Are we disconnected

from rest of the U.S.?

As a Democratic candidate for the Idaho House I had limited hopes of winning. Yet the national rejection of Republican performance and direction increased that hope. Unfortunately that was just false hope as I got barely 38 percent of the vote.

Worse than that, strong candidates like Jerry Brady and Larry Grant, who ran positive campaigns, did poorly against less than star quality opposition. Naturally I wondered why.

I think I found the answer in a pre-election poll on the question of Bush job performance.

That poll, compiled from state by state data, showed Bush at 37 percent, clearly accounting for the national discontent.

However, Idaho led the field in the belief that the President was doing a good job at 57 percent.

There were only three other states showing Bush at 50 percent or better — Montana, Wyoming and Utah.

This, of course, begs the question of why. Why is the Mountain West so disconnected from the rest of the country and, more importantly, reality?

Don't we get the same news as everyone else? Are we paying attention? Maybe it's too much clean air and water.

Any rational answer would be welcome. Anyone?

BOB WYNHAUSEN

Sandpoint