Jim Risch for U.S. Senate
Sunday, November 2, 2008 1:36 AM PDT
Of the five candidates vying for the Idaho U.S. Senate slot soon to be vacated by Larry Craig, Jim Risch stands out as the ideal candidate for Idaho voters.
Along with Risch, Democrat Larry LaRocco, Libertarian Kent Marmon, Independent Rex Rammell and Independent Marvin Richardson — who changed his name to “Pro-Life” — are in the running for the top legislative seat.
Of the group, LaRocco and Risch stand out as viable candidates for Gem State voters, and it is Risch who should get the nod for the Senate seat.
LaRocco is a worthy opponent for Risch. LaRocco has plenty of experience in the legislative circles of this nation. He is a former two-term congressman and served on the staff of the late, great Idaho Sen. Frank Church.
But it’s been a long time since LaRocco was in the political mainstream — more than 10 years — and Risch stands out as someone with the vitality and know-how to spearhead Idaho interests in the United States Senate.
True, Risch has no federal legislative experience. Yet his actions at the state legislative level and his performance as lieutenant governor and, for a short time, as Idaho’s governor illustrate Risch is no political lightweight. Instead, he appears to be a candidate who can capitalize on Idaho’s untapped potential and develop long-term plans for the state’s success.
Risch has shown he can effectively match goals to resources and manage his political skills to learn rapidly and adapt to a changing political landscape.
He has also shown he can work across partisan lines. In short, while LaRocco has more federal legislative experience, it is Risch who displays the ability to learn rapidly and grasp new opportunities for voters.
Chances are, Democrats will dominate the political terrain at the federal level for a while. That makes it all the more important Idaho voters have someone true to conservative values but wise enough to know it is important to work to keep the mechanism of government going forward holding down a key Senate seat.
Tuesday, Idaho voters have a clear set of choices regarding their next Senator.
That choice should be Jim Risch.
