The Upcoming Election
October 7, 2010
The Utah Governor's campaign has turned out to be more interesting than anticipated, though a new poll by Utah Policy today tells us that governor Herbert will coast to the usual easy win. Governor Herbert has seemingly done what he can to inject some drama into the race with the continued stream of revelations about his large contributions from those who have met personally with him and bid on State contracts. He does not seem to even understand why some people think all this looks, and even smells bad. In fact, he is quite angry about those who would question his integrity. I really don't, as I have no reason to think he is not an honest man. But I do question his judgment, and his incredulity at the fuss that is being made.
I am told that the several recent debates between him and his Democratic challenger, Salt Lake Mayor Peter Corroon, have been testy, over this and other subjects. When I say "I am told", I must get this from the newspapers, as I have not been invited to any of these debates. Apparently there has been no poll which gives me a respectable enough portion of the vote to warrant my inclusion. Of course, if the debates are supposed to be between only those who have a chance to win, one wonders why Mayor Corroon is invited either. The concept, it seems to me, of a "debate", is that different and contrasting ideas are put before the voters, so that they can decide which to support. With the debates being carefully restricted, the people do not have access to the alternatives; and they must vote without being fully informed. and that is a real shame.
Obviously, I as a Libertarian, have a different viewpoint on some important issues. I think state spending should be curtailed, and taxes reined in, when people are suffering from hard economic times. I think the State is spending taxpayer money on the losing "war on drugs" that could go to something useful. I think that turning a whole generation of young people into criminals for "smoking pot" is a terrible policy blunder. And I think that paranoia over "illegal immigrants" and "the gay agenda" are misplaced and counterproductive.
I have some Facebook friends in particular who argue that elections are not worth the bother of participating. It is the same old rich folks who will rule no matter what we do. and that attitude, of course, assures us that this will be true. As I have said before, the reason that smaller parties contest elections is to get new ideas into the debate and to change attitudes. There is no doubt that attitudes over marijuana, gay marriage, and other social issues, are changing. And those who stand in the way of change will be run over by it. Pleas, if you are one who has felt that your opinion does not count, reconsider right now. Voter registration remains open until October 18, though you must now do it in person at the County Clerk's office. Then you can help those of us who are working to change the world, and to make it more free, to get our message out. You can be part of something, instead of watching from the sidelines and wondering what is going on.
Just a word in closing about the "tea party phenomenon. This movement was started by Libertarians who wanted to protest over high taxes. It has been taken over by the religious right who have turned it into a movement of intolerance and a desire for theocracy. Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mrs. O'Donnell in Delaware are so extreme in their religious-based views that they are likely to lose races that should have been theirs. Watching Mrs. O'Donnell's newest campaign ad where she earnestly claims that she is "not a witch" and then claims that "I am you" is too ludicrous to take seriously. The future is with tolerance and diversity, not a return to the time when Christian purity was a test for office. (And the stream of "family values" campaigners who have been involved in drug, sex and alcohol scandals can be left for another day).
If you are a bit disgusted with what you see from the "major parties", register that disgust at the polls on November 2. vote for real freedom. vote Libertarian. and, in the meantime, if you could spare a small contribution, please see my website at www.andy4gov.org to make that contribution by paypal or mail. I do need additional funds to continue my advert sing. And think of the fun we can have in making some waves here in stodgy Utah.
The Utah Governor's campaign has turned out to be more interesting than anticipated, though a new poll by Utah Policy today tells us that governor Herbert will coast to the usual easy win. Governor Herbert has seemingly done what he can to inject some drama into the race with the continued stream of revelations about his large contributions from those who have met personally with him and bid on State contracts. He does not seem to even understand why some people think all this looks, and even smells bad. In fact, he is quite angry about those who would question his integrity. I really don't, as I have no reason to think he is not an honest man. But I do question his judgment, and his incredulity at the fuss that is being made.
I am told that the several recent debates between him and his Democratic challenger, Salt Lake Mayor Peter Corroon, have been testy, over this and other subjects. When I say "I am told", I must get this from the newspapers, as I have not been invited to any of these debates. Apparently there has been no poll which gives me a respectable enough portion of the vote to warrant my inclusion. Of course, if the debates are supposed to be between only those who have a chance to win, one wonders why Mayor Corroon is invited either. The concept, it seems to me, of a "debate", is that different and contrasting ideas are put before the voters, so that they can decide which to support. With the debates being carefully restricted, the people do not have access to the alternatives; and they must vote without being fully informed. and that is a real shame.
Obviously, I as a Libertarian, have a different viewpoint on some important issues. I think state spending should be curtailed, and taxes reined in, when people are suffering from hard economic times. I think the State is spending taxpayer money on the losing "war on drugs" that could go to something useful. I think that turning a whole generation of young people into criminals for "smoking pot" is a terrible policy blunder. And I think that paranoia over "illegal immigrants" and "the gay agenda" are misplaced and counterproductive.
I have some Facebook friends in particular who argue that elections are not worth the bother of participating. It is the same old rich folks who will rule no matter what we do. and that attitude, of course, assures us that this will be true. As I have said before, the reason that smaller parties contest elections is to get new ideas into the debate and to change attitudes. There is no doubt that attitudes over marijuana, gay marriage, and other social issues, are changing. And those who stand in the way of change will be run over by it. Pleas, if you are one who has felt that your opinion does not count, reconsider right now. Voter registration remains open until October 18, though you must now do it in person at the County Clerk's office. Then you can help those of us who are working to change the world, and to make it more free, to get our message out. You can be part of something, instead of watching from the sidelines and wondering what is going on.
Just a word in closing about the "tea party phenomenon. This movement was started by Libertarians who wanted to protest over high taxes. It has been taken over by the religious right who have turned it into a movement of intolerance and a desire for theocracy. Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mrs. O'Donnell in Delaware are so extreme in their religious-based views that they are likely to lose races that should have been theirs. Watching Mrs. O'Donnell's newest campaign ad where she earnestly claims that she is "not a witch" and then claims that "I am you" is too ludicrous to take seriously. The future is with tolerance and diversity, not a return to the time when Christian purity was a test for office. (And the stream of "family values" campaigners who have been involved in drug, sex and alcohol scandals can be left for another day).
If you are a bit disgusted with what you see from the "major parties", register that disgust at the polls on November 2. vote for real freedom. vote Libertarian. and, in the meantime, if you could spare a small contribution, please see my website at www.andy4gov.org to make that contribution by paypal or mail. I do need additional funds to continue my advert sing. And think of the fun we can have in making some waves here in stodgy Utah.
posted by Andrew McCullough @ 4:50 AM
1 Comments:
At 1:07 PM,
RD said…
From your perspective I would think that the race to watch would be Colorado, Law their states that any party that gets less then 10% of the vote for the governors race is a minor party and doesn't get listed at the top of the ballot(it will take 2 election cycles to reverse this), well Tom Tancredo is running under the constitution party and is destroying the gop candidate who will likely get less then 10% of the vote, tho still enough to split the vote and hand it to the democrats.
I would love to see you debate Corroon and Herbet. I keep hoping that one of these days we will get multiparty reform into the United States and our government will finely represent the full spectrum of political beliefs.
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