Interesting article this morning from the Salt Lake Tribune's Paul Rolly. We incorporate the pertinent paragraphs below:
The Utah Republican Party seems to be in a battle for its political soul.Does the foregoing signal a genuine shift of the Utah Republican Party from the far right wing toward the center? Will current GOP leadership pay the ultimate political price for the voucher debacle, and for their stubborn resistance to all forms of ethics reform? Will Utah Democrats finally emerge from their stupor, and extract their long overdue pound of flesh?
Fifteen Republican incumbents in the state House of Representatives are facing stiff challenges from within their own party. Of the nine Republican incumbents who are up for re-election in the State Senate, five are being challenged by fellow Republicans.
For the first time in memory, all 75 House seats are contested, while in the Senate, only President John Valentine, R-Provo, escaped with no challenger at all.
The obvious impetus behind the assault on the Republican establishment - from within and outside the GOP - is the voucher fight of 2007, when GOP legislative leaders crammed tuition tax credits for private schools down the throats of a reluctant public, then vigorously fought the successful populist movement to repeal that legislation.
But it goes deeper than that. The voucher debacle was a symptom of a greater problem: a Legislature in the grip of an ultraconservative clique that is intolerant of moderate points of view, especially within its own party, and excludes anyone who doesn't play along.
Another troubling symptom of GOP unrest on Capitol Hill is the absolute resistance from most of the Republican leadership to any ethics reform that would attempt to reign in the current culture of favoritism and cronyism between legislators and their gift-bearing lobbyist buddies.
What is intriguing about this counter-establishment uprising is that it's coming from other Republicans, not just the marginalized Democrats. [...]
One telling feature of this year's political climate is that while many Republicans have GOP opponents, the most outspoken anti-voucher Republicans - Reps. Sheryl Allen, Kory Holdaway, Steve Mascaro, Mel Brown and Kay McIff - have no Republican opponent. That is a shift from past years when moderate Republicans were the ones being targeted in GOP conventions by the armies of the right.
The cyber-world awaits the comments of our gentle readers.
13 comments:
If a Democrat is for making gift taking or offering for anything of any value a felony. If a democrat is for also making campaign fund "donations" of more then say $250 from constituents and $2,500 from the major political parties also a felony, I would consider voting for them.
If a Democrat is for a major revamping of the property tax system, away from the current Realtor scheme/scam, to an acquistion value system he or she would have my vote.
And if a democrat were to have major objections to the current part time legislator situation, which fosters gross conflicts of interest, they would definitely have my vote.
And since none of the incumbents have any intention of making any of the above reforms, I will vote against every incumbent and ask everyone I speak with to do the same. As voters we hold the keys to our future and can affect term limitations.
But Hey! That's just me...
Let's assume Sen. Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, as seems increasingly likely (the Iowa Electronic Markets have the probability at 82%; Intrade has him at 87%, as of this writing).
The reason the Utah PLEOs (so-called "superdelegates", but I hate that term) will go for Obama is not because the state voted for him, but because it helps their down-ticket candidates.
If you have a massive turnout from reform-minded progressives and moderates in Utah, all voting in what will likely be a losing cause for Obama, that will energize the moderate and progressive wings of both parties here. I would predict a turnover of unprecedented scale within the state legislature.
In current Utah polling, Obama loses to McCain 39% to 50%, while Clinton loses 27% to 65%. (Data: SurveyUSA "robo-poll", Feb 28.)
An 11% margin, this far out in the cycle, has not been seen for over 40 years in Utah. (Compare this to the 71/26 Bush/Kerry split in election 2004.) Depending on the way the campaign goes, Obama may be perceived as being "close" in Utah, which will energize those moderate and progressive voters even further.
No, I don't think Obama will take Utah's electoral votes, and I don't think the Democrats will gain control of either Utah state house. Still, I think the conservative nutjob wing of the Utah Republican party is toast.
"Still, I think the conservative nutjob wing of the Utah Republican party is toast."
Mono...Your definition of conservative nutjob wing could use specifics. Senator John Valentine, for example, is not even up for reelection.
Perhaps you could name them for the rest of us?
And what of the Realtor and developer's who have infiltrated and who pass laws arrogantly feathering their own beds.
Obama and national politics aside, what Utah legislators are doing to me up close a personal is what I can at least try to change.
So what are the prospects for Curtis, Bramble, Neiderhauser, Froerer, Buttars, Killpack, Greiner, Stephenson, Aagard, Barrus, Buxton, David Clark, Mel Brown, Donnelson, Draxler, Harper, Herrod, Hughes, Chris Johnson, Morley, Neuenschwander, Ray, Snow, Urquhart?
Don:
That's a lot of individual races. Looking quickly at the list, some are not even up for re-election this year.
I hope we'll get a chance to discuss some of these individual races on this blog as we get closer to the election. Things will be a lot clearer after the party conventions.
Again, even informed Political savvy bloggers are missing the point. It does not matter what people do at the polls, it's who shows up at caucus. The reality is most elected officials already have their races won because the got their supporters out to each precinct caucus and got elected their county and state delegates respectively. These inter party challengers have absolutely no chance at removing an incumbent unless they packed enough caucus locations to force a primary. Without that, nothing will likely change because Republicans will not vote for a Democrat outside of Salt Lake County, even if the Democrat was Jesus Christ.
The Captain
With the mayors father-in-law Ed Allen running as a Democrate Dist 10 there may be a few who will cross over and vote Republician. I do hope everyone will look at the positions and vote the candidate and not just the party.
Minutes after I made the fuss yesterday about M3 is increasing 20% year over year, Mike Shedlock (Mish) posted this comment (on his blog that Rudi also made reference to.)
“I get a kick out of all the people pointing to a rising M3 as some sign of huge existing or huge pent up inflation. It's important to understand why M3 is growing and what it really means. Few bother to look.
“Borrowing money just to pay back debts simply means more money (credit actually) is going to money heaven. This is the problem with focusing on a number like M3 without looking at the "why" behind it.”
He cites this link to buttress his point:
http://www.nowandfutures.com/key_stats.html
To me, his link actually made MY point: that M3 leads to inflation or is the proof of inflation. Indeed the Bank of England has shown a 99% correlation between M3, M2, and inflation!
So my point here is, don’t accept anybody’s predictions of what will happen, including mine. Look at the data, use your own experience, and decide as best you can for yourself.
Mish has a lot of data but sometimes I really disagree with him and can’t believe how stupid he seems.
My reason for occasionally posting economic info is so that those who can be benefited from it will have that chance, not to create paranoia, although I am looking ahead to great hardships for many.
As far as today’s thread, I have concluded that voting in new people is usually a good idea, it refreshes the system, except for rare cases like Dorrene Jeske who could run for any office and I’d vote for her and be grateful to be able to do so as many times as she wanted to run.
I don't know if I would support Dorene Jeske again. I wish that she would not be phony on some of the things I have seen her do.
Speaking of elections, this article from The Economist was striking in its parallels to a situation we're all familiar with.
[Four days after the election,] the official electoral commission was still refusing to reveal the results of the presidential race, feeding fears of a massive last-ditch rigging operation.
...
The country's only daily newspaper, the Herald, a slavish mouthpiece for Mr Mugabe, conceded that he might face an unprecedented run-off.
...
A bunch of postal votes, still uncounted, could give Mr Mugabe a last-gasp bonus.
...
Would-be voters complained of being turned away from polling stations at schools, tents and community halls because their names were not on the voters' roll, which was controlled by a Mugabe loyalist. Concern about intimidation had risen because, under a last-minute edict, policemen were deployed inside polling stations.
This is NOT a late April Fool's Day joke. It is for real. Notice that candidates are to be "interviewed" by the Board of REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee (who) will give endorsements, financial contributions, and other campaign assistance to candidates we consider to be friendly to the real estate industry. Also notice that "candidates" who are "friendly to or actually represent the people or constituents" are ruled out.
And maybe you might begin to understand how and why at least 57% of our legislature has been elected and corrupted. How this group has infiltrated and now arrogantly passes laws which only feather their own beds. Why "Developer's Dream Legislation" like HB 466 and more recently SB 220 passed without so much as 120 seconds of honest debate. We MUST take back the legislature by replacing every incumbent except those few who are not on the take or the very few who have declined to be "interviewed".
On April 8, 2008, Christina wrote: "Dear Candidate:
This is a reminder email from the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee, inviting you to participate in our 2008 candidate interview process.
We will be conducting candidate interviews on Friday, April 11th from 9:00am to 1:00pm noon at the REALTOR® Campus at 230 West Towne Ridge Parkway in Sandy.
There are three slots available: 9:00am, 12:00 pm, and 12:20pm.
If you are able to attend during one of these times, please call or email me so I can get your interview scheduled.
Based on the results of the candidate interview, the Salt Lake Board of REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee will give endorsements, financial contributions, and other campaign assistance to candidates we consider to be friendly to the real estate industry.
I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks and have a great day!
Christina Robey
Receptionist/Government Affairs Assistant
Salt Lake Board of REALTORS®
Ph: 801-542-8840 Fax: 801-542-8841
email: Christina@saltlakeboard.com"
Now, if John Q Public doesn't think this is out of bounds, unethical, or plain wrong, John Q needs to re-examine his own morals; principles, standards of goodness or rightness in conduct or character don't ya think?
It is fairly easy to see the sources of campaign donations and thus figure out how many and who has been bought and paid for.
Oh and the "Coalition for Private Property Rights" is a just one of several Realtor's Association shells (or lies) to disguise their money funnels to legislators, Commissioners, State Commissions, Committees, Association of Counties, and the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
Can anyone define a racket? Anybody else care?
As a home town raised lifetime conservative (who votes for the candidate, not the party), I am finally fed up and taking Lou Dobbs' advice to become an independant. And Machman is right on with his vote out ALL incumbants strategy.
I say Machman for Legislator!
Machman,
When the time comes, if you would post a list of names I would happily vote accordingly.
Being in bed with Reators is a touchstone issue for me too. The word is synonymous with corruption to me.
Rudi:
Doesn't look like much will change. From Paul Rolly's column in Wed's SL Trib:
Becky Edwards, who is challenging first-term incumbent and loyal voucher supporter Paul Neuenschwander for the Republican nomination in Bountiful's House District 20, was first accused by GOP leaders of being a closet Democrat.
Then, the number of delegates in her voting precinct was reduced just before the caucuses.
Now, even though she was elected as a county delegate, her name is not on the delegate list distributed to candidates and party officials.
A lesser person might get paranoid.
Edwards said Davis County Republican Chairman Ben Horsley told her there were several mistakes that are being corrected.
They had better hurry. The county convention is Saturday.
Link to the full column is here.
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