A few months ago, I got a phone call from a friend I have met through politics. He wanted to ask me a few questions about something.
Specifically, he wanted to know the process for filing as a Democrat to run against Jim Matheson.
I unloaded my knowledge of how the Convention system works, as well as my limited knowledge of the FEC. I gave him some words of warning that are pertinent to anyone looking to challenge RepINO Jim Matheson:
It's Democratic Party suicide, as long as Wayne Holland is Chair.
Because speaking ill of Jim Matheson (D-IHC) is simply not allowed.
And, as long as the Wayne Holland faction rules the party, you will be in the Party Shithouse.
Which is OK. There are some cool people here. Some of them will probably buy you a drink.
And, while I think Scott McCoy stands a better chance in the convention and primary (but that's not to say my mystery person couldn't make it past Matheson), my guy stands as good a chance in the General as anyone, including Matheson.
-Bob
5 comments:
Bob, a chair that didn't stand behind the most popular member of Utah's federal delegation and who happens to be the highest elected official in the Utah Democratic Party would be a chump.
I want to also remind you that it is the delegates who run the Party. We voted Holland in three times. I'm not sure when you became active in politics, Bob, but if your "Congressional" candidate is anything like your party chair candidate then I'll pass.
Matheson's vote had nothing to do with Holland, but I too was disappointed.
Elections are a numbers game. I would like to see a person who had better numbers than Matheson in his district. I might vote for that person.
Bob, every post I read from you on Utah Democratic Party leadership is negative. It's kind of sad that you have such a disrespect for the delegates who elected Holland, but every party needs a Mike Ridgway.
Maybe, you are just a lot smarter than the rest of us.
You vill follow azz you are told to vollow - or else!
Rob's new alias is an asshole.
Jim got in - and McCain/Feingold keeps him in. Every UtDem Chair that has served since has kissed his ass. That's why there's only one Democratic member of the delegation.
Aside from that, Rob - sorry, The General, is like a lot of people who are all too happy to genuflect, to follow orders, to win at any cost even if it serves no benefit other than to kiss the asses of those to whom they kneel.
It's about who you know, not what you do.
isn't it kind of odd that democrats pass historic legislation over the weekend and the utah state democratic party has nothing to say about it?
i wonder why that is? could it be that their guy voted with the republicans twice, and has in every close, meaningful vote in recent memory? to his credit he did vote against the republican bill, which i suppose means he prefers the health care status quo, at least in voting record.
when was the last time jim stood up for democrats? even further back, when was the last time the state office stood up for a democratic platform issue when jim wasn't? the silence from the state party office on the events of, what was evidently to them just another saturday, speaks volumes. they may not be silencing opposition (non anonymously), but they certainly are selective about which democratic wins they celebrate, and it's usually the ones that jim is celebrating as well. quite a coincidence.
now on the congressman himself, national democrats don't need another lieberdem that jumps to the other side on every key vote or anytime fox news needs a sample democrat that agrees with them. utah democrats can say they have one elected democrat, but what is that getting them. it's not getting them anything that democrats were elected to the majority in congress or the white house for. he's voting against (and at times actively campaigning against) that.
but beyond the voting record it's also just bad strategy, republicans will run against him with the health care bill, cap and trade, stimulus, bail outs, immigration, and the national democratic platform regardless of how he votes on the issues. we all know that, we've all seen it before. he won't be winning over conservative voters based on his actions this weekend, he's just giving democrats less incentive to put out effort to get him reelected (for the record, chaffetz and bishop did as much as matheson to give us a democratic health care reform bill).
i would imagine jim has his fingers crossed when redistricting time comes, because if the state gop doesn't give him another lean right district he won't be able to run left fast enough to keep his seat. and if he wants to win a state wide office then he's going to need an energized base on the left, something he and the state party won't see until they start resembling in some way the liberal/progressive/left political party. we have enough 'not republican' politicians, we need democrats.
or the general is right, we should just stand behind him because he's there. and expect nothing more from the state party because we need that section of utah colored blue on the maps. the actual legislation that comes of it doesn't matter as much as the color of the map. how dare we ask for more?
Dear The General - it's funny how it's all about winning, and not about what's right. Wait, no it isn't funny. It's just sad.
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