PREDICTION: Idaho’s Jim Risch Easily Wins

Jim Risch can take the summer off.  The Republican U.S. Senator is on the November ballot.  His staff has released a poll showing him with a 40-point lead over his closest competitor.  Risch is at 55 percent, with Democrat David Roth at 15 percent.  Independent Todd Achilles, a former Democrat, stands at seven percent.  The remaining candidates have as much chance at winning as meeting the Tooth Fairy.  I’ll offer a prediction: when the serious campaigning begins, Senator Risch’s numbers will be even higher.

Liberals Had a Break with Reality

I’ve talked to some Democrats who believe Achilles has a shot at winning if Roth drops out.  They must be smoking some powerful ganja.  A combined 22 points doesn’t cut it.  Some disgruntled and discredited former Republicans are also promoting Achilles, who left his party because the brand is toxic in Idaho.  There are a few newspaper columnists and editorialists who suggest Achilles has an opportunity.  Fourteen people read their endorsements.

One local Republican with a background in military counter-intelligence explained Risch isn’t simply one of the most powerful men in America as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but one of the most powerful men in the world.

This is a Foregone Conclusion

Elections are a good thing, but a lot of people who put their names on ballots (some are perennial) are delusional.  There’s no great movement for replacing Senator Risch.  He’s the best-known brand in Idaho politics.  For those who argue the man has been around for too long, the majority thinks otherwise.  And don’t get me started on ageism.  Some of us don’t plan to quit.  Risch has a colleague from Iowa who’s over 90 and still goes for a daily morning run.