If you want to see the power of grassroots and netroots politics, look no further that the front page of
CQPolitics right now. They've just moved this race, featuring our netroots candidate Larry Grant, from "safe Republican" to "Republican favored." Ok, not much of a semantic difference, but huge change for this district in Idaho.
Idaho's 1st District has one of the nation's most strongly conservative constituencies -- as underscored by the 68 percent vote won there by President Bush in 2004. So even with three-term Republican Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter leaving the seat open this year to run for governor, holding the seat appeared one of the least of the Republicans' problems and far down the list of Democratic takeover hopes....
The idea that there is a serious race on in the 1st was signaled, albeit not intentionally, by the GOP's national House campaign unit, the National Republican Congressional Committee has pumped $16,000 into the 1st for polling; Vice President Dick Cheney stopped by the district to rally the Republican faithful. Neither likely would have occurred if GOP strategists believed they have nothing to worry about here.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), meanwhile, has added the contest to its list of "emerging races." These are contests, mainly in districts typically regarded as Republican strongholds, where Democratic candidates previously regarded as overwhelming underdogs have moved at least to the cusp of running seriously competitive takeover bids....
Grant, meanwhile, has proved a much more adept fundraiser than some would have predicted. Grant had a bit more than $400,000 in total receipts as of Sept. 30.... As of Sept. 30, Grant had $72,000 left to Sali's $113,000.
Grant's fundraising has largely been from individual donations, many from you Kossacks. He raised almost $150,000 from individuals, far more than Bill Sali, whose total from individuals was about $91,000. Meanwhile, Sali raked in $207,750 from political action committees, while Grant's PAC total was under $30,000.