The Real California Plot To Turn Idaho Blue
Ada County GOP Vice-Chair Ryan Spoon (moved from California in past few years) pushing false “commie plot” narrative.
By Gregory Graf, Oct. 12, 2024, Idaho.PoliticalPotatoes.com
It’s funny how some folks move from California, set up shop in Idaho, and suddenly become the gatekeepers of conservative values.
The recent out-of-state transplants, along with the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF), have become vocal defenders of Idaho’s closed primary system. The Idaho GOP, working in lockstep with the IFF are part of a political machine designed to get their people elected and ignore the voters they represent.
The close primary system, which they forced through in 2011, has allowed them to push out normal, multi-generation Idaho Republicans and maintain control over state politics by restricting who can vote and who can run for office.
The real threat to them isn’t really ranked choice voting (RCV) as they claim—it’s the open primary, which would expand voter participation and weaken their hold.
By keeping the primary closed, these far-right operatives control who gets on the ballot and who votes, ensuring that their chosen candidates—often extremists—get elected. Once in power, these candidates remain loyal to the political machine and its donors, selling their votes to the highest donor. Proposition 1 would dismantle this system by opening up elections to more voters, which is exactly why they’re fighting so hard to protect the status quo.
The Worst Lies Being Peddling About Proposition 1
To defend their territory, the IFF political machine groups are working overtime to spread misinformation. Here’s a breakdown of their worst lies and why they need them:
“Proposition 1 is a Communist Plot”
Yes, you heard that right. According to Dorothy Moon and her comrades, the Communist Party of America loves ranked-choice voting, so naturally, anyone who supports Proposition 1 is a full-blown communist. Never mind that Idaho’s Proposition 1 has nothing to do with the Communist Party or any coordinated plot. Also, ignore the fact that supporters of racism, anti-semitism, and Putin’s minions in Idaho have made fighting Proposition 1 the hill they will die on. Does that mean anyone who is against the voter initiative is a jew hating nazi white supremacist? I certainly hope not.
Recently, Moon published an article accusing proponents of Proposition 1 of gaslighting voters. She and her cronies are masters of projection and use the tactic penned by Joseph Goebbels, “The cleverest trick used in propaganda against Germany during the war was to accuse Germany of what our enemies themselves were doing.” Did Dorothy Moon learn this trick from Dave Reilly?
This same type of whataboutism was attacked by the far-right when IFF’s candidate, Janice McGeachin was caught on video presenting to Nick Fuentes’ gathering of incels and nazis. They insisted that just because McGeachin thanked the Groypers for their support, she should not be lumped in with the nazis.
Ada County GOP Vice-Chair Ryan Spoon (moved from California in past few years) pushing false “commie plot” narrative
Fact: Proposition 1 is supported by numerous Republicans, including a former Idaho Republican Governor, Secretary of State, Speaker of the house, and Senate Pro Tempore. The voter initiative also has the support of elected Republican precinct officers around the state and business owners who all believe in capitalism.
One of the many anti-Proposition 1 websites created by the far-right political machine.
“The People Who Want Open Borders and Open Bathrooms, Need Open Primaries!”
The far-right’s obsession with where children use the bathroom is creepy. It’s part of a scare tactic campaign created with the help of a former gay porn star named Corey DeAngelis to get a voucher bill passed. This desperate lie is part of their campaign to convince freshly minted Idahoans from California that multi-generation Idahoans are part of some evil leftist plot and prey upon the ignorant fears they create.
Opening the primaries is their newest existential threat. Bryan Smith the three-time electoral loser and current Idaho GOP national committeeman said, “If Idaho gets ranked-choice voting, we’re finished.” He’s not wrong.
Somehow, letting more Idahoans participate in elections is equivalent to opening up borders and letting adult males hang out in girls’ bathrooms. The mental gymnastics here could win a gold medal in their woke Olympics.
Fact: Idaho had open primary elections until 2011. The open borders and open bathroom issues were not a top issue for the GOP until recently.
John Heida, a recent California political refugee, runs a political business (Stop Idaho RINOs PAC and Think Liberty Idaho PAC) that might go under if Proposition 1 passes.
“Proposition 1 Forces You to Vote for Leftists and Turns Idaho Blue”
This one’s a classic. They claim that ranked-choice voting is a leftist plot designed to turn Idaho into a liberal hellscape. Here’s the truth: you can vote exactly how you always have. The paper ballots aren’t going anywhere, and you don’t have to rank candidates if you don’t want to. Just pick your favorite and move on.
Fact: Many red states, like Alabama, Texas, and South Carolina, have open primaries. Even Utah, a well-known conservative state that elected Sen. Mike Lee, uses RCV in its Republican Party. So, why is Idaho’s far-right so afraid? Maybe because open primaries would give voters a real choice and put an end to the nasty campaign lies often told by the far right to win in a close primary system that rewards bad behavior.
“Ranked Choice Voting Will Eliminate Paper Ballots and Make Audits Impossible”
They love to peddle this myth because it sounds technical enough to scare people. In reality, RCV uses paper ballots, and states like Utah have been auditing RCV elections without a hitch. It’s a convenient lie to stir distrust, but there’s no substance behind it.
Fact: Idaho uses paper ballots, and this voter initiative will not eliminate them. Auditing an RCV election is easy, and it's already being done in red states.
“Proposition 1 Will Destroy the Idaho GOP”
Ah, the old scare tactic. They say RCV will ruin the Republican Party and make it impossible for conservatives to win. Let’s be clear: the only thing Proposition 1 threatens is their ability to rig a system in favor of extremist candidates who could never survive an open primary. Far-right extremists have been lying for years about everyone who is not loyal to Moon and the IFF. They’ve spent years trying to gaslight people into believing they are the real Republicans when they don’t even support the national GOP platform.
Fact: All taxpayers pay for the primary elections, and an open primary would enable voters to be honest about their party affiliation and vote for the best candidates to move forward to a general election. Republicans still run as Republicans in the primary, and party affiliation remains. Idaho is a solid red state and will remain that way, just like it did prior to 2011.
Summer Bushnell was ordered to pay a $1.2 million judgment for defamation and continues to spread lies.
“RCV Disenfranchises Voters”
The organized effort against Proposition 1 argues that RCV is too complicated and will lead to widespread voter disenfranchisement. This is funny, considering their entire closed primary system is designed to limit voter participation. The Open Primary Initiative, if anything, encourages more people to engage and vote. The real fear here? That their voter suppression tactics won’t work anymore.
Fact: Proposition 1 is designed to enable more people to vote and have a say in their representative government in taxpayer-funded elections. More people will be able to vote in elections and this will likely improve voter turn out.
Scott Herndon runs the new Idaho Freedom Caucus - spreading false narratives for the far-right is now his job.
“Ranked Choice Voting is a Marxist Plot Funded by George Soros”
Of course, no list is complete without invoking the leftist boogeyman himself: George Soros. According to the opposition, ranked-choice voting is a Marxist scheme to rig elections for the left. But, like most conspiracy theories, this one falls apart when you remember that ranked-choice voting is used across the political spectrum.
Fact: George Soros is not involved in Idaho’s Proposition 1. Far-right out-of-state actors working with the campaign against Alaska’s RCV are meddling in Idaho’s election laws by helping Moon and the IFF in their fight against Proposition 1.
“Proposition 1 Will Cost Idaho $40 Million”
This number gets tossed around like a guarantee, but it’s just a worst-case estimate. What they don’t tell you is that the actual cost could be much lower. But when the goal is to scare people, why let reality get in the way? Elected opponents of Proposition 1 have said it could cost up to $600 million, a ridiculous and fictitious number designed to scare voters away from voting for the far-right’s demise.
Fact: The costs presented to the public have no basis and are emotionally made up because those who want to see this fail control the departments responsible for implementing RCV budgets. You can’t trust numbers coming from someone under duress. Other states and cities have implemented RCV with small budgets as the software is widely available and inexpensive. Even at the fictitious $40 million price, at a one-time cost of 3.25 dollars, it’s worth investing in our state’s future.
This California carpetbagger recently arrived in North Idaho (Michael Angiletta) and is running the paid opposition to Proposition 1.
“It’s All a Scheme to Rig Elections Against Conservatives”
They claim ranked choice voting is designed to guarantee liberal victories and destroy conservative candidates. The truth? It’s about ensuring voters have more say and that the winner reflects a broader consensus. But when you depend on a system that rewards extremism, it’s no wonder you’re afraid of fair competition.
The IFF Network endorsed Ammon Bundy against the Republican nominee in the general election for Governor, proving they don’t actually care about Party picks and RCV. They only care about getting their people in office.
Fact: Those who often demand we call them conservatives have backed non-Republican candidates like Ammon Bundy and Doug Traubel. They say it's about protecting the Idaho GOP and preventing the state from turning blue, when in fact, it's about protecting a small group who use extremist tactics to disenfranchise voters and limit who can vote.
Why the Lies? It’s All About Power and Control
The far-right groups pushing these false narratives are doing everything they can to hold onto the power they’ve taken. Going back to an open primary would strip away their ability to manipulate elections with a small, devoted group of voters, and they know it. The system they defend is their ticket to passing bills that benefit their donors who seek to profit off your tax dollars.
The bottom line is simple: those who demand we call them “conservatives” don’t fear ranked-choice voting. They fear transparency, accountability, and an election system that gives Idahoans a voice. When you take away the lies, you see their game for what it is—a desperate attempt to keep control over a system they’ve rigged for too long.
More Idahoans are registering as unaffiliated and Democrat every day as the far-right continues to flex its political muscle and push good people out of the Idaho Republican Party tent. The IFF political machine, backed by their newly created army of California political immigrants is slowly turning the state blue through its abusive tactics.
Don’t let Dorothy Moon, The Idaho Freedom Foundation, and their political machine gaslight you into voting against your self-interests. Let’s fix the broken closed primary experiment, and go back to the normalcy we all enjoyed before 2011. Do your own research and consider voting Yes on Proposition 1.
About the Author
Gregory Graf is the creator of Political Potatoes and a lifelong conservative Republican whose articles often criticize the hypocrisy committed by far-right grifters who’ve taken control of the GOP. Graf is the CEO of Snake River Strategies, a communications and political consulting firm based in Eagle, Idaho. Graf and his family moved to east Idaho in 2013 from Utah and currently reside in Star.
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