Your help is needed to restore good governing to the Gem State:
Take Back Idaho PAC formed in 2022 for the express purpose of restoring civil, reasonable and pragmatic government in Idaho. We endorsed 40 legislative candidates in the 2022 primary election, with mixed success–27 won and 13 lost. Our review disclosed that an important element contributed to the losses. There was no organized effort to counter falsehoods spread during the legislative session and throughout the election by extremist candidates and their allies. TBI decided to fill that void in 2024.
TBI and its members have taken an active part in opposing culture war measures and supporting worthwhile legislation. We were instrumental in stopping legislation to dismantle Idaho’s domestic terrorist law. We played a significant part in fending off efforts to sabotage the Open Primaries Initiative. Our members worked to sidetrack measures to require taxpayers to pay for private and religious schooling. We helped to get the Legislature to shoulder some of the burden of funding the construction and maintenance of public school buildings, even though that bill has its share of warts. We also supported the Governor’s Launch grant program. The Take Back Idaho and JJCommonTater websites outline those and other legislative issues.
We have also taken on the important task of exposing the ugly underbelly of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and some of its extremist actors, such as its white nationalist consultant, Dave Reilly. We will soon be revealing the unsavory campaign consultant working for quite a number of the extremist legislators, which will be an eye opener.
Perhaps our most important contribution to the 2024 elections will be our comprehensive voter guide that is currently in the works. We hope to have it up and running by the time the current legislative session ends. It will contain a factually accurate description of the background of competing candidates and how they stand on important issues. No spin will be needed because the comparison will tell voters all they need to know. The guide will be expensive to complete and advertise, but we think it will prove to be a valuable tool to help restore responsible government to the Gem State.
We need your financial help to carry on this important work. We are working closely with partner groups and do not intend on duplicating the fine work they are doing in supporting individual candidates. You can use the donate button on our website, or mail a check to Take Back Idaho, P.O.Box 2574, Boise 83701
Thanks and best wishes, Bruce Newcomb, Tom Arkoosh, Jenn Ellis and Jim Jones
This effort is needed as the smear campaigns are in full swing and it appears that the 2022 primary playbook is being used. The secret sauce two years ago was to incite fear and anger by using well known propaganda techniques. Unfortunately too many fell for that ploy and another significant portion of the electorate sat on the sidelines. Will 2024 be a repeat? For all of us, but especially for our children and grandchildren, I hope not.
Thanks for your comments, Mary. You are correct that a number of extremist candidates ran successful smear campaigns in 2022. We are better prepared to meet them this year. There is less fear of Dorothy Moon and her cronies this year and a greeter willingness to stand up for what is right. Reasonable Republicans are running for precinct committee positions in order to break Moon’s stranglehold on the party apparatus. I’m optimistic, but it is going to take a lot of hard work in the next several weeks. Jim