It is 9 a.m. Do you know where your child is? For hundreds of parents in Idaho's most important Republican stronghold, the answer last week was a surprise: Supporting Barack Obama for president.
Last week, Caldwell High School held its mock presidential nominating conventions, organized by government teacher Jeanette Jackson every four years since 1996. Students pick their party affiliations and, until this year, they reflected Canyon County's GOP loyalty. The last time the presidential race was wide open - Bush-Gore, in 2000 - Republicans outnumbered Democrats about 400 to 200.
The ratio was reversed last week, with 487 students at the Democratic convention on Thursday and 199 with the GOP on Wednesday.
"I personally want to see the looks on your parents' faces when they find out where you hung out today," said Caitlin Hogge, an 18-year-old senior whose nominating speech helped Democrat John Edwards to a second-place finish ahead of Hillary Clinton. Obama won in a walk, with 423 delegate votes.
Jessica Madrigal, co-chairwoman of the mock Democratic convention, said young people are questioning their family political roots.
"My parents vote primarily Republican," said Madrigal, 18, who attended the Democratic caucus for Obama in February. "We're tired of voting in our parents' place. We're ready for something new. We're practicing our right to decide for ourselves."
Canyon Democrats see the interest among young voters as an opportunity to seriously compete and maybe even pick off a seat or two from Canyon's all-GOP legislative delegation. "I believe there's something happening, and we need to pay attention to it," said Maria Mabbutt, a former Canyon Democratic Party chairwoman.
Canyon is Idaho's second-largest county and, unlike No. 1 Ada, firmly Republican. The last Democrat to represent Canyon in the Legislature died in a plane crash in 1986. In the 12 presidential elections since 1960, Republicans won an average of 65 percent of the Canyon vote, 5 percent higher than statewide. In 1964, Democrat Lyndon Johnson won Idaho, but Republican Barry Goldwater carried Canyon with 56 percent. President Ronald Reagan got 76 percent in 1984 and President Bush 75 percent in 2004.
Canyon County produced Gov. Butch Otter and former Gov. Phil Batt, whose base in the county made them formidable.
Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell, knows something about youth involvement in politics. Just 35, he's running unopposed for a third term. His wife, Hanna, is a top official in Idaho Young Republicans. McGee sponsored two pages from Caldwell High this legislative session and often speaks to classes at the school.
He saluted the students for engaging but predicted GOP success in Canyon County will continue without a blip. "I don't think this is an anti-Republican sentiment as much as it is pro-Obama," McGee said. "These kids relate to Barack Obama more than to John McCain. But their parents are going to continue to vote for Republicans because we just still better represent their values. Barack's exciting, but this is Republican country."
McGee's right. Student support for Obama is a result of Obama's appeal to the young and his appearance in Boise in February.
"If Obama hadn't come to Idaho, this turnout wouldn't be so big," conceded Rafael Villegas, who gave the nominating speech for Obama at the mock convention. Still, Villegas said, young people are involved in numbers not seen since the Vietnam War. "Everybody wants a different route."
Villegas, who will be 18 in June, volunteered for Obama in the Idaho caucus. He said Canyon Democrats will benefit from youth activism.
Mabbutt, the former party chairwoman, said young voters give Democrats realistic hopes for "one or two" legislative races. Her husband, Richard, is one of six Democrats running. In six other Canyon races, Republicans are unopposed.
"Republicans say, 'Oh, this is just the Obama factor and it doesn't go very deep,'" Mabbutt said. "I don't believe that's the case. I believe there is hope. People want change, and we have an opportunity. Young people will be very key."
At last week's conventions, students replicated the real deal, with speeches by surrogate candidates, bunting, balloons, funny hats and obscure facts about the states during the roll call. (Kansas invented Pizza Hut; Kentucky, the "Happy Birthday" song; and Massachusetts, Fig Newtons. Who knew?)
Real politicians keynoted. Republicans heard from Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, who talked about the core GOP value of freedom. Democrats heard Senate candidate Larry LaRocco call for wringing power from special interests.
Students relished their roles. Republican Terence Thomas, a 6-foot-8 senior who led the Illinois delegation, wore a 3-foot stovepipe hat and apologized to his fellow Republicans for Obama, an Illinois senator. Illinois cast all seven delegates for McCain.
But McCain won with just a three-vote cushion, with 103 delegates. Mitt Romney was second with 70. Ambivalence toward McCain among Idaho conservatives is real and may suppress the GOP vote. If Obama is the Democratic nominee, he'll do far better than John Kerry's woeful 30 percent in 2004.
That could help Canyon Democrats. To my eye, they have a great prospect in Mike Warwick, who seeks a seat held by Rep. Curtis Bowers. Warwick is pro-life, LDS, an ex-Marine, and teaches American history in Middleton.
A top Warwick backer is Vince Sanchez, 27, who ran for Caldwell City Council in November. Sanchez says he's making good on a promise he made during his graduation speech when he was student body president at Caldwell High. "I said, 'The least we can do is try.' And that's what I'm going to do. We're going to try because these values are important."
Dan Popkey: 377-6438
