We are clearly headed into an exceptional election year. Utah's first taste of it came in Tuesday's primary.

After 12 years, Third District Republicans gave Congressman Chris Cannon the bum's rush in a landside victory for Jason Chaffetz.

The Deseret News' Bob Bernick says Cannon was bitter in an interview following his thumping — refusing to endorse Chaffetz. Cannon claims low voter turnout is what brought him down.

Clearly there are some out there who hate me. And every stinking one of them voted.

Cannon warns the voter dissatisfaction backlash may spell disaster for the broader GOP.

It doesn't take a genius to see that Republicans (in office) have lost the credibility of people in America and in the 3rd District.

Becky Edwards, who took down state Rep. Paul Neuenschwander in the GOP primary would agree with Cannon:

I think one of the things that resonated with people is, if we want to see a change in the legislative body, we can start that change in District 20.

Could it be a coincidence that Cannon's brother Joe Cannon's newspaper the Deseret News is chastising Republicans for not showing up to vote for Chris?

For those of you who just didn't bother to vote, shame on you.

Don't feel bad Red Folks, I would argue that not showing up to vote is, in its own way, voting.

The Tribune opinionaires, on the other hand, say Cannon "was in the wrong place at the wrong time":

He says that the conservative people of the 3rd District support President Bush and the war in Iraq, but that's whistling past the graveyard. When the economy goes south because of shenanigans in the financial markets, when a six-year war bogs down in stalemate and incompetence and lies, when gasoline soars to $4 a gallon, you don't want to be in office, regardless of what pollsters say about local support for the incumbent administration or Congress.

Finally, Chaffetz, who promises change, really isn't all that different than Cannon. Jason, formerly a cosmetic executive, is worth up to $5.6 million, about the same as Cannon.