Moving the ball
Most commentators would say Idaho Democrats were routed earlier this month as they attempted to regain a semblance of respectability.
While Democrats made huge gains in Congress and in state and legislative elections nationwide, Idaho Democrats lost every statewide race.
Sure, Boise and half of Ada County turned, as Democrats made headway in the state’s capital, but Idaho kept its reputation as one of the reddest states in the country, if not the reddest.
No one would blame Idaho Democrats for being depressed by the results and for deciding to quit looking for weaknesses in the monolithic state Republican machine. However, key Democrats aren’t quitting. Challengers Larry Grant and Larry LaRocco have said that they are ready to run again. LaRocco has his eye on the U.S. Senate seat held by Larry Craig. Grant is interested in a rematch with Representative-elect Bill Sali. Democrats can find solace in this.
They can also find a moral victory in what they accomplished below the radar screen. They held Governor-elect Butch Otter accountable for the initial position he took in favor of selling public lands to raise money for hurricane disaster relief. LaRocco provided a service to the state in his race for lieutenant governor by asking tough questions of Gov. Jim Risch about his property tax reform. Together with unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brady, they formed a solid top of the ticket and energized other candidates and the Democrat base. As a result, Democrats were competitive albeit not successful.
One-party rule leaves much to be desired, whether state government is dominated by Democrats, as in Massachusetts and Hawaii, or by Republicans, as in Idaho and Utah. Public debates suffer. The leadership of the majority party forces through pet legislation (See: Idaho’s attempts to tax reservation gasoline despite adverse court rulings). Bad decisions are made (See: University of Idaho’s University Place scandal). Generally unqualified candidates are elected to statewide office (See: Idaho Superintendent of Schools-elect Tom Luna and Idaho Controller-elect Donna Jones).
In a message on the 43rd State Blues blog, Idaho Democratic Party Chairman Richard Stallings noted how Democrats had closed the gap in the last three gubernatorial elections: “In 1998, it was a 38.6 percent blowout when Dirk Kempthorne beat Judge Robert Huntley. In 2002, Jerry Brady’s first gubernatorial year, the margin narrowed to 12.6 percent. This year, we are down to a 9 percent split. In each election, Democrats have moved the ball down field.”
Ron Rankin, the late property tax activist, understood that an individual can win despite losing, his version of “moving the ball down field.” Rankin personally lost election after election, running for everything from a highway district commissioner to Idaho governor. In the process, he forced then-Gov. Phil Batt to begin to embrace significant property tax relief.
After two losses, Democrat Brady, 70, said he won’t seek state office again. But new runs by Grant and LaRocco would give Democrats two solid candidates at the top of the ticket again in 2008. If they don’t get discouraged, the Democrats can move the ball past their own 40-yard line then.