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Utah Convention Open Thread

by: DavidNYC

Sat May 08, 2010 at 12:12 PM EDT


UPDATE 7: So the final tally for the GOP senate nomination is, per Dave Catanese:

Tim Bridgewater: 57.2%
Mike Lee: 42.7%

Since Bridgewater failed to clear 60%, that means there wil be a primary on June 22nd, same as with UT-02 for the Dems.

UPDATE 6: WOW. Jim Matheson 55%, Claudia Wright 45%. There will be a primary.

UPDATE 5: It's been very hard to get news out of the UT Dem convention, but I suggest following the #utdem hashtag on Twitter. It looks like results may be announced soon.

UPDATE 4: It's official - Bob Bennett won't make it to the third round of voting:

Tim Bridgewater: 37.42%
Mike Lee: 35.99%
Bob Bennett: 26.59%

Bennett picked up almost no votes after the first round. Between Lee and Bridgewater, I have no idea whom to root for, though.

UPDATE 3: Reid Wilson says Bennett will not advance to the third round. Mike Allen says he may run a write-in campaign.

UPDATE 2: So the top three candidates advance to the second round, meaning Bennett barely survives - for another hour or so. According to the timestamp on this post, second-round results are expected around 5:30pm Eastern.

Also, over at the Dem convention, it appears that no voting has taken place yet, but on Twitter, it sounds like there may be a surprising level of enthusiasm for Jim Matheson's challenger, Claudia Wright. She needs 40% to force a primary.

UPDATE: The first round of results are in:

Lee 982 - 28.75%
Bridgewater 917 - 26.84%
Bennett 885 - 25.91%
Eagar 541 - 15.84%
Cook 49 - 1.43%
Fabiano 22 - .64%
Freidbaum 16 - .47%
Chiu 4 - .12%

Today the Utah GOP will be having their statewide convention for the U.S. Senate nomination. The Salt Lake Tribue has this explanation of how it will unfold. Note that all times are Mountain Crazy Time:

Schedule reminder: Convention kicks off at 10 a.m., and the roughly 7-minute Senate speeches start at 10:45 a.m. They will speak in this order - Bridgewater, Bennett, Friedbaum, Fabiano, Cook, Chiu, Lee and Eagar. After that the first round,  balloting will commence; expect to start voting around 11:50 a.m. That brings us to the final three candidates.

The second round of balloting will come around 1:40 p.m. after the speeches for governor (who doesn't want to hear what SuperDell has to say), and the three congressional districts (1st - Bishop vs. Ridgeway; 2nd - Philpot vs.Walter vs. Eliason; 3rd Chaffetz vs. nobody)

If a third round of balloting is necessary (count on it), that would take place after the discussion of platform changes and resolutions, estimated at 3 p.m., but hey, you know how these things get pushed back.

So the first round of voting should start just before 2pm Eastern.

Results: Trib | UT GOP | Twitter

Live video:

Any predictions, before voting starts?

P.S. Johnny Longtorso reminds us in comments that the UT Dems are also holding their convention today. The one thing to watch is whether Rep. Jim Matheson (UT-02) will get a primary challenge. Voting starts around 3:45pm Eastern.
DavidNYC :: Utah Convention Open Thread
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Utah Convention Open Thread | 151 comments
I'll be adventurous and say
Bennett manages to make it to a primary, but will finish second to one of the other guys.

You also might want to watch the Democratic convention, which takes place later this afternoon, to see if Jim Matheson will end up with a primary challenge or not.

Worst live feed ever
The audio sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher.

Prediction- Bennett goes down in round of three.

"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan

So who do we have running for Senate?


party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01
This guy:
[ Parent ]
Two "some dudes"
Businessman Sam Granato and accountant Christopher Stout.

For daily political commentary, visit me at http://polibeast.blogspot.com/ and http://twitter.com/polibeast
[ Parent ]
Well, at least both of them have comptent-looking websites.
That's a start.

party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01
[ Parent ]
Is Granato wealthy?
If so, then he doesn't qualify for Some Dude status.
[ Parent ]
I don't think Granato is significantly wealthy
With what little information I could find on his company, they're not exactly a sprawling business empire. But Granato does seem to have significant ties to local and statewide community organizations, for what's that worth.

Maybe a cut above Some Dude, but not much more than that.

Independent Socialist & Chair of SSP Cranky Indianian Hoosier Caucus, IN-09

[ Parent ]
It's unlikely he's in self-funding territory
He apparently owns a bunch of bakeries (four, to be exact) in Utah.

For daily political commentary, visit me at http://polibeast.blogspot.com/ and http://twitter.com/polibeast
[ Parent ]
FWIW
They do sound like very nice bakeries.  

Independent Socialist & Chair of SSP Cranky Indianian Hoosier Caucus, IN-09
[ Parent ]
How much money does it take before you
are out of some dude status? Can't somebody be a wealthy some dude? I have been around here for a little while and I always was under the impression that some dude meant someone with very little support to begin with and/or a person who was not widely known in the political community before they decided to run for an office.  
[ Parent ]
My view of Some Dude
Is that you have to have none of the following:

1) Current or past political office

2) Public profile

3) Sufficient wealth to self-fund or partially self-fund

In other words, Some Dudes essentially start from zero. Obviously it's not a hard-and-fast metric, but it usually works.

[ Parent ]
Thanks for the clarification
n/t
[ Parent ]
What makes Lee or Bridgewater
more than some dude? AFAIK, the only possible qualification beyond "some dude" status will be the public profile that one will get from the R endorsement. Neither of them have held public office, I think. However, I don't know if one or another has significant personal wealth.
[ Parent ]
I agree
that neither has obvious qualification. But they both have a public profile due to family ties. Lee is the son of a former U.S. Solicitor General under Reagan and of a former president of BYU, and I believe the other also has some connection but I can't remember.

[ Parent ]
Clearly, we need a Some Wealthy Dude moniker
The investment banker running in the FL Sen primary, the guy who switched out of OH-GOV to run against Marcy Kaptur, half the guys who are running on the GOP line in NY... Some Wealthy Dude, meaning someone whose only significant political asset is their wealth, is clearly a well-populated category.

And a winning one, too.  Bill Owens, Scott Murphy, Jon Corzine, Herb Kohl, Mark Dayton, Mark Warner, and scores of others went from no elected experience straight to top-of-the-ticket victories with wealth as their only real advantage in the primary.  General elections obviously hinge on the larger fights between the parties, but a lot of these guys secured the ballot line with wealth being their only distinguishing characteristic.

28, gay guy, Democrat, CA-08

[ Parent ]
Did you mean Tom Ganley
the guy who switched out of OH-Sen to run against Betty Sutton?
[ Parent ]
Herb Kohl
had more than wealth going for him. He is also owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. That's a public profile.

"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
--  Will Rogers  
[ Parent ]
Kohl had his name on a chain of stores besides the Bucks
creatively called "Kohl's".  Dayton had Dayton Hudson's.

It would be hard to have a higher profile than these guys did before they ran for office.

[ Parent ]
Who
should we be rooting for out of the two?  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
They both look ultra-conservative.

[ Parent ]
I
was asking what Democrat we should be supporting.

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Granato broke the 60% threshold at the UT Dem convention
No primary v. Stout.  

Independent Socialist & Chair of SSP Cranky Indianian Hoosier Caucus, IN-09
[ Parent ]
Bennett survives Round One
1. Mike Lee - 28.75% (Total Votes 982)
2. Tim Bridgewater - 26.84% (Total Votes 917)
3. Sen. Bob Bennett - 25.91% (Total Votes 885)
4. Cherilyn Eager - 15.84% (Total Votes 541)
5. Merrill Cook - 1.43% (Total Votes 49)
6. Leonard Fabiano - 0.64% (Total Votes 22)
7. Jeremy Friedbaum - 0.47% (Total Votes 16)

For daily political commentary, visit me at http://polibeast.blogspot.com/ and http://twitter.com/polibeast
Ballot 1
 Results from 1st Round Senate: Lee 28,75% Bridgewater 26.84% Bob Bennett 25.81 Eagar 15.84

"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan
Bennett in third place
1. Mike Lee - 28.75% (Total Votes 982)
2. Tim Bridgewater - 26.84% (Total Votes 917)
3. Sen. Bob Bennett - 25.91% (Total Votes 885)
All other candidates combined for around 19.5%
Bennett will probably be knocked out on the next ballot. If all, or almost all, of Bennett's supporters go for Bridgewater, he would only have to get half of the other remaining votes to clinch 60%. My prediction is Bennett gets knocked out next round and Bridgewater passes the 60% so there is no primary and Erick Erickson gets to cry himself to sleep tonight. Probably won't happen, I think the most likely scenario is a Bridgewater-Lee primary matchup.  
I somehow think
that the mayor of SLC wishes he had run for the Senate now instead of Governor.

Libertarian secular Republican, MO-7
IDK
I think Utah would be more likely to elect a Democrat Governor than Senator. Although neither look likely.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Last Dem Senator from Utah
was Moss in 76, he got booted by Hatch. Utah had 2 Democratic governors from 1965 to 1984, and Republicans since that time. It would appear that governor is the more likely to be taken by a Democrat, although neither office is likely to go for Team Blue anytime soon.  
[ Parent ]
Governor is probably a better shot for Dems
You see people like Brad Henry, Dave Freudenthal, Jim Douglas and Don Carcieri elected as moderates despite the political leanings of their states to provide balance, and the right Democrat could win Utah someday (maybe Matheson?) But you see very few Senators elected against political leanings as strong as Utah's--I can only think of Scott Brown and Mark Begich, both of whom won under unique circumstances.

20, CD MA-03/NH-01/MA-08
[ Parent ]
Dakotas
Tom Daschle, Tim Johnson, Kent Conrad, and my favorite, Byron Dorgan, were all elected against a very strong Republican lean.  

They also come from very small states (North Dakota is smaller than most congressional districts) where personal connections can outweigh media campaigns or single-issue-group endorsements.  30-second-ads don't work as well against someone you've met multiple times face-to-face.

Mike Castle is about to pull the same trick in Delaware.  Grrrrr.

28, gay guy, Democrat, CA-08

[ Parent ]
Don Carcieri
definitely not a moderate.

But I appreciate your point, and I do agree that if you want to run against a state's political currents, you have a better shot running for local/statewide office than federal office.

21, dude, RI-01 (registered) IL-01 (college)
please help Japan. click "donate funds" in upper right and then "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami." http://www.redcross.org/

[ Parent ]
I think he's
mayor of Salt Lake County, not Salt Lake City.
[ Parent ]
do only the top 3 candidates make it on to round 2?
and does round 2 eliminate narrow the field to 2?
I'm
still not 100% sure why Bennett is likely to lose his seat. He has a very conservative voting record. Is he just not 110% teabagger or what?  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
From an article I read in the SLT
I think it was voting for the bailout and the Bennett-Wyden health care bill that really does it (and the whole usual crap about being a creature of Washington or whatever).

21, dude, RI-01 (registered) IL-01 (college)
please help Japan. click "donate funds" in upper right and then "Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami." http://www.redcross.org/
[ Parent ]
He has also been a supporter of earmarks
Other reasons I have read online include Bennett having voted for No Child Left Behind and Medicare Part D.  
[ Parent ]
This is the state
that voted out the solid right-winger Chris Cannon in favor of the far-right loony Jason Chaffetz.
[ Parent ]
Weird Chaffetz trivia
His father is the first husband of Kitty Dukakis, wife of '88 Dem. Presidential nominee Michael Dukakis.
[ Parent ]
Chaffetz
was a Democrat until 1990...

33, living in Germany  
[ Parent ]
wow, if some master of purity discover that, Chaffetz is toast

Teabaggers has some margin for work still.
[ Parent ]
Also
Chaffetz came out against the use of full body scanners in airports. That's not going to earn him points among the teabaggers.  

19, Male, Independent, CA-12
[ Parent ]
It's a good libertarian position
and also likely to have some resonance with religious LDS members who don't want strangers staring at their privates.

"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
--  Will Rogers  
[ Parent ]
The teabaggers don't really care about that shit
They are principally obsessed with taxes, "spending," and the idea that somehow, somewhere, someone who might possibly not "deserve" some particular government benefit is in fact getting it. Even social issues don't seem to play a big role for them. Chaffetz also opposed the escalation in Afghanistan:

Here's an interesting ploy: Rep. Jason Chaffetz (rumored as a potential Senate candidate) is taking a highly visible stand against the Obama administration's decision to deploy additional troops to Afghanistan, saying it's time to bring them home and that he's opposed to "nation building." That puts him up against the party orthodoxy, but it also leads to the question of whether Chaffetz is a bit of an outlier here or if the movement conservatives are going to be moving in more of an isolationist direction heading into 2012 (and whether that's because of their paranoid nativist worldview, or just because it gives them one more thing to oppose the President on).

As for having been a Democrat until 1990, he was all of 23 years old then. Among movement conservatives, rightward conversions are usually accepted, as long as there is no sign of leftward backsliding. Chaffetz can also probably be "excused" in their eyes for working on the Dukakis campaign because his father had been married to Kitty Dukakis (before she married Michael, and before John Chaffetz had Jason).

The one part of Chaffetz's backstory I don't really understand is why he converted from Judaism to Mormonism. (Katrina Swett, daughter of the late Tom Lantos, did the same thing, but she married Mormon Dick Swett.)

[ Parent ]
Utah=Mormon
"The one part of Chaffetz's backstory I don't really understand is why he converted from Judaism to Mormonism."

....Call me cynical but all I could think of were these relatively disingenuous reasons:

1) Wanted to keep his BYU scholarship, thought that was the way to do it.
2) Wanted to fit in at BYU and in Utah more generally.
3) Wanted to run for office in Utah someday...I'd point out he was already politically active at this time.
4) Really likes the idea of magic underwear.

Honestly, I'd guess it was some vague combination of #1-3, but don't discount #4. I've decided everybody secretly wants magic underwear... for me though, Calvin Klein is preferable to Brigham Young.

Kansan by birth, Californian by choice, and Gay by the grace of God.

[ Parent ]
Please let's not engage in
Crap like #4. Uncalled for.
[ Parent ]
Bennett write in candidate?
http://twitter.com/mikeallen

mikeallen
.UT Sen Bob Bennett told AP after first round he won't rule out a write-in candidacy if he loses.State law prohibits him running as an ind.


"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan
If
he got 25-35% of the vote as a write in I could see the Democrat winning. I wonder if he goes Indy or Dem as a final screw you to his party.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Looking at the stuff he voted for here
He would maybe be as good as you could wish to get for a Dem in Utah. But I doubt he would do that.  
[ Parent ]
Indy
more than likely if he switched at all.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Of
course Bennett would likely get around 10-15 at most if he ran as a write in.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
If that
I suspect only his most hardcore, ardent supporters would have the enthusiasm to write-in Bennett's name on the ballot. I wouldn't be floored to see him perform in the single-digits on that basis.  

For daily political commentary, visit me at http://polibeast.blogspot.com/ and http://twitter.com/polibeast
[ Parent ]
But
he wouldn't be in the same place as someone like Merrill Cook, who has no argument for why he should be elected, and shares no ongoing relationship with voters.
[ Parent ]
First off, come on
Dem? This guy is as conservative as they come.

Secondly, you can't run as an indy if you lose your party's nomination in Utah. Write-in is the only option.

[ Parent ]
No
I did not mean running as a Democrat or Indy. I know it's too late for that. I just meant serve out the rest of his term as a D or I. Although you are right that it is not likely.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
If he runs as an "I"
it would make sense to change his party now to "I", even if he caucuses with the Reps.
[ Parent ]
It's
too late for him to run as an I or D or anything for that matter. All he can do is run a write in campaign.

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Same thing
A write in in the general is the same as an "I".

In other words, he is not the R nominee.  He needs to avoid doing anything the brand an "R".

[ Parent ]
The above assumes he can't run as a write-in in the R primary
Maybe he can, but i assume he can't given the two nominee thing.

That leaves him a write in in the general, when he doesn't want people to vote straight party line R, or R for Senate.

[ Parent ]
Pretty sure he can't
Can only do a write-in in the G.E.
[ Parent ]
Though he did better
In that primary poll I seriously doubt he has enough suppport.
[ Parent ]
Is there such a thing as a write-in in their primary?

[ Parent ]
Salt Lake Tribune says Bennett moves on
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_...

Somebody's wrong

"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan

S L Trib gets it wrong


"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan
[ Parent ]
The link now says he was bounced

[ Parent ]
Covering their tracks
I saw what I saw.

"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan
[ Parent ]
Tim Bridgewater 37.42% Lee 35.99% Bennett 26.9%


"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan
In terms of who to root for I will be rooting for Bridgewater
to break 60% and prevent Lee from running, mainly due to Erick Erickson hating Bridgewater. It is a long shot, but it was rumored that the Bennett supporters will break for Bridgewater and deny Lee the chance to get on the primary ballot.  
[ Parent ]
why
would erickson hate bridgewater?
[ Parent ]
I don't know, probably b/c he
won't swear to everything that Jim Demint tells him. There are several posts on Redstate regarding it.  
[ Parent ]
It's really kinda sad...
... that being a conservative republican is not enough these days, you have to batshit crazy. Bennett was no moderate but once in a great while he would cross the aisle on an issue, I guess that is a career death sentance these days.

"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan
Not really
Utah just has a backwards system of nominating candidates.  
[ Parent ]
Ive been comparing this it my home state of MN
and getting to see it play out in a different state, with GOP activists vs DFL activists, it's very clear how terrible this system is terrible.  At least in MN the endorsement is technically symbolic only, but you go against a DFL endorsement you are essentially black listed by the inner party machine.
[ Parent ]
Utah has
Utah has an awesome system for nominating candidates.

...assuming you want the candidate to be the choice of the hardest-core conservative activists around.

If there is ever a time when Utah isn't so conservative that a far-right loon can win a general, this might prove disadvantageous to Republicans.

By the way, who is the Democratic candidate anyway? The gubernatorial one sounds about as solid as Team Blue gets in Utah (and he just picked a smart, experienced moderate Republican lady as Lt. Gov). And is he/she any good?

Kansan by birth, Californian by choice, and Gay by the grace of God.

[ Parent ]
True
As long as you don't mind the fact that choosing candidates through conventions or caucuses is undemocratic and doesn't represent the will of the rank and file of a party.

"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
--  Will Rogers  
[ Parent ]
I'm definitely for Bridgewater.
At least he doesn't base his candidacy off of God. Lee might as well be running with the "Mormon Party".
In
a state like Utah, you have to be Mormon to have a career in politics. The LDS holds all the levers of power in that state.

19, Male, Independent, CA-12
[ Parent ]
It's almost the same in Idaho,
but with the things he says, he'd be better registered as a Mormon than a Republican (or Tea Bag).
[ Parent ]
Orrin Hatch
must be scared out of his mind. He's worked with the Democrats more than Bennett ever did. In fact he was good friends with Ted Kennedy! That alone makes enemy number one among the teabaggers and the Redstate crowd.

19, Male, Independent, CA-12
I think so too
Hatch is better known and has more bi-partisan cred. He's not going to be there in 2013. Matheson better pray he can take advantage of all this in some way like how KS dems did starting in 2002, or else he might get roll'd too.

26, Male, Democrat, TX-26
[ Parent ]
Yeah
I think Chaffetz would be crazy not to try knocking off Hatch in 2012. He already made a big mistake by sitting out this year.
[ Parent ]
I actually don't mind Chaffetz.
(or Bennett for that matter) He's way better than Cannon, and he does add a little spice and a "maverick" side.
[ Parent ]
HATCH WILL RETIRE
this will send him packing
[ Parent ]
Why are you screaming
with all caps in your titles?
[ Parent ]
Dunno, but...
he seems to also be against testing general election matchups of Specter and Sestak against Toomey for some reason.
[ Parent ]
you are
missing the point(as you normally do); i am NOT against testing the general election match-ups in CERTAIN races(this does not apply to THIS race)
[ Parent ]
OK, then explain WHY.
You can't just say "oh, it doesn't matter", and then not bother to explain why it wouldn't.  You even say it DOES makes sense in CERTAIN races, but never bother to give any evidence or explanations to qualify when that is or isn't.  What am I supposed to make of that?  It'd be like me saying the anti-incumbent mood matters in some races, but not others, and not say one word about when that may be.  The words have no meaning then.

And I'm sure you saw the Quinnipiac poll that showed Toomey's lead is TWICE as big against Sestak as it is against Specter.  (Rasmussen also showed a slightly larger lead for Toomey against Sestak, but since it's Rasmussen, I'm ignoring it for now.)   So yes, I'm saying electability IS an issue in this race.

So unless you can provide hard evidence as to why it shouldn't matter in PA-Sen, I just cannot take your opinion seriously.

[ Parent ]
NO ONE IS YELLING
here;duh, we are on computers(unless yours talks.....)
[ Parent ]
Writing in All Caps = Shouting online
ref -
http://email.about.com/cs/neti...
http://www.netmanners.com/emai...
http://hubpages.com/hub/What-P...

In addition, the "smart aleck" nature of your comments does not add to the discussion.  

[ Parent ]
Yeah
Do not use all caps.
[ Parent ]
He's
too much of an institution. And I doubt this convention system will be the same in two years, if it even exists. Maybe a 20% cutoff for the primary.

Basically we all just have to admit Huntsman was a visionary.

[ Parent ]
Primary
Are Republican primary voters different enough from Republican convention attendees that that would make a difference? Would Bennett have won the primary if he'd been in it?
[ Parent ]
The worst he could do
would be to get 40%. And that's with seven other candidates. 80% chance he would have won.
[ Parent ]
Forget Crist...
....this is the man who should've tried switching parties earlier.  Course not like any Democrat could win statewide in Utah anyway.  Bob Bennett actually saw the high watermark for a Democratic Senate candidate when Wayne Owens (last Democrat to hold a US House seat prior to Matheson) scored an "amazing" 40% of the vote against him.

But hey, not like he had much of a chance running as a Republican either.

NY-13, Democrat. Blog @ http://infinitefunction.wordpr...

He could have run as an independent, though
And avoided this convention altogether.
[ Parent ]
There can't be many more stupid challenges
Than one against Matheson. Urgh. Still, if he is winning by ten with these people he'll be fine but it can't help him in November.
He's actually gotten off with virtually no challenge from the Republicans this time
Morgan Philpot is the most likely nominee, and he raised all of $15k in the first quarter.
[ Parent ]
IT IS CALLED 'DEMOCRACY'
EVERYONE has the right to run for office
[ Parent ]
They have the right
But that doesn't necessarily make it the right thing to do.
[ Parent ]
Agree
Sometimes I think Democrats want to lose.

"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan
[ Parent ]
Oh, we've done it plenty of times too
n/t

20, CD MA-03/NH-01/MA-08
[ Parent ]
It's
hard to decide who is worse at it. I kind of think you guys are, but we aren't much better.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
MATHESON COULD NOT GET 60% AT THE CONVENTION
PERHAPS this will wake him up; it is not 'STUPID' to run for office
[ Parent ]
Wake
up to what? I would say that the majority of his constituents oppose HCR. I mean we are talking about an R+14 district here. Now I don't think anyone would attest that I hate seeing safe Democrats voting no on HCR, but ones from conservative districts like Matheson should be given a pass in my view. I agree that it's not stupid to run for office, however it's also not stupid to do the right thing politically. Also I'm really not trying to be rood, but the all caps are a bit much.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
I agree
Why don't we also primary Walt Minnick, Bobby Bright, and Chet Edwards? Our district-based system is designed to represent the views of the constituency in their respective districts. Matheson represents their views far more than would, say, Robert Brady (to use a PA example).

BTW, I would argue that Specter far better represents the moderate nature of PA than does Sestak. Just saying.

NY-14, DC-AL (college) Distraught Mets fan

[ Parent ]
I have the right to dye my hair purple
But that doesn't mean it would be a sensible thing to do.
[ Parent ]
Stop yelling;
this is not a train station!

NY-14, DC-AL (college) Distraught Mets fan
[ Parent ]
GROW UP
and get a clue
[ Parent ]
This is a formal warning
The tone of your comments is not appropriate for this site, nor is your use of all caps. If you cannot adapt to the norms of SSP, then you will need to find someplace else to spend your time.
[ Parent ]
Hopefully, she'll beat him in the primary.


Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.
[ Parent ]
What's wrong with Matheson?
Primarying from the left makes about as much sense in his case as it would against Chet Edwards.  

Independent Socialist & Chair of SSP Cranky Indianian Hoosier Caucus, IN-09
[ Parent ]
This is just inane

[ Parent ]
Yeah...
If you're concerned about progressivism, I'd say it's better for the current Republican party to be told, through electoral results, that they are heading toward oblivion.

party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01
[ Parent ]
More clueless people here
http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...

[ Parent ]
on the Rec list at DK?
To me, it feels like progressives who are campaigning for a Republican Majority in the House.
[ Parent ]
Yup
Very silly. Very sad.
[ Parent ]
It is a silly challenge, but I'm glad they did from within the party
as opposed to running some stupid third party/Green challenge against him.

I do think challenges to someone like Matheson are uber-dumb, but I would also encourage people who want to challenge him to do it within the framework of the party where the voters of the party do decide, and then we move forward together from there to defeat Team Red.

What separates us right now from the less evolved species is they are making several third party challenges, which just leads to the party winning.  Post-Gore, we have had a few of those recently, like Cazayoux, and we want as few of those as we can get.

Give me dumb primaries over dumb general election challenges any day.

[ Parent ]
No, what's inane...
...is the belief that we should never hold Democrats accountable when they vote against us and instead robotically vote for them, donate to them, and make excuses for them solely because of the letter following their name.

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.
[ Parent ]
He votes his district
Sometimes that irkes people like you but he's not there to represent the entire country, just a district in Utah.

22, Male, Democrat, PA-18.
[ Parent ]
You hold accountable
People like Lipinski, Lynch and Artur Davis not Matheson. You donate to people like Betty Sutton who expected a walkover but now has a mega-funded opponent.
[ Parent ]
I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way but..
... a gender studies instructor who is a lesbian is not going to win in Utah.  

"Where free Unions and collective bargaining is forbidden, freedom is lost." - Ronald Reagan
[ Parent ]
Seriously!?!
I don't think any of us are that angry about the concept of "gender studies" ....oh wait, you meant the "lesbian" part.  :)

Seriously, I'm hard-pressed to think of a worse profile for a candidate in Utah than "gender studies instructor who is a lesbian" ... hmm, maybe "black abortion doctor who is also an avowed atheist."

Kansan by birth, Californian by choice, and Gay by the grace of God.

[ Parent ]
LOL
n/t
[ Parent ]
Explain your reasoning please


Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
No politician should be above being held accountable.
Matheson has voted for the gay marriage ban, against the healthcare bill, for the Stupak amendment, for abstinence-only education, against the Patients' Bill of Rights, and for tort reform.

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.
[ Parent ]
He votes his district

[ Parent ]
Don't care.


Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.
[ Parent ]
It is the role of voters to hold elected officials accountable
Do you have any evidence that Matheson's votes on the issues you cite are unpopular in Utah?
[ Parent ]
Matheson
According to the Washington Post he has a 92% party unity score. Same as Mike McMahon and Bill Foster. Both of those are in far more hospitable districts for Democrats. By more than ten points actually.

http://projects.washingtonpost...

[ Parent ]
And?
I know you enjoy using these broad brushes, but there are Democrats who are pro-life and against gay marriage.

These people are elected to represent their districts, and apparently Matheson does a dang good job. Does he share your views? Maybe not, but he seems to share the views of the voters in his district.

You and Jim DeMint have a lot in common.

[ Parent ]
LOL
You're the one with a lot in common with Jim DeMint.  You both have a fondness for pro-discrimination, warmongering politicans.

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.
[ Parent ]
So he votes his district
May I remind you that he reprsents a Republican District over ten points and clearly is a socically and fically conservative district. He votes his district, not you and me and that's whats important.

22, Male, Democrat, PA-18.
[ Parent ]
So does John Boehner.
So did the overwhelming majority of the Republicans that voted against healthcare, against climate change legislation, who supported the Iraq War, who supported ANWR drilling, supported the flag burning and gay marriage amendments, etc.  So did the politicans back during the fifties and sixties who stood in the way of Civil Rights.  Are/were they right?  It's amazing how when Republicans do the wrong thing and disregard the well-being of their constituents, it's so horrible; "damn those Republicans!"  Yet when a Democrat does it it's an understandable and "smart" strategy.

There are things infinitely more important than a politican keeping his or her seat.  The end is policy, not seeing how many districts are painted blue; that is the means.

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.

[ Parent ]
Mike Lee
gets the stamp of approval from Jim "Waterloo" DeMint:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

19, Male, Independent, CA-12

What a piece of garbage
Demint is just a media whore. He will endorse anything that has a pulse, although that requirement is apparently up to interpretation. Mike Lee has raised 150k and has 75k CoH. It isn't any mystery Bridgewater almost reached 60%, he has raised almost 400k and has 200k CoH.
[ Parent ]
Does
it really matter? This is Utah so Lee would barely have to campaign to win. Whoever wins the primary more than likely wins the general. Do you or anyone know if Bridgewater is more moderate than Lee? I've heard that a lot, but I'm not sure why. Maybe Demint's endorsement automatically makes Bridgewater more moderate. IDK.  

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
Just saying
"This is Utah so Lee would barely have to campaign to win" doesn't sound that great after a recent Massachusetts election.

Sam Granato isn't exactly Scott Brown, but there might (huge amount of emphasis on might) be a shot here. We'll see.  

Independent Socialist & Chair of SSP Cranky Indianian Hoosier Caucus, IN-09

[ Parent ]
Your right
You really never know. Winning in Utah in 2010 would make up for losing in Massachusetts. I doubt it though.

Proud member of the Indiana Democratic Party from IN-9.  
[ Parent ]
It's hard to feel bad for a conservative Republican from Utah
But this is still an ignominious end for a three term senator's political career. At least he actually tried to legislate from time to time, even if that meant working with a Democrat. I'm sure a Sen. Bridgewater or Sen. Lee will spend most of their time in the Senate trying to imitate Jim DeMint style histrionics. From some of the comments here, it seems as if Bridgewater might be a little less insane than Lee. Why is that?

Bennett's probably got zero chance of winning by waging a write-in campaign.

Bridgewater
Bridgewater's main campaign pledge seems to be dismantling the Department of Education, so...
[ Parent ]
Bennett
Will he go quietly or pull a Bunning and go out with a bang? I'd love to see him co-sponsor some bipartisan legislation and go on Meet the Press and describe how out of touch the Republicans are, because the Beltway just eats that crap up. Maybe he'll even refuse to endorse the eventual nominee.

If he were to stage a write-in campaign, does he have the money to do it?

25, Male, CT-01 (home), Perth-Wellington riding (sometimes)

Upthread
Are we sure that Bennett voted for NCLB?  I'm pretty sure he voted against it, have to check on Medicare Part D.  

Please donate to amcharities.org to help build more after school centers in the Miami area.  

23, Democrat, IA-2

Roll Call on NCLB
http://www.senate.gov/legislat...

This was on the Conference Report.  

Please donate to amcharities.org to help build more after school centers in the Miami area.  

23, Democrat, IA-2

Maybe it was a previous
vote before conference?
[ Parent ]
Could have been
My point was merely that the media was trying to paint Bennett as more of a moderate than he is in order to fit their narrative.  

Please donate to amcharities.org to help build more after school centers in the Miami area.  

23, Democrat, IA-2

[ Parent ]
There's also flag burning
Bennett is the main reason the amendment failed to pass the Senate the last time it was up for a vote in 2005, I believe. It got 66 votes and Bennett was a "no".
[ Parent ]
Totally agree on that point
n/t
[ Parent ]
He's out for 2010
I'll go out on a limb and predict that, for this year at least, Bennett is finished. The very reason why he is prohibited by state law from running as an independent is that a similar situation occurred there in 1958, resulting in Utah's only Democratic senator of the postwar era. Bennett surely remembers that, as his father was the state's other senator at the time. He's smart enough to know he can't win as a write-in, and surely he's aware of the possibility - however slight - that his running would lead to the Democrats picking up that seat where they otherwise would never have a chance. I predict he'll lick his wounds, talk about a write-in campaign as part of the cycle of coping with his loss, and then sit out the fall election. Which is too bad for us.  
Unfortunately I think I agree with you
Bennett gives me vibes that suggest he's too much of a team player to run a write-in campaign.

party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01
[ Parent ]
He will remain a loyal Republican
and whenever there's another Republican in the White House, he's probably a likely candidate for a Cabinet position, if he wants one.

"I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!"
--  Will Rogers  
[ Parent ]
how much $ does Bennett have?
i can imagine it being leaps and bounds beyond either the democrats or GOP in this race - and he's done nothing wrong and he is well-liked and well-known by Utahans.  write-ins are very, very difficult, but this situation might be the perfect one.
Utah Convention Open Thread | 151 comments

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