Things are crowded at the state Republican election night watch party at the Doubletree Riverside tonight, but the mood of the revelry is different from the usual. Idaho Republicans are accustomed to winning big on Election Night, and having much to celebrate. The last time I walked through the room, sweat glistened on foreheads, and I heard one woman mutter loudly, “He’s a Muslim!” and another say, “They can’t shove this down our throats.” Results have been slow to arrive in state races, in which Idaho Republicans expect to fare much better than their party has on the national level.

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