What is it going to take to convince you? This is a state that Romney took by almost 50 points. A state where Republicans out number Democrats in both houses of the legislature by almost 5 to 1 margins. It is a state where every other Congressional candidate won by almost 30 points or more. Paint it any color you want to, there is absolutely no reason why a competent, conservative Republican candidate should not have taken this seat by double digits, especially in a presidential election year in a state where Obama is about as popular as the plague. I’m sorry but having squandered one chance I don’t see the logic in giving the same weak candidate a second shot at failure. Surely there is a better candidate out there?
You name me this magic candidate who can beat Matheson by these double-digits you speak of. You’re employing two-dimensional thinking and pat conclusions applied to an inexact science. How can this happen ? How can a pampered elitist Socialist who drowned a woman in his car and failed to report it for a day, a despicable crime by any logical standards, not only get reelected to the Senate, but remain there for the next 40 years — revered as a statesman ? But this infamous Democrat Senator, in that same 1970 election, saw a Republican win the Governorship ? Logically, how could one or the other win ? It happened.
How could Jim Matheson’s father, Scott, a Democrat, possibly win election as UT Governor in 1976 and 1980 as Ford won with 62% and Reagan with 73% and yet Matheson got 55% in the latter year and would’ve won in 1984 had he chose to run for a 3rd term ? It happened.
By your reckoning, if a candidate ever loses, he or she should slink away, never to be heard from again. I guess Reagan should never have tried again after he lost to Jerry Ford. I mean, he LOST, right ? Dis-MISSED !
Now, I’ll grant you that there are some candidates who are so lousy that they shouldn’t run again. Most of us here are discerning enough and armed with enough facts to be able to figure who those bad candidates are. Some candidates, however, run valiant campaigns and even though they’ve fallen short, they show enough promise that it would be wrong not to heartily back them again. Mia Love is one of those latter examples.
What is it going to take to convince you that elections are a bit more complicated, often illogical, and involve many factors beyond simplistic reasoning ?
Matheson has beat 6 Republicans in 7 elections, they weren’t all “weak”. He unfortunately is strong.
With Romney on the ticket you knew the district would go for him huge but it didn’t matter, those idiots have been happy to split their tickets for Matheson for years.
Your basic premise is fatally flawed.
Mathison is an entrenched DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMAN IN UTAH. According to your basic premise, such a thing shouldn’t be possible in Utah.
(BTW, don’t know if it’s still true today, but the mayor of Salt Lake City for years was (is?) not only a Democrat but a Liberal Democrat.)
I don’t think you know what you’re talking about, as it appears you’re lacking a fundamental, factual understanding.
I know a situation just like it. Well after Texas turned Republican, an entrenched Dem named Charlie Stenholm represented a WT district for many, many years. His total time in that office was 36 years. It was the devil getting Stenholm out, but it finally happened. (Now he’s a happy, rich lobbyist in DC, however.)