Well, it’s not really called “Democrat Days.”  It’s called “Hannibal Days” by the Democratic Party, which uses the weekend as the unofficial kickoff to the campaign season for the party in campaign years. But something odd has happened in the wake of the Democratic Party’s 2010 Democrat Days.

The Democratic Party, which controlled the northeast Missouri Congressional seat for more than a century,  has not even put up a candidate in that race this year.  That means freshman Congressman Blaine Leutkemeyer has about as much of a straight shot back to Washington as you can get in this year’s election. Luetkemeyer is a Republican who has what’s considered token opposition in the August primary for the 9th District. Two Libertarians are running.

Democrats met in Hannibal March 5-6 to rally the faithful and build enthusiasm for the campaign ahead.

No, really, they did.  In Hannibal. In the 9th Congressional District.

(Democrat Champ Clark held the seat in 1893-95, lost and then was elected and served 1897-1921, some of that time as Speaker of the House.  A Republican held the seat for two years before Clarence Cannon took over in 1923 and served until his death in 1964.  Bill Hungate, a key figure in the Watergate and post-Watergate hearings, served until 1977 when he was replaced by Harold Volkmer, who served until 1997.)