Spent this Sunday in two distinctively different modes.
I enjoyed the first part of the afternoon at the final showing of the Idaho Dance Theatre performance of Joy Ride. Several outstanding dancers were featured throughout the two hour performance, however Boise's own Jeremiah Robert Wierenga and Yurek Hansen were outstanding. Wierenga's personal "star power" and gifted stage presence was terrific to watch. Key to the success of the overall performance was the troupe's final 20 minute dance number, called The Journey Home. The piece was a very loose adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey, and it was fun! It was narrated by Stitch Marker (an amazing local acting talent - I love to see Stitch's many and varied perforamces at the Boise Contemporary Theater). Odysseus' adventure was against all odds...and he succeeded, 20 years after he started.
Then, I spent time getting caught up this afternoon on the upcoming Idaho US Senate race, featuring Jim Risch's Primary ooponents: a cast of thousands. As I read on about the folks running for this seat two things hit me:
- How easy it will be for Jim Risch to beat these well-meaning GOP opponents and
- How much like Helen Chenoweth's '94 race, Larry LaRocco's comeback may be, 14 years later.
See, here's how it works (as I roll-up my sleeves to show my battle-scarred arms). The guy/gal who is best liked/most connected/least hated by the "I'm-in-with-the-in-crowd" crowd in Idaho power circles is given the "wink and the nod". For the uninitiated, that means he/she is "in". No question. Done deal. (Most of the time....)
Then, they either prime the financial pump by themselves (Jim's a good example) and/or connect with campaign donors (Dirk K's another good example). The race goes on and the victory is assured.
Again...most of the time. There ARE those few exceptions....
- When Jim Risch ran unsuccessfully against Roger Madsen for a State Senate seat GOP nomination in '92. (an organized cadre of pro-lifers helped support Roger's fledgling campaign by running a separate race - off of our kitchen table.) Roger won by 196 votes, against all odds.
- Helen Chenoweth's '94 Primary and General race(s). David Leroy was the leader of the GOP pack. I headed up that Primary race for her - Helen became the Congressman...against Leroy and then against incumbent Larry LaRocco and ultimately... against all odds.
- Bill Sali's 2006 Primary against Sheila Sorenson. Because of their support for my race in 2000, we connected Bill to the Club for Growth, gave him some great DC contacts and he did his own thing....Congressionally, that is. Against the GOP "boys" ...and against all odds.
So is Jim Risch the "in crowd" guy? Of course. Does he have a hard Primary facing him? Heck no. Could the General Election be the place of shock and awe. I'm betting it will be.
The Beauty of the GOP "system" may meet the Beast of "change" in the body politic of Idaho in 2008.
Larry "Odysseus" LaRocco could finally find his way "home" after all these years - and then find himself cast as the new version of "Helen Chenoweth". He could just possibly find the "vibe" that people want and connect to that frequency, as Madsen did, as Sali did and as Helen Chenoweth did....against all odds.
How weird is that?
Den
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