter users. This past weekend, Representative Dorothy Moon was elected Idaho’s GOP Chairman and many Idaho tweeters were losing their collective minds.
As I read through their tweets, I couldn’t help but chuckle. For people who hate the Republican party, they sure were invested in our party’s outcomes. It turns out they have been so for quite some time, and one must ask why. But with all due respect to Jen Psaki, we’ll circle back to that shortly.
A Clear Victory for Conservatism
Dorothy beat out former chairman Tom Luna in a wide margin win. She took a total of 434 votes out of the 721 cast, with Luna receiving only 287. When the announcement was made, it felt like the entire convention hall erupted in cheers and applause. You could feel the energy. You could feel the air change.
Now that Dorothy has been elected to the job, we conservatives (and even the Democrats) know a few things are going to change in Idaho’s Republican party.
I believe the Left was comfortable with the former Chairman, as he was supported by the they/them guys. Sure, Tom wears a Republican label, but it was his own signature that brought common core to Idaho. Anything that undermines parents and leads children to believe that their teachers are higher authorities in society is good only for the Left. Those on the Left also enjoyed the fact that Tom was willing to (and did) sue members of his own party. Nothing like Republican infighting to get a liberal’s day going!
A Proven Fundraiser
Why are the they/them crowd so mad about Dorothy winning? In short, she is effective. Dorothy Moon is a great fundraiser. When Dorothy entered the race for Secretary of State she was behind the ball. You see, one of her opponents had announced much earlier and had been fundraising for MONTHS prior to Dorothy entering the race. That person had the competitive edge, or so it seemed. But Dorothy blew that opponent, Mary Souza, out of the water on fundraising. Mary raised a total of $128,656 whereas Dorothy – in a short period of time – raised $233,585. Democrats know Dorothy’s ability to raise funds is bad for them.
Dorothy also inspires people. She speaks clearly on issues of importance, she doesn’t use jargon or spin, and she has been a role model for other Republicans around the state, as many follow her lead when it comes time for them to run for office.
It’s All About the Principles
Republicans win when we focus on conservative principles. We want our party to be focused on limited government, personal responsibility, free market, individual liberty, traditional values, and the rule of law. These are things that matter to Republicans. Dorothy will keep the party on track with those principles, and she will be guided by those principles as she leads the way.
The Idaho Republican party has a decent war chest, but now we need to prepare for the Democrats’ attack. This conservative victory this past weekend will be used as a launching pad for Democrat fundraising, and we know they will use any means necessary to harm Republicans and the Republican brand.
In addition to speaking boldly about our principles, we need to defend ourselves against any and all attacks. We will do that by ensuring that our principles are upheld in whatever policy decisions our elected officials vote on, but we must also ensure we are funding the party fully so we can focus on communicating our principles and legislative victories through advertising campaigns or other means at our disposal – including Twitter and other social media.
The they/them crowd will soon realize that it’s a “WE” The People crowd who will be standing firmly on solid Republican principles to make Idaho Great Again. And with Dorothy at the helm, we’re on our way!
(Photo credit: Daniel Murphy)
