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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Edit: Requiem For Idaho Democrats

In an editorial this week, Marty Trillhaase/Lewiston Tribune pinpoints why Idaho Democrats are DOA on most races:

  • Money -- There is none. Right to Work sapped organized labor's strength. Watching one presidential candidate after another crater in Idaho has discouraged the national party from getting involved in Idaho, leaving locals to fend for themselves.
  • Organization -- After relying on Andrus and former Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, the party failed to develop a bench of candidates who could succeed them.
  • Message -- Republicans have done a better job of defining Democrats as offshoots of the more liberal national party than have the Idaho Democrats themselves.
  • Migration -- The people who streamed into Idaho from California and elsewhere were more conservative than the folks already here. Even the once reliable north became a GOP stronghold.
  • Polarization -- Nothing helps Idaho Republicans more than a Democrat in the White House. So a state that had been ticket-splitters began voting the party line - going so far as to oppose a Democratic county clerk in order to send a message to President Barack Obama. Full editorial here.

Question: Can you think of any Democrats in Kootenai County who could get elected to a county or legislative office? Besides Mike Kennedy?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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