From Bryan Fischer, Idaho Values Alliance

In an encouraging sign, former state representative Bob Ring – a relentless opponent of the family and the sanctity of life – acknowledged this week that he retired early from the Idaho state legislature because he became frustrated with the state Republican Party for becoming too conservative.

He was replaced by Curtis Bowers, who will prove to be a strong advocate for religious liberty, the sanctity of marriage and the family and the sanctity of life.

Ring expressed disapproval of the Idaho Republican Party’s move to close its primaries. This, of course, is a simple common sense move that allows registered party members to decide who their candidates for office will be. It’s always struck us as a form of political insanity – whether you happen to be a Democrat or a Republican – to allow members of the opposition to help you select your starting lineup.

The Red Sox would love to help Joe Torre make out the Yankees’ starting lineup, but it ain’t gonna happen, because the Yankees aren’t that dumb.

But when a political party opens up its primary to voters who do not share its values, it is in effect doing the same thing.

Moderate and liberal Republicans – many of whom comprise the party’s elite in Idaho – know that a closed primary will make it easier for pro-family, pro-life candidates to win the party’s nomination for general election slots, and that’s why they want open primaries. It makes a little easier for them to weed out social agenda conservatives who make them nervous..

We believe the IVA’s “Gem State Voter Guide” was instrumental in the 2006 election cycle, both in the primary and the general election, because it gave voters enough non-partisan information to identify those candidates who shared their values.

We distributed almost 75,000 copies of the print version of this guide for the fall election, and the online version of the guide likewise was heavily used, both in the primary and in the general election season.

One of the reasons conservatives were successful in ‘06 is that voters could identify them without having to rely for information on a media biased against the pro-family movement.

The combination of closed primaries and accurate, non-partisan voter information will mean good things for Idaho families at the ballot box in coming years.

With your help, the IVA intends to produce the “Gem State Voter Guide” in the 2008 election cycle as well.

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