If Sen. Russ Fulcher defeats Gov. Butch Otter in the May 20 Republican primary by a hair's breadth, he may credit his effort to convince non-Republicans to re-register and vote for him over the two-term incumbent. But the result of the Meridian lawmaker's open courtship of Democrats, Libertarians and Constitution Party members appears quite modest. "It was a tepid response," Secretary of State Ben Ysursa said last week. Ysursa is a co-chairman of the Otter campaign and spoke to me for a profile published Sunday about his thoughts on retiring after 40 years helping conduct Idaho elections. All four parties gained registrants before the March 14 re-registration deadline. But with Fulcher's effort and a busy GOP primary at the top of the ticket, Republicans had the largest proportional gain/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: Seems to me that the biggest losers of the closed GOP primary are the Unaffiliateds (or the majority voting block in this state). Then, I suppose, depressing the turnout was the goal of the uber-conservative radicals who forced the closed primary on the GOP. Thoughts?