I was driving my brother to the airport and we got to talkin' politics. He's an independent, which is what I was until Utah closed their primaries. I asked him about his views on some things and he got around to Sean Hannity. Said he: "When I first started listening to Sean Hannity, I liked him, but then I saw Thank You for Smoking and it made me not like him anymore."
"Why not?"
"The guy in Thank You for Smoking is really good at spinning the facts around and making the other person look stupid and like they don't know what they're talking about, and whatever he's selling he can make it sound good and reasonable."
"Great movie, by the way."
"And the next time I listened to Hannity, I could hear him using all the same tactics the guy from Thank You for Smoking was using. So I don't know what to believe when I hear him."
A little later he asked if there were any liberal radio talk-shows in Utah.
"Well," said I, "my good friend Jeff Bell has a show on Saturdays from 4-5pm. And that's about it." Talk radio here tends to be one of three things: moderate, conservative, or ultra-right-wing nutty.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Chaffetz wins / Cannon concedes
I wound up operating the computer that projected the results so I didn't enter as much as I intended. Cannon didn't concede until right after the local news broadcasts were over, nevertheless the crowd was ecstatic when Jason finally came in (after 93% of the precincts were in) and said he got the call from Cannon and "it was a sweet call to take." He thanked everyone for their support and said party at his house Saturday night. I went to shake his hand but some lady kept talking to him so I didn't get to say anything beyond "Congratulations." Now that we have him this far, let's hope he keeps remembering us.
Chaffetz/Cannon election results live
With 2 of 621 precincts reporting, Jason Chaffetz leads Chris Cannon 55.1% to 44.9%.
We're meeting at a clubhouse in Springville. Jason came out and gave a warm speech o' gratitude. He and his family are going to their own room to watch results while his supporters are here. The Utah network cameras are here. There are a lot of enthused, excited people hobnobbing right now.
Incumbants win 98-99% of the elections, but if Congressional approval is 20%, shouldn't 80% of them be losing their jobs this year?
We're meeting at a clubhouse in Springville. Jason came out and gave a warm speech o' gratitude. He and his family are going to their own room to watch results while his supporters are here. The Utah network cameras are here. There are a lot of enthused, excited people hobnobbing right now.
Incumbants win 98-99% of the elections, but if Congressional approval is 20%, shouldn't 80% of them be losing their jobs this year?
Monday, June 23, 2008
VP Dog-n-Pony show
Is it not a bit silly to go through this ritual of having every politician and his dog "deny" he is up for the role of vice-president? Tim Pawlenty and Tim Kaine go on a Sunday show together and debate - Pawlenty for McCain and Kaine for Obama - and then they each have to get the question if they're up for the role of VP. They chortle, they deny, they say they're not interested, but we all know it's an audition.
I've directed plays before, and one thing you do in casting is see how certain actors pare up off each other. Pawlenty/Kaine. M-hm. Let's see Joseph Biden and Lindsay Graham on Meet the Press. Thank you. Tom Daschle and Tom Ridge on Fox News Sunday. We'll give you a call. I expect a late July Sunday showing for Mitt Romney and James Webb. Somehow I think if Hillary deems to do a Sunday show this summer, she'll be going on by herself.
I've directed plays before, and one thing you do in casting is see how certain actors pare up off each other. Pawlenty/Kaine. M-hm. Let's see Joseph Biden and Lindsay Graham on Meet the Press. Thank you. Tom Daschle and Tom Ridge on Fox News Sunday. We'll give you a call. I expect a late July Sunday showing for Mitt Romney and James Webb. Somehow I think if Hillary deems to do a Sunday show this summer, she'll be going on by herself.
Dirty politics in Utah's 3rd district
What frustrates me most about this Chaffetz-Cannon election is how Cannon is playing to people's ignorance to get votes. It's one of the main points of his campaign that Chaffetz doesn't live in the district he wants to represent. When I first heard that, my first thought was he lives way far away and that counted against him in my mind.
But if voters knew that Chaffetz lives in Alpine (11,000 feet out of the district), that it was gerrymandered out of the 3rd district in 2002, that it'll be back in the 3rd district when Utah gets a 4th district in 2010, and that the Constitution only requires you live in the state and be age 25, it'd instantly be no big deal. But my guess is that campaign tactics is going to work on hundreds of voters who don't know that Chaffetz lives in Alpine.
But if voters knew that Chaffetz lives in Alpine (11,000 feet out of the district), that it was gerrymandered out of the 3rd district in 2002, that it'll be back in the 3rd district when Utah gets a 4th district in 2010, and that the Constitution only requires you live in the state and be age 25, it'd instantly be no big deal. But my guess is that campaign tactics is going to work on hundreds of voters who don't know that Chaffetz lives in Alpine.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
McCain, Obama go negative
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/06/21/2008-06-21_new_politicians_barack_obama_and_john_mc.html
I thought these two would do a different campaign, but nope, nope, nope, it's the same old mudslingling politics as usual.
And I am disappointed by Obama's opting out of public financing. If he's breaking his word already for the sake of getting more money, how different is he really going to be in Washington?
I thought these two would do a different campaign, but nope, nope, nope, it's the same old mudslingling politics as usual.
And I am disappointed by Obama's opting out of public financing. If he's breaking his word already for the sake of getting more money, how different is he really going to be in Washington?
Friday, June 20, 2008
Chris Cannon on "flip-flopper" Jason Chaffetz
http://www.chriscannon.com/blog/
His latest post is on how he believes Jason flip-flops. They're having a debate Monday night which I intend to watch.
When I was laid off in 2004, Cannon's campaign manager Nathan Rathbun gave me a job, and it really helped me out, and I got to see behind the curtain a little in politics. After Cannon won the primary, they didn't need my services anymore, but a month later my daughter Taleah died, and Cannon sent me a flag that once flew over the Capitol building, which I will always appreciate.
His latest post is on how he believes Jason flip-flops. They're having a debate Monday night which I intend to watch.
When I was laid off in 2004, Cannon's campaign manager Nathan Rathbun gave me a job, and it really helped me out, and I got to see behind the curtain a little in politics. After Cannon won the primary, they didn't need my services anymore, but a month later my daughter Taleah died, and Cannon sent me a flag that once flew over the Capitol building, which I will always appreciate.
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