Eidsness evacuates

For the second time in less than a week, a Democratic contender for CD-4 has withdrawn: As first seen in the Coloradoan, Republican-turned-Reformer-turned-Democrat Eric Eidsness released a statement saying he's pulling out of the race because of a lack of support in Larimer County. The announcement comes five days after former Dem challenger Angie Paccione quit her campaign.

The back-to-back announcements leave us wondering: What have Betsy Markey's goons been up to, scaring off both primary challengers?

Well, Markey says she doesn't have any goons (no, really, I asked her) and admits she was a little surprised by Eidsness' announcement. Now, she won't have to work through a primary, which always has the potential to dredge up party infighting. Instead, Markey can focus on fundraising and organizing for a general election against Marilyn Musgrave.

That's a positive, but Markey did make an interesting point: "I always thought a primary showed the strength of the party," she says.

After Dems have struggled to run anyone in the district in past years and only very recently become competitive in the last few elections, a rough-and-tumble primary might have showcased how viable Dems, of several different stripes, are in CD-4 now. So, does Paccione and Eidsness folding reflect a weakness in the Democratic Party? Markey -- for all her credentials -- isn't a household name who had a lock on the party nomination, and I'm guessing the answer to this question depends on one's affiliation and company.

I'll try to find a fitting tribute to Eidsness, as I did for Angie, but am open to suggestions...