Beltway Bob goes into political retirement... after a decissive 2d round convention vote
It's Convention Day, Weber County Forum political wonks. Of course most of the media attention is on the Utah GOP Convention, where Senator for Life Bob Bennett will be fighting this morning for his political survival. The Standard-Examiner kicks off the day with two topical stories on the front page this morning:
• Bennett touts conservative record in final debateWill Bob Bennett escape today's convention with his political scalp intact? Find out via the live streaming video below, courtesy of the Utah GOP website:
• Delegates wade past 'interference' at conventions
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Update 5/9/10 12:55 p.m.: Sorry folks... the live video stream has expired, so we're replacing the previously embedded video player with Josh Loftin's live blogging record instead:
• Live Blog: Utah GOP ConventionThe live video was pretty cool while it lasted, but we believe the above link will adequately provide late comers "the drift."
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We'll also be scouting around for something similar from the Democratic Convention this morning. So far however, after a considerable amount of googling, we've pretty much struck out. Still, desperate Democrats who crave real-time convention information might want to try the Utah State Party's and the Weber County Democratic Party's Twitter Feeds in a pinch:
• Utah Democrats - TwitterIf anyone within our WCF readership has any good links to online Utah Democratic Party convention activities, btw, we of course urge you to submit them.
• Weber County Democrats - Twitter
Keep your eyes on this space, gentle readers. We'll also be updating this page and entering timely Twitter comments throughout the day.
Update 5/8/10 12:31 p.m.: While we're taking a little breather during the Utah GOP Convention vote counting, be sure to check out the great flurry of Twitter tweets which have poured out into the tweetosphere today:
• Utah Gop-Convention-2010 - Rudi's Collected Twitter TweetsLots of interesting between-the-lines observations there.
DANG! With the laughably poor audio on our Live Streaming Convention Video Player, we shoulda put this up hours ago! Twitter definitely has its uses when news is breaking fast.
Be sure to check out that last Twitter link directly above.
Update 5/8/10 1:56 p.m.: Wow! The results of the FIRST GOP Convention Vote Count are now available:
• Utah GOP Senate Race: 1st Round ResultsLooks like Beltway Bob may be screwed. But then again maybe not. As this astute observer notes, it all depends upon how Cherilyn Eager supporters shake out:
• Bennett Survives First Ballot at Utah GOP ConventionNow onto the second voting round.
Fun, innit?
Update 5/8/10 3:32 p.m: Here are the final numbers from the SECOND GOP Convention voting round, per Josh Loflin's latest Twitter tweet:
Tim Bridgewater : 37%Assuming this early report is accurate, Bennett is OUT!
Mike Lee: 36%
Beltway Bob: 27%
Update 5/9/10 1:08 p.m.: The Utah GOP website now has final tallies in all contested GOP convention races posted online:
• 2010 Decisions: Final Vote Counts
30 comments:
Bye, Bye Bennett glad to see you go.
Great camara work. That closeup of the guys ear is awesome.
I think it's pretty funny that Utah Republicans are railing against earmarks at the same time they go gaga for the free "Don't Tread On Me" pins that the Club for Growth is handing out.
REPUBLICANTSS SHOULD NOMINATE ABE GEIGERRIG FOR CHAIRWOMAN OF THE LOG CABIN REPUBLICANTS GODFREYS BLAKE CAN BE HIS SECOND IS COOOMAND AND CAN SELL ONE OF HIS 13 SHITBOX VANS TO GEIGERRIG FOR GOO MONEY FOR SUCKING IF YOU CATCH MY GRIFT
Bennett Nomination = Republican Party loses seat in general election.
There is a photo of Bennett standing behind a microphone that has been used repeatedly in the press the last week. In it you see his bald head and the microphone covering his lower chin. It makes him look like he has a "love patch"! In fact, it looks strikingly similar to the picture of Ronnie Lee Gardner which is also in the press a lot lately.
Surely the tin hat crowd can make something sinister out of that!
Good! Rob Bishop just stepped up to the microphone. I can't wait to hear from his opponent, Mike Ridgway.
This next segment will be extremely interesting to watch.
Bishop looks buffed. Do you suppose he's been working out in the congressional gym... or the congressional pizza parlor?
"Buffed," Keisha?
More like "buffeted." (the "t" is silent) in the all-you-can-eat-at paces like the Washington D.C. Chuck-A-Rama.
Rob Bishop = a heart attack waiting to happen.
The sound quality is terrible with this amateurish attempt by the Utah GOP to podcast today's convention. Now it seems they've moved their recording mics to the back of the big eckoey room, which solves the feedback problem. But now we're getting interminable echoes, like the party convention from hell.
Thank goodness for you Twitter feed link, Rudy, which provides good info on what's really going on minute by minute.
First round: Lee first, Bridgewater second, Sen Bennett third, Eager fourth. I can't see Eager supporters going for Bennett, more like Bridgewater or Lee.
75% of delegates voted against Bob Bennett on the 1st ballot! He's NOT getting out of Convention!
Trib says Bennett survived second round. Article was last revised at 2:49 but doesn't have vote counts and I still can't find details anywhere. If most of Eager's votes went to Lee and just a few to Bennett, then Bennett is still in trouble.
Now GOP site says Bennett is out after all: Lee 37%, Bridgewater 36%, Bennett 27% in second round. If this is correct, then that was a pretty big blunder at the Trib.
@Dan S:
At least the Twitter link to the Trib story that I saw was to the first round. I think the twitterer mis-read the SL Trib story.
Oops, I got Lee and Bridgewater switched: It was Bridgewater 37%, Lee 36%.
Bob Bennett is a nice man; but evidently, does not represent the party base of the GOP.
I can't wait to watch congress when they re-convene after the fall elections; it's going to be funny as hell.
Most Republican Senators Supported Bush's Wall Street Bailout-- But It Looks Like Robert Bennett (R-UT) Paid The Price
Check the list to find all other turncoat Republicans who betrayed their conservative principles and voted to bail out their banker friends.
Beltway Bob thrown out in the convention by the wise and prudent convention goers? (Yeah, I didn't go.)
Also I noted this in Ogden's capital improvement plan,
"The reports from Public Services Director Jay Lowder
indicated that the Ice Climbing Tower was no longer a viable project."
Could it be true? Godfrey admits defeat? Or is this just another ruse?
Oh, if only we could be rid of Godfrey. I hear Ron Paul out polls Obama for President.
When they screw up bad enough, the public awakens.
"The next race to watch in the ongoing fight between the GOP establishment and the tea party wing of the party is in Kentucky. Ophthalmologist Rand Paul (Ron Paul's son), who has the strong backing of the tea party movement, is facing off against Secretary of State Trey Grayson, the handpicked candidate of McConnell, on May 18 for the Republican Senate nomination.
"Polling suggests Paul is the favorite although Grayson has rolled out several potentially influential endorsements in recent days -- including that of McConnell."
Imagine another Paul in Washington. If only we could have one in the White House.
Today is a good day.
Wow! According to a Sean Miles Twitter tweet about a half-hour ago, Tim Bridgewater slammmed Mike Lee in the 3rd and final ballot, 57% to 43% taking most of Bennett's votes.
So if Bridgewater is soaking up all Bennett's delegate votes, doesn't that bode well for Bridgewater in the June Primary?
Or does it?
Anybody wanna comment about this?
Which one is the nuclear waste attorney?
If Mike Lee or Bob Bennett Win the Race - Energy Solutions Wins
Lee, by far, has the best MoMo credentials. His father was President of BYU, was a GOP icon in his time and was Solicitor General of the US. Lee himself has served in pretty high positions within the Church. the father, Rex, died fairly young and Lee the current is his standard bearer. Lee will win the primary hands down. When Bridgewater's true biz credential are further explored in the primary election it will be shown he is not near the successful heavyweight he claims to be. He also doesn't have the Church service background that Lee does.
Oz,
Your (cynical) analysis would apply in most election years. On the other hand, your analysis would have suggested Beltway Bob would win the primary.
I was hoping he would lose the primary, then hoping he could be dumped, like the garbage that he is, in the convention, which he was.
People are looking at this election differently. I don't know Bridgewater or Lee (or the Demos) but I hope voters will take more interest this time around and elect somebody good.
They certainly turned out in force in the primary.
I also hope this is a sea change in America. When the economy collapses and people are poorer than they ever dreamed possible, let people turn toward a rebirth of freedom and limited government, not more turning to the dry, sour teats of government.
One of the most stupid quotes in history:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel accused the financial industry of playing dirty. "First the banks failed, forcing states to carry out rescue operations. They plunged the global economy over the precipice and we had to launch recovery packages, which increased our debts, and now they are speculating against these debts. That is very treacherous," she said. "Governments must regain supremacy. It is a fight against the markets and I am determined to win this fight".
Hahahahahaha! Moron!
So you borrow and spend like a drunken sailor, then when the people who lent the money want a higher interest rate because you are irresponsible, you get mad at the people who lent you the money.
Is this the response of an irresponsible drunk, or the response of every world leader to what is happening?
Only fire can save us now.
To understand how the system works, why it is fundamentally corrupt,why we hate Beltway Bob who has worked to sustain it, why it depends on exponentially increasing corruption (which we are seeing now) and why it must all end, this video (5 parts) is pretty good. Note: It starts slow but gets good.
What is money?
The woman speaking right now, if she had her way, would codify her priggish little religion into US statute.
Oh yeah, she also claims to be a "fiscal conservative", but if one checked her financial history, one would find that her entire family has over-extended as a lifestyle.
What a hypocritical bitch; her and her ilk will never be in charge of me and mine.
Danny
Granted I am cynical about most things concerning Utah politics, a grievous fault for sure. But pray tell, what free thinking and almost intelligent humanist would not be. However, I don't think my observations about the importance of the MoMo experience and vote in Utah politics is "cynical" as much as it it realistic.
By the way, I actually did predict a few days ago that Bennett would squeak through the convention of idiots on Saturday and ultimately win the primary. Hope you didn't take my prediction serious and roll next month's rent on it!
Oz,
No, in fact, it appears the parasites at the convention were outnumbered by new people, thus, the outcome was different.
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