Stop Idaho RINOs

Other unsavory groups–the Idaho Freedom Foundation, Stop Idaho RINOs and the Christian nationalist Idaho Family Policy Center–will be more than happy to guide voters to their favored candidates. And, of course, the official Republican Party state website and most county committee websites, which are currently controlled by the extremist branch of the GOP, will be glad to recommend the most extreme candidates. My rule of thumb is to check out those websites to see who they are supporting and then vote against all of their recommended candidates. It is likely that the candidates who oppose their recommended candidates are the true conservatives–the ones who will stand up for the Idaho and U.S. Constitutions.

Enter Greg Chaney, a former state legislator initially embraced by conservative circles. A devout Christian and committed conservative, Chaney aligned with the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s agenda until he witnessed its inner workings and recoiled at their excesses. His decision to defy the Foundation on legislation he deemed excessively severe marked the beginning of his ordeal. The lesson is stark and swiftly delivered: Deviate from absolute loyalty, and face the wrath of personal destruction. Chaney's harrowing experience reached a nadir when his family fell victim to heinous attacks, prompting his daughter to ask, "Why do they want to kill daddy?" Families, unquestionably, should remain off-limits. Yet, John Heida, a paid agitator managing Stop Idaho RINOs, persists in disseminating vile content that drags Chaney’s family into the mire, distorting personal incidents from Chaney’s past to boost Chris Boyd’s campaign for Canyon County Prosecutor. Labrador’s choice of Boyd as a special prosecutor in a conflict of interest case underscores the intertwining of political favors and campaign strategies.

Canyon County resident John Heida recently made the beautiful state of Idaho his home. Like many who consider themselves political refugees after they could not convert their communities to match their values, Heida teamed up with the Idaho Freedom Foundation Network to promote his values to lifelong Idahoans through his group called “Stop Idaho RINOs.” Heida recently published a series of tweets that worked to normalize extremism in Idaho. He said, “We are calling on Idahoans to crush the curve and embrace the EXTREME. Don’t let them control the narrative. Never before has it been labeled EXTREME to have patriotism and a desire to protect the young and innocent. Stay married. Have the babies. Go to church. Homeschool the kids. Protect all children. Speak the truth. Be EXTREME.” It’s an interesting take on extremism. You see, this tweet was published in response to the creation of a new group designed to fight extremism called Idaho Leaders United. Influential business leaders like Tommy Ahlquist and Courtney Liddiard have put their names behind this effort to educate Idahoans on extremism and it seems to have triggered people like Heida who are invested in stopping Idaho “RINOs.” If what John Heida says is true, then why would these highly successful people stake their reputations on an effort to destroy faithful Christians, parents who homeschool their kids, and those who see the LGBTQ+ community as a threat to their children?