The problem with Maria Cantwell is that we don't really hear much from or about her either.  I've tracked her votes and generally been with her.  She's a good liberal soldier.

What she doesn't seem to be is a leader.  Our other Senator, Patty Murray, is continually making news for initiatives she is leading, legislation she is sponsoring, speeches she is making, and stands she is taking.

I've also written to both Cantwell and Murray, and received responses from Murray (albeit canned) but never from Cantwell.

The state of Washington may be expecting more than we're getting from Maria Cantwell, which may be why her poll numbers aren't stronger.  I think it's going to be a very close race, and a seat we could potentially lose.

As far as grassroots wingnut support, it doesn't seem like he has any, at least yet. Based on a quick peek at the local righty blogs, there's nary a peep about him. His connections don't seem to go beyond the downtown Seattle business community. He's a corpocrat, and I don't see him inspiring much of anything in the theocrats who make up the party base, especially in an off-year election where they don't have any other reason to come to the polls.

All the poll at this point is showing us is that any Republican candidate running statewide can count on a base of at least 40% simply by virtue of the (R) after his name (once you get outside the Puget Sound area, it's a pretty red state). Clearing 50% for a GOP statewide candidate is a huge hurdle, though. My guess is that in a low-turnout election, the GOP is banking on making up the difference by nibbling away enough suburban moderates. They tried it the opposite way in 1998, running crazy christian Linda Smith against Patty Murray, and I doubt they're eager to make that mistake again.