Every State. Every race. Right here.
This is Number 24 in a planned series of 50 entries between now and November, looking at each of the 50 states in terms of every race on that state's ticket--Presidential, Gubernatorial, Senate, House, State legislatures—the whole baked potato bar! Special attention paid to identifying and promoting the most important contests per state.
Every state means looking at the red as well as the blue, and the small as well as the large. We’ve already suffered through Utah and Wyoming; today, let’s complete the red rockies trifecta and look at Friggin’ IDAHO!
(I get all my political news from Kos, and I thought for a while that Friggin' Idaho was really a two-word state, like West Virginia or Blue Oregon or Goddam Texas)
http://www.nationalatlas.com/...
Note the nice gerrymander, how they cut the blue oasis of Boise so that part of it is in each district. Utah did the same with Salt Lake City. This is why we need to try and take one branch of the redistricting deciders, and get the trifecta for ourselves in as many other states as possible.
This is the state that, 20 years or more ago gave us such notable Democrats as the Church dynasty, Cecil Andrus, John Evans and Larry Echohawk. A century ago, it was the site of famous instances of industrial strife between IWW miners and Pinkerton goons and other private armies hired by robber barons to murder working class citizens with the full support of the federal government. In the panhandle, especially. You’d think they would remember. Since the Newtist dynasty, however, the state has become not only virtually one-party Republican, but racing to ensure a reputation as NUMBER ONE in electing crazy, fucked up lunatics to the federal government (my opinion is, they’re losing to the Oklahoma delegation in overall battiness, but we’ll discuss that when we get to the Sooner State).
Even so, there are grounds for hope. 2006 saw Democratic presence in the state legislature increase from almost nothing to a whopping "pitiful". Also, thanks to a couple of nutjobs named Craig and Sali, who have gone too far to the right even for Idaho, Spud State Democrats have chances for hope in at least two Congressional elections.
BLOGS: Let’s give a hand to 43rd State Blues, a blog surviving and making a difference in the belly of the beast!
http://www.43rdstateblues.com/
PRESIDENT: Obama should devote one day, pre-convention, to campaigning in Idaho, stopping in Coeur D’Alene, Lewiston, Nampa, Boise and finally Pocatello, with Democratic candidates Walt Minnick and Larry LaRocco at his side. The purpose of this is not that Obama might win Idaho, but to give a nod to the 50-state strategy and to help the downticket races. I’ve also suggested he take a Highway 80 tour including SLC, Laramie and Cheyenne either immediately before or after his convention appearance. Other than that, forget it.
SENATE: THE BIG ONE for Idaho 2008. And unlike some other Red States, it really is a Big One with a real chance to win, and not the last gasp of "building up the infrastructure so we can be competitive next time".
Thanks to retiring Incumbent Larry Craig’s famous bear-hunting scandal in the Minneapolis Airport Men’s Room (which continues to annoy airport staff to this day, as tourists ask directions to see the "Larry Craig stall"), this seat is wide-stance OPEN.
Our nominee is Larry Larocco, the last Democrat to serve in Congress from Idaho. His opponent is James Risch, the Lt. Governor. Given what Idaho is, Risch has to be the favorite, but not by much. Bush has reached net negative popularity even in Friggin’ Idaho, Obama draws crowds here, and between Craig and Sali (see ID-01, below), a lot of voters in Idaho, even Republicans, have to be thinking enough is enough. That’s the game plan, anyhow, as we try to give the people of the 43rd state somebody who is not an embarrassment.
http://www.laroccoforsenate.com/
GOVERNOR and OTHER STATEWIDE: No statewide offices other than the Craig Senate seat are up in 2008. Every last one of them is currently Republican.
STATE LEGISLATURE: The very worst in the nation.
Lower House: 19D, 51R
Senate: 7D, 21R. That’s three to one.
We can and will do better, but I’m not even bothering to comment on redistricting. Unless we can take the Governorship in 2010, we won’t even have a seat at the table, and Boise will continue to be bisected.
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS:
District 1—Walt Minick (D) v. William "Bouncing off the Padded Walls" Sali (Inc. fucktard). The OTHER Big One.
Seriously, Sali is so fucked up and personally obnoxious that even other Idaho Republicans don’t like him, and so (as with Schmidt in OH-02, and other notable crazies), ID-01 will be in play for as long as he continues to void his ponderous bowels into the seat. The First is also the more blue of the two districts, if such a thing is possible in Idaho. It has more of Boise, fewer Latter Day Saints, and includes the panhandle.
Our candidate is Walt Minnick, who ran for Craig’s Senate seat in 1996. Check out his website—he certainly knows how to talk the language properly.
http://www.waltforcongress.org/
Also see the latest McJoan diary promoting this all-important race:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
First prize is, we take the seat. Consolation prize is, Sali continues to represent the Republican party, and stink up the brand, before all of America. Voters in swing states will watch him (and Adrian Smith, Michelle Bachmann, Jean Schmidt, Tom Cole, Doug Lamborn, John Sullivan, Frank Lucas, Adam Putnam and David Vitter), and switch to Democrats. Soon the Bill Salis of the reddest districts will be the ONLY Republicans in a one-party Democratic Congress.
District 2—Debbie Holmes (D) v. Michael Simpson (Inc. R). Holmes is a realtor, and her race in the redder of the two districts isn’t on anyone’s radar for now. Please at least email her and thank her for stepping up to the plate.
http://www.debbieholmesforcongress.com/
What do YOU think?
Previous diaries in this series:
Delaware: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Arkansas: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Illinois: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Texas, Part One: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Texas, Part Two: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Utah: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Massachusetts: http://www.dailykos.com/...
North Carolina: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Hawaii: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Mississippi: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Oregon: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Ohio: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Maryland: http://www.dailykos.com/...
North Dakota: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Alabama: http://www.dailykos.com/...
California, Part one: http://www.dailykos.com/...
California, Part two: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Vermont: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Iowa: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Virginia: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Wyoming: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Pennsylvania: http://www.dailykos.com/...
New Mexico: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Kentucky: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Nebraska: http://www.dailykos.com/...