Veteran Utah senator appears set to survive Tea Party challenge

[hue]

Source: Chicago Tribune

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - As Utah Republicans head for a state nominating convention on Saturday, a poll suggests that veteran U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch will survive a bid by Tea Party challengers to unseat him as delegates take a more moderate turn.

Heavily Republican Utah last elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate more than four decades ago, so the victor in the state's Republican party contest is usually considered the presumptive winner of the general election in November.
For a senior stalwart of the party's mainstream like Hatch, the ranking Republican on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, a seat in the U.S. Senate has long been seen as his to lose. Hatch, 78, was first elected in 1976 and says this next term will be his last.

But he must first survive the nominating contest to avoid the fate of Bob Bennett, a former Republican senator from Utah whose 2010 re-election run foundered over conservative outrage at the healthcare overhaul pushed by President Barack Obama, leading to a revolt against the Republican establishment by state Tea Party activists.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-campaign-utahbre83k09x-20120421,0,6308681.story

[Zorro]

1. Too bad

Orrin Hatch is a douchebag of the highest order.

[stevedeshazer]

2. It would be a beautiful thing to see Orrin Hatch teabagged.

Well, not literally, but you know what I mean.

[Major Hogwash]

3. Down the Hatch.

Hatch has to get 60% of the delegates' votes in the state's convention to keep from being primaried in 2 months.

His challengers may prevent him from getting that high of a number of delegates.

[xxqqqzme]

4. This is the first

and most likely, the only time I will root for the teabaggers.

[totodeinhere]

5. I know it's understandable to root against Hatch. But...

if a Tea Party type does beat him then we will probably have one more idiot like Mike Lee in the Senate for at least six years and the Tea Party can claim another victory.

[Drunken Irishman]

6. As a Utahn, I'd rather have Hatch than some right-wing, anti-government asshole...

Hatch is awful. Liljenquist is even worse. He's worse than Mike Lee. He's so far to the right, Attila the Hun wouldn't even approve.

In the end, Hatch barely missed the 60%, so, it will go to a primary. Still, Hatch will win the primary because Utah Republicans are generally more moderate and supportive than the delegates. What sucks, and what has KILLED us here is that these tea party asshole types have a shit load of delegates in the convention, toss out the more conservative Republicans for the ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE and then Utahns, because they're fucking morons who can only vote Republican, go vote for them in November.

A few years year ago, we had a very popular and nice female Republican governor by the name of Olene Walker. She stepped on no toes, made no mean statements and generally ran the state in a reasonable, moderate fashion. Well, that wasn't good enough for the right-wing fucktoads here, so, even though her approval rating was something like 70%, they voted her out at the state convention for Jon Huntsman, and Nolan Karras. Karras was a right-wing moron extremist, Huntsman, as you've seen, a bit more tolerable. Walker, though, was the best option. Huntsman went on to beat Karras in the primary and then won the general relatively easy.

But there was no reason Walker should have lost, except she wasn't conservative enough.

So, I'll take this. I want to watch these asshole delegate fuckers who feel the need to take us even further right lose. Liljenquist is a goddamn hypocritical moron and while Hatch ain't much better - better the devil you know...you know?!?

[madinmaryland]

7. Can you edit your post to remove the word "fucktard"? The word is not considered appropriate on DU.

Thanks!

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Na'. If someone finds it inappropriate, they can alert it and then a jury can delete it if they want

[Stinky The Clown]

9. A jury voted to leave your post alone

A number of jurors suggested that, instead of hiding your otherwise good post, the alerter just let you know the use of "tard" is offensive to many.

You've just shown the jurors who were looking for an equitable solution they were wrong.

I'd hope you might reconsider.

[Drunken Irishman]

11. I didn't want to edit it out because I felt it conveyed my thoughts on them..

I believe they are what I said. But, after discussing it further, I decided to change it to fucktoad.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Thanks! Rest assured its appreciated.

Good post, by the way. I agree completely. I post about this elsewhere. As if Orrin Fucking Hatch isn't batshit crazy enough for your neighbors.

[alp227]

10. Update: Hatch will face a primary challenger.

Delegates force Hatch forced into primary for first time (Deseret News)