Ward’s RINO-True Conservative Coalition

First Congressional District Congressional Candidate Vaughn Ward announced the formation of Women for Ward. One of the Women for Ward and the most recognizable name was Shelia Sorenson. In 2004, Ms. Sorenson killed the same sex marriage Amendment, refused to resign her Senate Seat and delayed endorsing the Republican nominee to replace her in the State Senate until enough damage had been done to the Republican cause that Kate Kelly got elected.

Then in 2006, Sorenson said Aloha to Hawaii and returned to Idaho to run for Congress, got in trouble when she attended a fundraiser for pro-choice candidates headlined by now-Senator Al Franken (D-Mn.) and then continued to attack Bill Sali in the media after she lost the primary.

On the other hand, Ward also announced that Bay Buchanan (that’s Pat’s little sister) and former Republican Presidential Candidate and Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo were backing his campaign. Tancredo and Buchanan bring obvious national conservative street cred in on behalf of Ward.

Thus, the pattern of the Ward campaign continues:  national conservative groups with serious conservative credential back Ward, but Ward’s in-state support comes from establishment types or the opponents of grassroots conservatives (exs: Kempthorne, Sorenson, and Kirk Sullivan.) The strongest statewide conservative to back Ward is Tom Luna, and some conservatives are less happy with Luna than they were when he was first elected. There are some great folks who are somewhat lesser known like Ben Doty who are backing Ward, but as most people dont’ know these folks personally, it doesn’t help much.

If Ward expects these national groups to somehow counterbalance the liberal in-state support, I think he’s in for a rude awakening. Most of these groups and individuals only register with the hardcore political junkie, while names like Sorenson make a lot of conservatives want to take a week off from work and put up Labrador signs all over the state.

If Conservative voters show up mad as heck at the Republican establishment, Ward could be shellshocked on primary day.