Tidal changes of the inland sea

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

When a billy goat or ram is castrated, it’s known as a wether. Because they are sans family jewels, they have less testosterone, making them less aggressive and easier to manage. 

The practice of putting a bell around the lead wether’s neck made it so shepherds could track the movements of the entire herd just by hearing the bell, even when the flock wasn’t in sight. 

Over time, the word “bellwether” took on a different meaning, especially when applied to politics. A bellwether became an individual element that is strongly indicative of how the overall total will behave. In other words, it’s a single instance that often predicts the final outcome.

Of the more than 3,100 counties in the U.S., there are a handful known as “bellwether counties” because the candidate voters pick is the same candidate who ultimately prevails in the presidential election.

As we loom closer to the midterms this November, my eye is constantly scanning the horizon for bellwethers to indicate what might happen at this precarious moment in our country’s history. Will we step back from the ledge or keep leaning over it?

While Idaho has been deep red for more than three decades, there are signs that the Republican stranglehold on the Gem State isn’t quite as strong as the party would like you to believe.

One sign came last week, when polling showed that President Donald Trump’s approval rating had dropped below 50% in Idaho — a state that he won by more than 36 points in the 2024 election. 

The same poll showed 61% of Idaho voters ages 18-34 disapprove of Trump’s job performance, along with 58% of independents.

While polls should always be taken with a grain of salt, it’s an indication that the idolatry of Trump among Idaho voters is perhaps waning. That’s an important point, especially when Idaho voters will see an abundance of promising independent candidates on the ballot this November.

Polling aside, one local development has me more intrigued: A billboard.

Since before the pandemic, a certain billboard outside Bonners Ferry city limits has divided the community. I’m sure most readers know which one I’m referring to: It’s the one that reads, “Welcome to Trump Country,” followed by the line, “Love God, Guns, Family, Freedom and your Neighbors.” (It’s quite telling that “guns” gets higher billing than “family” on this sign, but I digress.)

Say what you will about this billboard, but the property owner who installed it sure got their money’s worth. It has been photographed countless times by national news outlets as they tackle their latest story about the northern loons who can’t seem to get enough of Trump, God and guns. Oh yeah, and family.

I always hated that billboard. Not just because I loathe what Trump stands for, but because it attempts to speak for an entire community. While the billboard might bring joy to Trumpers, it has turned off everyone else. I’ve interviewed Canadians and other tourists who have told me they refuse to even stop for gas in Bonners Ferry because of that billboard. I’ve spoken with locals who told me they’re embarrassed by its existence.

After many years of scornful looks and facepalms in the driver’s seat, the billboard is no more. The message has been covered over and replaced with a quote from the Bible; and, while the Charlie Kirk banner underneath is still up, the “Trump Country” graphic is gone, hopefully forever.

I’m always curious when a Trump supporter takes down a sign. Was it a change of heart? Did the property owner get pushed over the edge by a particular issue? Was it the ongoing war in Iran that Trump has “ended” dozens of times? Was it the blatant slap in the face to U.S. cattle ranchers when Trump announced his plan to import 300,000 tons of tariff-free Argentine beef to artificially lower meat prices after his own tariffs have increased costs for everything from batteries to Bisquick? Was it Trump’s return to a hostile attitude and the institution of 50% tariffs toward our friendly neighbor Canada (even suggesting we rename Lake Ontario)? Was it the fact that Trump hosted an IndyCar race on Washington, D.C. streets while the rest of the nation struggles to pay exorbitant gas prices due to Trump’s war in Iran? 

A quick call to the Boundary County Assessor’s Office confirmed that the property has not sold to a new owner, which gives me hope that even Trump’s most rabid supporters are capable of saying, “Enough is enough” when their golden calf belches out a statement that finally crosses their line in the sand. 

Sometimes it feels like we’re adrift in a vast, inland sea of red in North Idaho. But there are tidal forces at work, even in deep-red Idaho, and change is possible. 

Whatever the reason, the “Trump Country” billboard is gone. I’ll hoist a pint to that and also to the future when, perhaps, Idahoans take back their independent nature, sending their Trump hats and signs to the bin once and for all. What dreams may come.