Some (Controversial) Thoughts on Operation Chaos

A number of years ago, I got accused of voter fraud.

The accusation stemmed from the fact that I changed my party registration to Republican so I could vote in a Republican primary, then switching it back to unaffiliated.

Which is perfectly legal. I know I'm not the only one who does it.

I always vote for the best candidate. Mostly because I know that there is a chance that the candidate will be the next office holder.

And every election year, we hear Republicans complain that Democrats are voting for the worst candidate. And that may be true in some instances.

However, I have never heard a message to vote for a Republican candidate come from Democratic Party Leadership, Legislators, or especially from candidates who want to run the elections division for 50% of Utah Residents.

My name is Jeremy Votaw. I'm running for Salt Lake County Clerk and I endorse Operation Chaos.

I have no problems with Republicans voting for Claudia Wright, because the conventional wisdom is that voting for Claudia is going to be like voting for Morgan Philpot in November. I do have a problem with it becoming a part of the campaign strategy for the Utah GOP.

You have your own primary to decide. And by endorsing Operation Chaos, you are saying you don't care who wins that primary. Which is a shame, because there are several differences between the two candidates.

And a warning to Republicans pondering participating in Operation Chaos: if there is a skeleton in Morgan Philpot's closet (Nancy Workman, Sheldon Killpack, Kevin Garn), then you may just wind up with Representative Wright.

And that's something you really don't want to see.

Matheson Needs To Campaign

And I mean REALLY campaign.

From Warchol:

Will Jim actually start talking to his constituents in the run-up to the primary? Answering their questions? Letting them vent all over him about health care?
Or will he just power up his well-funded media machine and carpet bomb the state with advertising?

One of the major annoyances Matheson's Democratic base had with him — besides some trivialities like voting against health-care reform — is that he he seems to loathe face-to-face, town-halls, and other flesh-pressing, personal-touch stuff. Remember the infamously arrogant robo-call? In short, he blew off The People.

[...]

But if it was a strategic decision to dodge the hard questions from Utah Democrats he thought were in his pocket — it's time for some new advisors.

Conventional wisdom holds that Jim should win the primary. However, Chris Cannon thought the same thing two years ago, and that left us with Congressman Chaffetz.

Add to it some crossover from the Republicans voting for Wright, and it's going to be an uphill battle.

And, the portion of Matheson's web site where you sign up to volunteer has enough issues to make me wonder if they know how to campaign, or if they are just going to go through the motions:



Do you use past tense or present tense on volunteer forms? I don't know....use both of them!

Delegate Email: What Are People Saying about Claudia?

What are people saying about Claudia Wright?
"Claudia is a principled progressive and a long-term thinker. She doesn't play politics. She will fight for the people, not special interests. Utah and the nation would be well served by sending her to Congress." -- John Netto, Candidate, Utah House District 25

"I am voting for Claudia Wright because I'm tired of believing that I have to always choose between the lesser of two evils. Claudia stands for everything
I believe in. Good luck, Claudia and thank you for running!" -- Stacy Eddings, first-time delegate, Salt Lake County

"I am pleased to give my endorsement to Claudia Wright in her courageous race against Jim Matheson. Just as the “Tea Party” is rallying the right wing,
we need a strong progressive voice to stand up for what we believe. Claudia is that voice." -- Michelle Turpin

"We met Claudia last weekend in St. George and immediately became cheerleaders for her, her positions and her campaign. Ready, willing, and able to help!" -- Dorothy Engelman, delegate, Washington County


We are very pleased to add the following to Claudia's list of endorsements:
Southern Utah Stonewall Democrats Executive Board
Salt Lake County Stonewall Caucus
Salt Lake County African-American Caucus
See the complete list of endorsements, as well as more comments and YouTube video endorsements, at www.claudiawrightforutah.com. The most important endorsements are yours, those of citizens and constituents. Please visit and add your comments or video today!

Thanks to all of you for making this such an exciting campaign! We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Sincerely,

The enthusiastic staff of Claudia Wright

Delegate Email From Claudia Wright: Congratulations, SL County Nominees, and Thank You, Delegates!

Thank you, Salt Lake County Delegates, for an exciting and spirited day on Saturday at the Salt Lake County Nominating Convention! It was a great pleasure to meet so many of you and to hear about your ideas, hopes, and concerns for our state and the Utah Democratic Party. I am very excited to continue these dialogues with you and the delegates from the other counties across District 2 as we head into the State Democratic Convention on May 8th!

Also, thank you to those of you who took time to write or videotape your thoughts as "citizen endorsements" for my campaign! From the beginning, this campaign has been a movement of and from the people. It is my great delight to have your names, the names of the constituents I am pledged to represent, as my strongest endorsements. Please take a moment to visit my website, www.claudiawrightforutah.com and hear the voices of fellow Democrats standing up for our shared values and hopes.

I also want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Salt Lake County Democratic candidates! Truly, with so many impressive candidates running, I felt that no matter who won their nominations, we would come out of convention successful. To our candidates who won their elections at convention--Sim Gill, Holly Mullen, Tyler Ayres, Paul Recanzone, and Rebecca Chavez Houck--and to our slate of excellent candidates who were nominated by acclamation, you have my respect, encouragement, and enthusiastic support. I also want to thank both Alyn Bradshaw and Cal Noyce for your tremendous inspiration. Although I know the primary election you face will require great energy and resources, I am excited for Democratic constituents to experience the strength of two such excellent leaders as they make their choice for their candidate for County Council 1. And to the volunteers, sponsors, and organizing committee, thank you for a wonderful convention.
Sincerely,

Claudia Wright

Wright Claims She's More Moderate than Matheson: WTF?

St George Spectrum:

Hoping to wrest the Democratic nomination to represent Utah's 2nd District from Rep. Jim Matheson, Claudia Wright made her first campaign stop in Southern Utah Sunday in search of support and delegates.

"The (Democratic) party will tell you I'm not electable because I'm a progressive," the associate instructor at the University of Utah told an audience at the Painted Pony restaurant. "But I'm closer to a moderate than Matheson."

Her supporters claim that Matheson only votes with the Democrats 40% of the time on "key issues." (Overall Matheson votes with the Democrats 92% of the time, but for kicks and giggles we'll use the 40% number.)

The more moderate candidate would be the candidate closest to 50% (half the time voting with Democrats, half the time voting with Republicans). So, unless she plans to vote with Republicans 41-59% of the time on "key issues," I just don't buy her claim.

Besides, take a look at her web site, there's not a moderate or conservative thing on there.

Speaking to your audience does not mean being dishonest with them. It makes you no better than other politicians.

And that's why it's getting harder and harder to support you.

-Bob

Delegate Email: Who's Endorsing Claudia Wright?

Dear Delegate,
It is my honor to announce the following list of endorsements for my campaign for the US House of Representatives. It has been a privilege to talk with these leaders of our community who are working so diligently in their endeavors to support Democratic values in the state of Utah and beyond. It is my hope that my campaign and my future service as your Representative inspires new and fertile coalition among Utahns and breathes new life into our Democratic party!

Sincerely,
Claudia Wright

Executive Board of Utah Stonewall Democrats
Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
Representative Christine Johnson
Former Salt Lake City Council Member Nancy Saxton
Former Chair of Utah Stonewall Democrats Michael Picardi

Michael Binyon, candidate, Utah House of Representatives District 55
David Cobb, Green Party US Presidential candidate, movetoamend.org

Ashley Anderson
Archie Archuleta
Robert Comstock
Tim DeChristopher
Earl Jones
Jill B Jones
Brian Moench
Stephanie Pace
Julie Peacock
Ron Spinelli
Joyce Spinelli
Janet Rampton Warburton
Julianne Waters
John Weisheit
Troy Williams

Delegate Email From Claudia Wright

Hello, Fellow Democrat! Congratulations on becoming a delegate to the upcoming Utah State Democratic Convention. My name is Claudia Wright. I am writing to request your support as the Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives in Utah's District 2.

In the weeks ahead, you will receive phone calls from me or one of my small staff of committed volunteers. I want to make you familiar with my positions on some of the issues I believe are important to you, so that you are prepared to ask any questions you may have in order to make an informed and confident decision as you cast your vote on May 8.

Contribute Volunteer


Why I believe Utah needs a progressive Democrat in Congress:

Americans expect our representatives to be accountable to their constituents, not to corporate interests and lobbyists.

Utah Democrats expect their representatives to support basic Utah Democratic party platform principles.

Ordinary citizens must take back the election process and reclaim grassroots democracy.

My position on corporate money in politics:

The recent US Supreme Court ruling designating corporations as people makes the buying of American elections inevitable. In order to correct this, two remedies are necessary:

Elections must be publicly financed and only publicly financed.

We must pass a constitutional amendment that strips corporations of their claim to “personal constitutional rights.”

My position on health care:

Health care is a civil right.

The US spends more than any other industrialized nation on health care but ranks 37th among industrialized nations for quality of health care because one third of every health care dollar is spent on administrative costs. The truth is that better health care costs less.

The simplest way to make health care affordable and universally available is to expand the existing Medicare system (one of the most popular and effective innovations in American history, and a champion in minimizing administrative costs) to all Americans.

My position on labor and unions:
Labor unions are an essential underpinning of a safe and humane workplace.
Although workers' rights to collective bargaining and binding arbitration is protected by the Wagner Act, battles won by workers in the workplace are often lost in the courts because of the National Labor Relations Board's lack of enforcement.
I support the Employee Free Choice Act, reinforcing workers' rights to collective bargaining and binding arbitration, and the right to unionize without their employer's permission.
My position on the climate crisis and the environment:
Every US state and every world nation has a responsibility to protect our shared future.

We must protect Utah's water, wildlife, working farms and ranches by creating and enforcing tougher emissions controls and employing strategies for emissions reduction. Use of existing technologies, incentives, and a federal carbon tax will advance this goal.

Utah is already among the 5 fastest growing states for wind energy. Utah must lead the nation, and the US must lead the world, in creating new jobs in the wind power, geothermic, and solar industries, moving beyond the fossil fuels of the past.

My position on immigration:

The Dream Act 2010, currently before Congress, might initiate immigration reform but is not a comprehensive reform policy.

Congress must approach immigration reform with rigorous compassion and honesty.

Doing nothing creates an underclass of undocumented workers who are unconscionably exploited.

I invite you to visit my website, www.claudiawrightforutah.org, and click on “Issues” to learn more about my positions on these and other issues. You can learn more about my history as an educator and activist and about the history of this campaign there as well. You can contact me by replying to this email.

Thank you for participating in the grassroots democratic process! I welcome conversation with you, and I would be honored to earn your vote.

Sincerely,

Claudia Wright