The Democrats in November will turn out their supporters in the 3rd District — but what will the Republicans do? Cannon said.

It would be helpful if national Republicans "could get their message together, but they don't seem able to do that."

Cannon had especially harsh words for Republicans at the May state GOP convention, where he barely survived by nine votes to get into the primary. "The whole convention was uncouth, without manners or civility."

A fringe of people — Cannon does not believe they represent rank-and-file Utah Republicans — have taken over the delegate-selection process, he said. "If you don't agree with them on every jot and tittle, they oppose you. They've taken over the Utah and national (Republican) parties."

Following California?

If Utah Republicans aren't careful, the same thing will happen here as has happened in California and Virginia, Cannon said. "We (Republicans) can't win statewide elections there anymore," said Cannon.

Cannon doesn't see other leading Utah Republicans such as U.S. Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch, both R-Utah, suffering his fate in in their next re-elections in 2010 and 2012, respectively. But danger signs are there.

While not anticipating he will run for office again, Cannon said he will keep his campaign account going, if only to try to bring "more reasonable people" into Utah GOP politics.

"I'm going to make a serious effort to use the Internet" and other means to get grass-roots Republicans more involved in GOP mass meetings — "to stand against the bulwark" of the "harsh, boorish people" who are now being elected delegates and other party leaders.

Incumbents rarely lose in the 485-member U.S. House. And being kicked out of office by your own party voters is even more infrequent. Only two other incumbents, the Christian Science Monitor reports — both from Maryland, one Republican and one Democrat — have been defeated in their 2008 re-election efforts by party challengers.

Unfortunately for Cannon, he now joins an exclusive club.

In recent Utah memory, only one other Republican congressional incumbent has been kicked out of office by his own party voters — former Rep. Merrill Cook was booted from his 2nd District seat in the 2000 GOP primary. Ironically, Cook lost to fellow Republican Derek Smith by about the same margin as the 2008 GOP primary results — Cook got only 41 percent of the vote to Smith's 59 percent.

National Republicans can take one bit of solace, however, in Cannon's loss.