2016 Utah senate race

[illegaloperation]

In 2016, Tea Bagger Mike Lee (Utah) will be up for re-election. He is not exactly very popular in Utah.

In 2010, Mike Lee beat popular former senator Bob Bennett in the Republican Primary.

The problem is that while Mike Lee is not very popular, he is still far more popular than President Obama. According to my ex-girlfriend who is in Utah: "Obama is as popular here in Utah as dog manure."

Republicans outnumber Democrats 50%-22% there and there is a 0% chance Hillary would win Utah in 2016.

With that in mind, there is one person who can take the seat away from Tea Bagger Lee and that is Jon Huntsman. Now, you may say that John Huntsman is a Republican, but consider this: Huntsman campaign his gubernatorial re-election on renewable energy and regulations to protect the environment. (Keep in mind that Utah is a socially conservative, but fiscally liberal state.)

Huntsman has no future in the Republican Party. According to Bennett, "{Huntsman}’s less popular with those delegates than {he} was" so he cannot beat Lee in a Senate primary and he also has no chance in a Presidential primary against Rubio/Paul/Christie/Bush etc.

So what I am really wondering is if there is any chance that Huntsman would be willing to run on the Democratic ticket for Senator.

Huntsman left office (as governor of Utah) with an 84% approval rating.

According to a few people in Utah that I know, Huntsman remain very popular and if he runs on the Democratic ticket, many people there are willing disregard the (D) next to his name.

[davidpdx]

1. Huntsman isn't a D

He's still anti-choice, he does support immigration, a solution to global warming and civil unions. That still makes him a pretty strong R given his opinion on most of those issues.

[karynnj]

3. From your description, how is he different from the conservative Democrats?

On abortion, is he really anti-choice or prolife? (The distinction made by Senators like Casey.) He does seem genuine on immigration and climate change. At the point he was for civil unions, it was a relatively liberal position for a Republican.

I think the OP is an interesting idea, but I wonder if he is too invested with the Republican party. That emotional tie seems to have been what kept the more liberal Chaffee from switching to Democrat or even following Jeffords to be an independent caucusing with the Democrats. (In fact, like King (I, ME), I wonder if he could run as an independent. He is wealthy enough to self fund.)

[DEMTough]

5. Turns Out Chafee is an Independent Now

He's no longer in the Senate, so I couldn't tell whether he would caucus with the Democrats (Nowadays, he probably would.) or not, but he is now the Governor of Rhode Island.

His campaign website states: Independent Candidate for Rhode Island Governor

[Sheepshank]

19. Chaffetz doesn't have a liberal pinkie finger nail

his outward hateful presentation to the media on Obama, clearly puts him in the 100% GOP water carrier category.

I would love to see Huntsman run for a public office. He would make a great SoS for Hillary. He was well liked, but I don't see how anyone here in utah would vote for anyone with a -D- after their name. Utah's majority constituency is too entrenched in party identity. If Hunstman were to have a hope, he'd have to run as an -R-.

I will tell you this, Bennett was liked, but TEA PARTY express found a listening ear with the national minority that is called Utah. They all got on board the train to nowhere, and will pull that train whistle to the very end...they will NEVER admit the mistake they made in having Bennett no longer represent the state.

[DEMTough]

28. You're Thinking of Jason Chaffetz, We're talking about Lincoln Chafee

Chaffetz is a Republican Congressman from Utah's 3rd Congressional District.

Chafee is Rhode Island's Republican-turned Independent Governor.

Their last names are similar, it took me a few minutes before I originally posted until I realized who they were talking about, so don't worry about it. It even took me a few minutes to realize that you were talking about Chaffetz.

And I saw Chaffetz during the hearings against Eric Holder, and I agree with you, he IS a disgusting water-carrier for the Republicans.

[karynnj]

21. I should have referred to the time frame (2006) that I spoke of

He was approached by the Democrats and then he was unwilling to move - even to Independent. He likely would have won his re-election had he announced that he was independent and intending to vote with the Democrats.

[DEMTough]

29. I see what you mean now.

I didn't know he was approached by the Democrats, but it must have made an impression on him, because he did switch to independent in 2007, I think it was.

You make a good point that he would have won reelection, if he had become an independent caucusing with Democrats in '06, he probably would have.

Either way, we took the governorship away from the Republicans in 2010 with him (After his endorsement of Obama in '08.), and have two good Democrats in the Senate from Rhode Island now, so I'm happy!

[illegaloperation]

11. Huntsman currently supports same-sex marriage.

"Former 2012 Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman announced his support for gay marriage Thursday, culminating an evolution of public comments on the issue."

-Huffington Post

[davidpdx]

16. I do agree some of his stances are decent

and he has shown that he's pretty fed up with the Republican Party. Personally I like Huntsman for the most part (Mormonism aside). I just wonder if Utah would elect anyone with a D next to their name even if it was Huntsman. He might be better running as an independent like you stated.

[Sheepshank]

20. Utah will not vot -D-

regardless on the name on the ballot.

Hunstman is not an active practicing Mormon (although his family roots are there) and he had even announced that science is important....ohhhhhhh

[illegaloperation]

22. I don't know about that one.

Utah may be the reddest state in the nation, but it certainly not the most conservative.

The thing that makes Democrats unpalatable in Utah (and Idaho) is that we support same-sex marriage and women right to have choose.

Utah is quite moderate on other issues.

[illegaloperation]

8. Huntsman can be a Democrat.

Last edited Sat Mar 30, 2013, 05:44 PM - Edit history (1)

You don't have to be a liberal to be a Democrat. I don't think anyone would consider Joe Manchin (WV) a liberal.

Huntsman may not be extremely liberal, but he is a lot more liberal that a lot of Democratic senators that we already have. (ie. Huntsman DOES support same-sex marriage)

Having more Democrats in the Senate is NEVER a bad thing.

[Chan790]

24. Living an hour from WV and having met Manchin...

I'm not sure I'd consider him a Democrat on very many issues of importance...fiscal-conservative hawkish gun-nut anti-environmentalist pro-lifers belong in the other party.

He's about less progressive or even moderate than Zell Miller. I wake daily expecting to see him defecting to caucus with the GOP. Honestly.

[Tom Rinaldo]

2. I think Huntsman should run as an Independent

sort of like Angus King in Maine. Democrats should tacitly not put a lot of resoruces into any Democratic canddate opposing him. The Senate would be a better place if Huntsman replaced Lee in it. If Huntsman ran as an Independent it would be an accurate reflection of where he essentially stands on the current political scale, and having him work with Democrats on an insue by issue basis would not negate core Democratic values by including another relative Conservative as one of our new national leaders.

[DFW]

4. I'll go you one further

Like with Charlie Crist in Florida, I think the Democrats should face up to reality and not run ANYBODY if Huntsman runs as an Independent. Rubio would not be in the US Senate today if we had just let Charlie Crist run as an independent. Having Huntsman as an Independent in the Senate, even if he nominally caucused with the Republicans, would be a LOT better than six more years of Mike Tea.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. I see your raise. I'm in with that. n/t

[illegaloperation]

9. I guess.

Last edited Sat Mar 30, 2013, 05:51 PM - Edit history (2)

To run for a senate seat, Huntsman is going to need a lot of money to run.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee can provide him money to run as a Democrat.

Also, if Huntsman run as an Independent, there's no guarantee that Huntsman is going to caucus with the Democrats if he wins the seat.

Of cause IF Huntsman does decide to run as an Independent, we should pull back on the Democratic candidate as to prevent vote splitting.

[Chan790]

25. Huntsman's loaded. Not Romney loaded...but he can self-finance without any pain. n/t

[illegaloperation]

7. That's a horrible idea.

If Huntsman runs as an Independent, he may decide to NOT caucus with the Democrats.

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. If Huntsman does not run than Senator Re-Elect Lee sure as hell will caucus as a Republican

Or do you really think a Democrat can win that Senate seat in Utah? Let's put it this way, Huntsman is as close to being a centrist as anyone Utah will elect. If not him you it remains a secure teabagger vote against U.N. disability rights treaties and the whole ten yards of obstruction. Are you suggesting Huntsman would consider running as a Dem? I doubt it. It's more likely he would run as an Independent and chose to caucus with Dems than actually become one. But I assume whoever gets elected in 2016 from Idaho will caucus as a Republican - I would prefer it though if it were someone like Susan Collins who will sometimes vote for cloture on filibusters in the Senate. Huntsman would, Lee wouldn't.

[illegaloperation]

12. Shouldn't we try first?

Shouldn't we try to convince Huntsman to run as a Democrat before concluding that he wouldn't?

He may decide to run as a Democrat because of the financial backing of the DSCC.

Of cause if he does decide to run as an independent, we need to pull back on the Dem candidate as to prevent splitting the vote.

[Chan790]

26. I'm opposed to him running as a Democrat...

unless he has "a come to Jesus" moment where he embraces the majority if not the entirety of the party platform.

No more half-Dems, fake Dems or right-of-center Dems.

[DFW]

13. If elected as an independent Huntsman probably WOULD caucus with the Republicans.

That's not Tom's point. The fact is, a Republican or Republican-leaning Huntsman in the Senate is a damn sight better than six more years of an extremist Teabagger like Mike Lee in that same seat. It's like the difference between Michele Bachmann and Olympia Snowe. Both are Republicans, but they were two totally different kinds of Republicans. Snowe could sometimes be brought to listen to reason. Bachmann doesn't know the meaning of the word. If the current situation is that no Democrat will be elected to the US Senate from Utah anyway, what is to our best advantage?

[illegaloperation]

14. We need to get rid of Lee.

I guess it comes to this:

If Huntsman runs as a Democrat then great.

If Huntsman runs as an Independent then we need to get out of his way (and pull back any Dem candidate).

[DFW]

15. Unless

...that miracle candidate can be found within the Utah Democrats that beat an incumbent Republican Senator.

[illegaloperation]

23. That's very unlikely.

We don't control any statewide office in Utah.

Our best chance is to look for someone well know that is outside out party but is willing to run as a Democrat.

[DFW]

17. Unfortunately, yes

Getting rid of Lee has to be the bigger priority at this point, and a D candidate in Utah won't manage it unless his name is Brigham Young and he's 200 years old.

[demwing]

27. And? A dem has near zero chance of winning in Utah

Why spend a cent in the state?

[mgcgulfcoast]

18. easy pick up for us

but huntsman is a crapface.

[Ter]

30. I don't like Lee, and he may be a teabagger, but he's a highly intelligent and unconfrontational one

Unlike Ted Cruz (or Rand Paul), Lee doesn't seem to be a firebrand who goes out of his way to piss people off. His statement against the Patriot Act was downright brilliant. He'll use his intelligence as a constitutional lawyer to find a way to win.