Campaign ‘98

Another primary done, the hopes of many dashed, the waters of several issues only muddier. But several things are clearer after Primary ‘98. To that end, Campaign Notebook singles out the academy awards of electioneering. The nominees and their august accomplishments are:

Largest Campaign Sign

Tom Morley, candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, wins for billboard-size yellow and white advertisements parked everywhere. The only thing Morley didn’t launch was a blimp. But bigger signs didn’t beat big hair. Incumbent Anne Fox had the largest margin in both follicles and votes.

Lamest Post-Election Reaction

Dan Williams is the undisputed winner, at least in statewide races. Williams wasted no time, the morning after the primary votes were tallied, in sending out a press release charging Helen Chenoweth “Limps Out of Primary Election.” This after the feisty Republican incumbent congresswoman won her primary with 71 percent of the vote. Democrat challenger Williams chortled such a margin “indicated an ever-growing level of dissatisfaction with the controversial incumbent.” Williams goes on to wax about his promise to work on education, which ostensibly includes his own course in math. After all, nearly three-quarters of the vote in a candidate’s third primary seems more like a kick than a limp. Not to mention the fact that a comedian who never campaigned took 9 percent of the vote from Williams.

Cheesiest Fund Raising

Here comes Helen Chenoweth, bragging about all of her in-state sources of money. First she runs ads in that not-so-local newspaper, “The Washington Times,” with the panicky message “Don’t Let the Government STEAL YOUR GUNS!” - which must be targeted to all of the pistol-packing people in downtown Washington, D.C. Then she brings Oliver North from Virginia - no doubt to talk about the need to use armed Contras to save the bully pulpit from communism. The primary fund-raising season was capped by Chenoweth parading a fellow congressman, who allegedly inspired the movie “Top Gun,” around Lewiston. What’s next? Ronald Reagan or the Wizard of Oz?

Faultiest prediction

Would go to Ron Peterson, manager for comedian Leif Skyving’s now defunct campaign for Congress. You may remember that last week, an angry Peterson put the professional hex on us for laughing at Skyving’s chances, wishing us a future in used cars and assuring us his guy would win. We may not know a Yugo from a Hyundai, but we figure our prospects in auto sales are better than Peterson’s hopes as a political forecaster.

Lamest Overall Performance

The voters. A mere 16 percent of Kootenai County’s 52,300 registered voters made it to the polls to winnow the candidates for the general election. If you don’t attend the auction, folks, you deserve any sorry livestock that shows up in the barn.

Most Important Remaining Issue

The general election. For anyone who’s interested, it’s Nov. 3.