Last month came the news that Obama significantly outraised McCain in Idaho, including in some of the state's most traditionally conservative areas. ID-01 Democratic candidate Walt Minnick has also consistently been outraising the hapless Bill Sali, and Republican Senate candidate Jim Risch has had to loan himself nearly half a million dollars to gain a cash on hand lead over Larry LaRocco.
And now there's more evidence that Idahoans are ready to invest in Democrats.
Here’s a surprising development: The Idaho Election Campaign Fund, for which Idahoans have checked boxes on their state tax returns since 1975 if they want to donate a dollar to a political party of their choice or to a general political campaign fund, this year is giving more money to the Democrats than the Republicans. The checks, which will be handed over to the parties in a ceremony tomorrow, total $35,540 for the Democrats and $30,891 for the Republicans. The Libertarian Party will collect $2,854 and the Constitution Party $2,144....
It was the first time since 1994 that the Democrats have collected more than the Republicans from the checkoff fund. Interestingly, the Democrats routinely collected more than the Republicans in the early years of the fund, but that turned around in 1982. The Democrats regained a slight edge in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, but the Republicans took the lead from 1996 on, and in 2000 hit their widest margin when they collected $58,691 to the Democrats’ $43,068.
One party rule for the past decade and a half hasn't done much to advance Idaho's interests, particularly when those Republicans are the national embarrassments Larry Craig and Bill Sali. But it's more than just being tired of the mortification that kind of representation brings--Idahoans want change just as much as the rest of America. As Jim Hansen, director of the IDP said
"This reflects a sea-change in political attitudes across the state, a reversal of fortune for the party that best reflects the people’s desire for a better country and a better state.... When so many Idahoans fill out their tax forms and designated $1 to the Idaho Democrats, it means more people feel a kinship with our values of protecting Idaho’s unique way of life and standing up for the middle class. . . . . The pundits may still see red when they look at Idaho, but the ordinary taxpayers of Idaho are turning it blue, one dollar at a time."
On the Web:
Minnick for Congress
LaRocco for Senate