The decision yesterday by the Idaho Republican Party – and you can say that that’s what it was, since the state central committee is its governing group – to hang in there with its close-the-primary lawsuit, prompts a couple of quick thoughts.

One is that, well, there are a lot of people who would like to see the law resolved on this, and they’re getting close, within a couple of weeks and change, of maybe getting that answer. Having pressed matters this far, why not see what comes of it legally? (Of course, some people may want to be careful what they ask for . . .)

Beyond that, the vote shows something interesting about the Idaho Republican party structure. The larger party group – the delegates at the state convention – voted last summer not to pursue the closed primary idea. (A closed primary would be much like what Oregon has: Only registered members of a political party get to vote for that party’s nominees. Idaho law now allows voters to pick any party’s primary slate, or go independent if they choose.) Which means there’s a real difference between the central committee on the one side, and the larger picture of delegates (and most elected officials too) on the other.

We’ll revisit this.