For another view, check this out:

http://www.43rdstateblues.com/?q=blog/1

Serephin is far from alone. Thousands of Idahoans feel the same.

Whenever Idaho’s loonies pop up, there is always the same old scrag that gets repeated. I’m a lifelong native, and a cowboy Democrat. So is the Democratic Party’s candidate for Governor, Keith Allred, and he’s a Mormon, to boot. (and is doing very well, so far, in his race.)

Here are some of the old misperceptions…

Don’t be too quick on laying it on the Mormon doorstep. The LDS beliefs changed radically in 1978, when church president Kimball’s revelation that black folks have full church membership rights. I’m not LDS, and don’t much believe in revelation, but the church does, and takes any revelation very seriously. Idaho Mormons, especially the true blues, have accepted blacks widely into local congregations.

Potatoes grow in the southern half of the state. Pine treees and transplanted Californian nutbags grow in Bonner County. Butler was one. Idaho’s hispanics live in the southern half, where the potatoes grow, and Idaho does not share the Arizona urge to boot them out. We need them, and like ‘em just fine. Lots of the farmers here in the southern half do everything they can to get their guys legalized as fast as possible.

The name ‘Idaho’ is a made-up word, like hootenanny, or gizmo. It was first used to name Idaho City, Colorado, and the closest meaning is the similar to “The Big Rock Candy Mountain’- an old miner’s slang description of heaven. Since Idaho ‘s first population were mostly miners, this makes the most sense, and is the most true description of the state. Idaho’s beauty is why all those California fanatics move here, along with the cheap real-estate prices of the time.

Idahoans are a very independent bunch, and are conservative by nature, but avoid lumpage. We come in all stripes, and Idaho Repubs are in a hard fight this year. Don’t be surprised if we get a Democratic Governor, come November.

Seriously this was a IWW bastion back in the day, I still have the bedroll of a wobbly WWI draft resistor. But those Southern Californians and Euro trash, brought back by Ed Keinholz (see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Kienholz ) took away a lot of charm.

Local tee shirt: Idaho? NO, you da ho!