This is good news. I live in Utah and Chris Cannon is a good guy.
OOOPS!
Considering that it's usually just the base that votes in primaries, that under 20% of the state voted and Cannon scored a double digit win despite the best efforts of an out-of-state PAC, this does send a clear message to the rest of the GOP.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
PING!
I think we'd better all quit paying attention to politics now, just stay home from the polls. Jacobs had a Clayton Williams moment, and enough other background issues came out for him to have effectively pissed away the primary, but hey, it must be that Utah thought exactly the way Cannon thinks on immigration...er, thinks on it THIS week, as opposed to last week, or the week before that. No way could this loss have ANYTHING to do with the candidate's mistakes being trumpeted all over the place, especially in the last week. Cannon spent half again as much plus some as Jacobs did, and Cannon raised far more money from his politico and PAC buddies--but Jacob's $40,000 worth of support from Team America was obviously WAY more important in this race. It MUST be that Jacob's policy arguments were shown to be unappealing, too. Yep, just stop bothering, because the FROBL says this 42/58 vote for Cannon, who on the subject of immigration lied, turned tail, hid, and even put on his web site a banner blaring 'stop illegal immigration,' well, that 42/58 vote is a message on how HIS view of stopping illegal immigration is the one Americans favor.
/blistering sarcasm
Since the incumbent won, and since the incumbent backs Bush, this will totally ignored by the LameStream Media.
This thread is spinning so fast, its making me dizzy.
Cannon won because you didn't start enough threads.
Time to look for another illegal loving puke to throw out of office.
Jacob may have conceded, but this was NOT a referendum on the illegal immigration issue.
Some folks would like to believe that this was a referendum on the illegal alien issue, and that it is "time to move on to other things", but this is simply wishful thinking on their parts.
Of course, he'll win the general election. Any Republican candidate in the Third District is a shoo-in. So we're not worried about losing a Republican seat in Congress this November.
Our efforts are now focused on the next cycle. We intend to ensure he is defeated cleanly at the Utah State Republican convention next time round. There will be no primary. Cannon will simply be history.
Cannon has one chance to avoid this fate, and that is to repudiate his pro-shamnesty stance and get back to representing America, not Mexico, in Congress. He will be watched like a hawk, every speech recorded and examined, every meeting with and award from pro-shamnesty groups scrutinized. It will all come back to haunt him like a bad nightmare in two years.
This election continues to show the power of the immigration issue, even within the Rep party. An incumbent Rep with an ACU rating of 100, the endorsement of the POTUS, and a flawed primary opponent can only muster 55% of the vote.
If the GOP uses the immigration issue properly, it can be a political winner. Cannon went out of his way to say he was tough on illegal immigration. He voted FOR the House bill. He should have won by a lot more.
Bay Buchanan's demonizing of a good conservative did not work. The voters saw through the unfairness of Buchanan's cheap tricks.
Now Jacob can concentrate in fighting his demons or devils
This could all get very interesting.
If the lefty candidate Obrador wins the election in Mexico, then there will be no more friendly Fox/Bush link across the Rio Grande.
The American population will turn hard against that kind of "threat," and Congressional candidates won't be able to throw money at a border fence fast enough.
Interesting summer!