Ammon Bundy Runs For Governor

[The Observer]

Ammon has filed with the Idaho Secretary of State for the purpose of running for governor next year. And he is doing it as a Republican, not as an independent. The reason for that is the state is dominated by the Republican party. The immediate presumption is that he won't get far in the primary, but the current governor, Brad Little, recently outlasted an attempted recall petition due to anger over his executive actions regarding the pandemic, including the anger over imposed mask requirements - an issue that is near and dear to Ammon.

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-envir ... ernor?rl=1

Given that over the last few weeks that many of the mainstream positions on how to deal with the COVID virus are suddenly being undermined by research and studies showing that governmental policies were not correct or accurate, and that CDC's Dr. Fauci's released e-mails showing him stating that masks were virutally worthless in preventing transmission of the virus, it may provide the ammunition to Ammon to unseat the incumbent in the primary.

His intention to run is already alarming moderate politicians of both parties in the state and has encouraged others on the far right to enter the primary as well. The main problem for any body from the far right or left is that Idaho has a large moderate electorate and may simply recgonize in the election next year that Bundy or whoever is not who they want. That might prove an opportunity for a moderate Democrat to reach the governor's office.

[notorial dissent]

It might be a good wake up call to Utah to get really Bundied on, but I suspect it is more likely he'd just split the GOP ticket and a Democrat might slip in. I just can't imagine he sits very well with a lot of the Utah electorate, although maybe I 'm misguessing.

[AnOwlCalledSage]

It might be a good wake up call to Utah to get really Bundied on, but I suspect it is more likely he'd just split the GOP ticket and a Democrat might slip in. I just can't imagine he sits very well with a lot of the Utah electorate, although maybe I 'm misguessing.

Now, I may have a subscription to the WaPo and NYT, but I don't pretend to be an expert on US politics. However, are there not primaries for Governors? Given the apparent predilection for "the more conspiracist the better" when it comes to GOP candidates, it is then just a straight fight and no ticket splitting is required.

[The Observer]

Now, I may have a subscription to the WaPo and NYT, but I don't pretend to be an expert on US politics. However, are there not primaries for Governors? Given the apparent predilection for "the more conspiracist the better" when it comes to GOP candidates, it is then just a straight fight and no ticket splitting is required.

Yes, there are primaries and that is how most elections go. The issue that nd is referringto is that if a radical candidate is able to stir up enough animosity in the electorate during the primaries, it could create a situation where the radical's supporters will refuse to vote in the general election (or vote for the opposing candidate). So if Ammon doesn't win the GOP nomination, but is able to generate enough distrust against the winner of the GOP primary, he could very well create a situation where the Democrat candidate could win if the election turnout is close.

[notorial dissent]

Now, I may have a subscription to the WaPo and NYT, but I don't pretend to be an expert on US politics. However, are there not primaries for Governors? Given the apparent predilection for "the more conspiracist the better" when it comes to GOP candidates, it is then just a straight fight and no ticket splitting is required.

Yes, there are primaries and that is how most elections go. The issue that nd is referringto is that if a radical candidate is able to stir up enough animosity in the electorate during the primaries, it could create a situation where the radical's supporters will refuse to vote in the general election (or vote for the opposing candidate). So if Ammon doesn't win the GOP nomination, but is able to generate enough distrust against the winner of the GOP primary, he could very well create a situation where the Democrat candidate could win if the election turnout is close.

What he said. In the US generally, before every election the various parties get together, get seriously drunk at times in my opinion, and select a candidate, or two if there is some dissent within the party, then they have a statewide(for statewide offices) vote and the voters pick who will be the "official" candidate for the actual election. However, if there is enough divisiveness, as there could be in UT you end up with two, or sometimes more candidates from the same party coming out and splitting the vote. Not a good situation.

My impression, and that is all it is since I don't claim to be or want to be an expert on UT politics, is that there are three GOP factions, the fairly conservative(well really deeply conservative) GOP/Mormon group, the some what more liberal(and in UT it doesn't mean the same thing it does everywhere else)GOP/Mormon group, and the looney toon Bundyite faction(s). IMO, possibly mistaken, they are not big enough to actually win anything but maybe scattered local elections, but they are big enough and loud enough to really mess it up for the other GOP candidates. Maybe. It is highly unlikely the first two groups would vote for anything Bundy, but this could split them enough that they can't find a compromise candidate that will appeal to enough of both groups to get elected, and as Observer points out could very easily hand it to a (gasp)Democrat.

[The Observer]

One quibble, nd: the state in question is Idaho, not Utah.

[AnOwlCalledSage]

I had also forgotten the rather bizarre write-in-candidate registration rules that some states allow. I think Idaho is one of them provided you register in time.

[notorial dissent]

One quibble, nd: the state in question is Idaho, not Utah.

Mind must be going, I would have sworn it was UT. Makes it worse though, ID politics are even stranger, although most of the same rules apply as I understand.

[grixit]

In California we have open primaries for state positions followed by runoffs. In the last 2 election cycles that ended up with 2 democrats in a few the runoffs and the republicans shut out. I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, as a democrat i was glad of the wins, on the other hand, the process doesn't seem quite fair. But on the third hand it was approved in a referendum.

[The Observer]

I guess it all depends on whose ox is being gored. Idaho switched to a closed primary in 2011 but only for the Republican party. The Boise press came out opposed to the change claiming that the change is hurtful since it does not allow for "independent thinkers" and in their opinion the Idahoan electorate has a "majority" of independent-minded voters. This seems to fly in the face of logic, since the state has a super-Republican majority and holds all five major state offices. And why did the state Republican party sue the state (and win) for a closed primary? They claimed that Democrats were crossing over and voting for Republican candidates in order to tamper with the election:

Parker says the GOP closed its primary because it believed there was evidence of crossover voting. “Our members believe that Democrats were openly crossing over, voting in the Republican Party, picking our candidates, and essentially just tampering with the process.”

“It was really a ridiculous notion,” says Idaho Democratic Party chairman Larry Grant. “They tried to tell everybody the reason they wanted to do that was because Democrats were crossing over and being spoilers in the Republican Primary.”

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/p ... its-ballot

No way to tell who is correct on this issue, but I don't see that it matters which way the vote is conducted in a state that is dominated by one party, the results are pretty much going to be the same. Even an Ammon Bundy run is going to have difficulties in throwing the governor's office to a Democrat, unless the planets are perfectly aligned.

[The Observer]

For a better understanding of current politics in Idaho, this article came out yesterday:

https://apnews.com/article/id-state-wir ... d29f0e10a3

As always, caveat lector. This should not invite commentary criticizing the parties or politicians of either side, unless it is dealing with particular sov citizens such as Bundy.

And Bundy's antics are stirring up trouble, now over the use of water in Oregeon.

[wserra]

The penultimate sentence in Bundy's whine about how "the Media" portrays him:

But if you believe what the media says, Ammon Bundy is just some dumb “hick from the styx” who shoots guns and where’s a tin foil hat.

I give up, where's the tin foil hat? After all, a "hick from the styx" would know the difference between "wears" and "where's". And "styx"? Even I don't believe that Bundy's from the Underworld.

[notorial dissent]

I was always of the opinion it was lining that ugly ass kuh-boy hat he always wears.

[LaVidaRoja]

Interestingly enough, the Cook Political Report does list him as a Republican candidate, but does NOT list him as an announced candidate. I do not know the specific distinction between the two. I would think if he has taken out, prepared and returned the paperwork, he would be considered announced. Maybe he is having a bit of trouble meeting some of the requirements?

[Jeffrey]

Bundyism and the drought in the southwest is a dangerous combination.
It’s also fascinating that the drought deniers also happen to be antimaskers.

[wserra]

It’s also fascinating that the drought deniers also happen to be antimaskers.

Well, you see, the mask keeps the water vapor you exhale from entering the atmosphere. Presto - drought!

[notorial dissent]

It’s also fascinating that the drought deniers also happen to be antimaskers.

Well, you see, the mask keeps the water vapor you exhale from entering the atmosphere. Presto - drought!

Scarily, that makes almost as much sense as any of his other claims.

[The Observer]

It’s also fascinating that the drought deniers also happen to be antimaskers.

Well, you see, the mask keeps the water vapor you exhale from entering the atmosphere. Presto - drought!

Scarily, that makes almost as much sense as any of his other claims.

Guess he figured out our plan to turn Earth into a desert planet and wait for giant sandworms to develop. After all, those who control the spice control the universe.

[JamesVincent]

Guess he figured out our plan to turn Earth into a desert planet and wait for giant sandworms to develop. After all, those who control the spice control the universe.

Takes great talent to work in a Dune reference into a conversation on here. Bravo sir.

[Frater I*I]

Guess he figured out our plan to turn Earth into a desert planet and wait for giant sandworms to develop. After all, those who control the spice control the universe.

The spice must flow.

[Is what it says on my apron]