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Matheson received just 55% of the 2nd congressional district Utah Democratic vote, against a liberal challenger, Claudia Wright; who is a retired school teacher who is running on the liberal platform of the Democratic Party, received 45% of the 2nd congressional district Utah Democratic vote, forcing a June Primary.
Much in the same fashion as what Utah Conservatives accomplished against Senator Bennett, an ideological sense of pureness has overcome Utah Liberals, who want to remove their one chance of representation in Washington, because he isn't big government enough.
Even if the Blue Dog Jim Matheson does survive a challenge from Liberal Democrats, he than has to deal with Morgon Philpot, a Conservative Republican who captured the Republican vote without being forced into a Primary election, something that will benefit Mr.Philpot's campaign over the next five weeks. Though his campaign would benefit more if he were facing Ms.Wright in November, which could still happen.
Moderates are being forced out of both parties, and if the Republican Caucus wants to emerge a stronger and healthier coalition come November, I would suggest a gameplan for maintaining a sense of Ronald Reagan's big tent and his 80 percent friend, not a 20 percent foe approach. If we lose the Ronald Reagan Republican formation, than our movement will shrivel and die, especially if we don't reinstate the Eleventh Commandment of Republican politics.
Incumbents might be safe in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina and other states, but in Utah they better watch out, because the ideologues are coming for them!
Also; if your into epic political battles, than I would suggest watching the Democrat Primary between Congressman Matheson and Ms.Wright, as well as the Republican Primary between Tim Bridgewater (whom I must reluctantly endorse) and Mike Lee, both elections are being held in Utah, for those who have not been paying attention.
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4 comments:
More GOP moderates? What a capital idea! The GOP can never have too many swell candidates and spokespersons like Dede Scozzofava, Ahnauld Schwarzenegger, Charlie Crist, Susan Collins, Scott McClellan, John McCain, David Brooks, Lincoln Chafee, Chuck Hagel, John McHugh, Arlen Specter, David Frum, Richard Lugar, Colin Powell, Olympia Snowe, William Weld, Walter Jones, Christopher Buckley and Lindsey Graham. All of them are rock-solid in their honesty and loyalty to the Republican Party and its base. None would ever dream of defecting to the Democrat Party.
Heckfire - let's just cut to the chase. Why not just have the Republican Party install Howard Dean as GOP Chair and nominate Barack Obama for President in 2012? That would at long last satisfy Republican moderates. Maybe.
Seriously, look at Bennett's record:
1. Yes to government-run health care before he was against it
2. Yes to big government spending
3. Yes to big government entitlement programs
4. More donations from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac than any other Republican.
5. Sat on the Senate Banking Committee while the financial crisis grew, spread, and exploded. What was his solution? Bail outs.
This is not about big tent Republicanism. This is about competency. Sen. Bennett hasn't a single accomplishment in 18 years to justify his tenure. If Utah weren't such a Republican stronghold, he'd have been beaten by a Democrat years ago.
I live in Utah (Congressman Matheson's district). I helped Bob Bennett get elected when he first ran. One of his biggest selling points at that time was that he was an outsider (the only non-lawyer in the race). He is no longer an outsider at all and has failed to *represent* me. I am pleased we will have someone else to bring new blood from our state. As far as Matheson goes, I have voted for him in every election and will do so again in the upcoming election. I have emailed him about issues important to me and he has always responded courteously and voted the way most of his constituents have wanted. If he is forced out as the democratic representative, I believe we will almost certainly have another republican congressman from Utah.
The difference between Matheson and Bennett is, Bennett had a very conservative voting record, and got axed anyways. Matheson, on the other hand, really is smack dab in the middle of the political spectrum. Now, he may be the only sort of Democrat who can be elected in an R+15 district like UT-2. But he's never voted for anything I've ever believed in, and his attitude always seems to be, "screw my base, who else are they going to vote for? I need to vote to keep the Republicans from getting fired up to run against me."
He voted against health care reform every opportunity he had. He consistently votes against climate change legislation and against abortion rights. He voted for Bush's truly awful military tribunals.
My dream is that Matheson gets slaughtered in the primary, then the Republicans sense weakness and select the teabaggiest teabagger they can find. One who thinks Obama is a Kenyan-born Muslim, who wants to fire the EPA and OSHA, repeal minimum wage laws, replace Social Security with a program to send each elderly person a blanket a year, and who wants to double the national defense budget. The electorate, sensing insanity, votes Democratic.
But that's a risky strategy. Might be safer just to leave Matheson where he is. But personally, I'm not going to pull the lever for him.
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