How's the convention? Depends who you ask
MAUREEN DOLAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 10 months AGO
The Idaho delegation to the Republican National Convention includes several Kootenai County residents.
In a telephone interview Monday from Cleveland, Lora Gervais said she remains committed to Ted Cruz, and she feels she’s in the minority.
Cruz won Idaho in the presidential primary.
“I don’t feel Donald Trump is a Republican,” Gervais said. “I worry about our Constitution.”
She thinks other Cruz delegates feel similarly, but they’re not comfortable sharing those opinions at the convention.
“I think some feel like they’ve been squelched,” she said. “They’re trying to be silent.”
Gervais said the convention lacks energy and a sense of excitement.
Ron Crane, the Idaho treasurer and another Cruz delegate in Cleveland, is experiencing the convention in a different way.
He said, also by telephone, he feels a sense of optimism.
“I think people sense this is our year. They’re kind of anxious to run against Hillary Clinton. They think we’ve got a good chance,” Crane said.
He has been pleasantly surprised by the overall mood of the delegates, he said. He’s not sensing much conflict.
“A lot of people have reached the conclusion that he (Trump) is our nominee, and they’re pleased with his selection of Mike Pence,” Crane said.
A new poll commissioned by Idaho Politics Weekly shows Gem State support for Trump is strong.
Among likely voters surveyed by Dan Jones and Associates, 44 percent said they support Trump and 23 percent said Clinton. Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson was supported by 5 percent of those surveyed, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein garnered 3 percent. Another 14 percent of likely voters stated they plan to vote for someone other than Trump, Clinton, Johnson or Stein, and 7 percent said they still don’t know who they will vote for in November.
Support for Trump was significantly different between the men and women surveyed. Among the men, 50 percent said they plan to vote for Trump, while 38 percent of women said they would.
Maureen Dolan can be reached at mdolan@cdapress.com or on Twitter @MaureenCDAPress.
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