WEDNESDAY ROUNDUP: Year in Review

What a year it's been

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It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since my last Year in Review post. Since that time I’ve more than doubled my subscribers and seen my posts shared far and wide in the world of Idaho conservatives. It’s reached the point now where readers I’ve never met introduce themselves to me at events. It’s a little strange, but fun. I remain humbled and honored by the outpouring of support, and I will continue to do my best to provide you with worthwhile news, analysis, and commentary.

After reporting from the Idaho GOP Winter Meeting in January I announced that I had taken a role with the Idaho Freedom Foundation. In that capacity I had the privilege of hosting Capitol Clarity every Thursday at noon in the Lincoln Auditorium, which remains one of the neatest things I’ve ever done.

Though posting slowed down due to my new commitments, I struck a chord with my comparison of two newly elected state officers, Superintendent Debbie Critchfield and Attorney General Raúl Labrador:

In February I decided to address a tweet of mine that bad actors seized upon as proof that I was some sort of backward misogynistic extremist. I made my first trip to Coeur d’Alene for the KCRCC Lincoln Day extravaganza and had a great time, and also that month I had the honor of meeting Chloe Cole and hearing her story:

In March I learned about the planned Lava Ridge wind farm and asked why the federal government was planning to use Idaho as raw material for Californians. I took the chair of the House Education Committee to task for refusing to allow inappropriate books to be read in her committee hearing, but voting against removing them from public school libraries. It was in March that I wrote perhaps the clearest explanation of my political philosophy, which is that the world we grew up in has changed, and so we must adapt our strategy to fit the current situation:

In April I handed out my entirely subjective legislative awards after watching the entire session from start to finish for the first time. I called out the scapegoating of the 2017 Charlottesville protest and how it’s been treated so differently from the subsequent BLM and Antifa riots. I also celebrated the passage and signing of House Bill 71, banning irreversible surgeries and drugs designed to mutilate healthy children. Last night a federal judge ruled in opposition to this common sense law, so the battle continues.

In May we went to the polls again, this time deciding on school levies and library boards. I noted that the library has become a cultural battlefield, not because of reactionary conservatives, but because leftists want to capture the hearts and minds of our children. Finally, I shared how my perspective on politics was changed after hearing from Katy Faust, who has made it her mission to persuade us to put children first:

In June I took the bull by the horns, writing full responses to columns by Daniel Silver and Mary Souza that attacked the Idaho GOP and conservatives in general. I ruffled a few feathers when said what is really obvious once you think about it, that achieving your desired political outcome requires political power:

In July I wrote a reminder of why our Founders did what they did and completed my trio of responses with one for Trent Clark. I also called out the disingenuous voices attempting to blame Dorothy Moon and the Idaho GOP for the loss of the March presidential primary:

Posting was sparse in August, but I still managed to write about the how the middle class taxpayer has become the forgotten man in American discourse. I also took aim at the ranked choice voting / blanket primary initiative that leftists hope to use to fundamentally change the way we vote in Idaho:

In September I wrote a series of posts looking at the failure of the Constitution to prevent the current situation and the futility of appealing to it to fix our current problems. I also indulged my love of history with a fun post about the time Wyatt Earp was a Kootenai County deputy sheriff. It was in September when I decided to take the plunge and try to make a living as an independent writer:

Posting picked up in October as I aimed to get one article out every day. A few highlights include my observation that most elected officials see themselves as managers rather than statesmen, my impressions of the Meridian candidate forum, and my visit to the 2nd amendment rally hosted by ISAA. My post breaking the news of mass resignations in the ACRCC became my most read post of all time:

November continued full speed ahead, with another election coming and going. I had the opportunity to ride with an Ada County Sheriff’s deputy for an evening and spend a few hours talking with the one and only Dustin Hurst. The political war in Idaho escalated when Sen. Chuck Winder sent threatening letters to Scott Herndon, Glenneda Zuiderveld and Brian Lenney, stripping the latter two of their vice chairmanships. It was in October that I connected the dots from Governor Brad Little to several PACs that are trying to oust conservative senators:

So here we are in another December. 2024 will by all accounts be perhaps the most momentous and tumultuous year in our nation’s history since 1861, so buckle your seatbelts. I have big plans of my own that I’m excited to fully reveal very soon. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss a moment! Thank you so much for your ongoing support. Let’s tackle 2024 together.