Posted on 06/28/2006 3:42:39 AM PDT by Dane
UT 3: Cannon's Win Blunts Immigration Foes' Momentum By Michael Teitelbaum | 3:34 AM; Jun. 28, 2006 | Email This Article
Five-term Rep. Chris Cannon won Tuesday’s Republican primary in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District by a comfortable margin, thwarting a determined effort by challenger John Jacob and some activist opponents of illegal immigration to cast him out because of his relatively moderate position on that hot-button issue.
Cannon’s win — by 56 percent to 44 percent, with all precincts reporting — also was a political pick-me-up for President Bush, with whom Cannon is allied in supporting a nuanced approach on immigration: They both support a plan, embodied in a bill passed by the Senate and backed by many in the business community, that combines tougher border security with a guest worker program that would legitimize employment and provide a path to citizenship for many of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the United States.
That measure stands in contrast to a House bill, passed mainly with support of Republican members, that focuses almost entirely on immigration law enforcement and border security and excludes any mention of a guest worker program. Jacob endorsed the House approach in his challenge to Cannon.
Bush recorded an endorsement statement for Cannon near the end of the primary campaign that was widely broadcast in Utah 3, a conservative Republican bastion where the president received a whopping 77 percent of the vote in his 2004 re-election contest. First lady Laura Bush also recorded a message on Cannon’s behalf.
It would be an exaggeration to say that the outcome was a clear-cut verdict on the immigration issue. The White House backing was just one of several major advantages enjoyed by Cannon, including his ability to tout legislative measures he had taken on behalf of the district as the incumbent, name ID that was far superior to Jacob’s, and a campaign treasury that was roughly double that of the challenger.
Jacob also exposed his political inexperience, and may have damaged his campaign, with a pair of late and ill-timed statements.
Jacob said a “force” had been working against him in the primary and in his business life and, when pressed, indicated that the force was Satan. He also said he once did some gambling, but stopped when the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — to which Jacob, Cannon and most 3rd District residents belong — condemned such activities.
But the outcome of the primary will be most analyzed for what it says about immigration, and will likely challenge some preconceived notions about how the issue is playing politically — particularly among those Republicans who contend that the party’s conservative base is fired up about the issue and demanding a hardline approach.
The contest was portrayed by those on both sides as a microcosm of the Republican schism over immigration, and its venue in an overwhelmingly conservative district made it a test case of the priority that the party base places on the issue.
Jacob constantly tested Cannon on this central campaign issue. He was supported by staunch activist opponents of illegal immigration who portrayed Cannon as too soft, likening his position to “amnesty” (a characterization to which the incumbent strongly objected).
Jacob was backed by a roughly $50,000 independent expenditure on ads, most of them blasting Cannon, run by Team America, a political action committee founded by Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo — Congress’ most vocal hardliner on immigration — and currently led by Bay Buchanan, a conservative media figure and sister of former presidential aspirant Pat Buchanan.
Buchanan was undeterred by Cannon’s victory. “With a very direct and simple message and little money, we have been able to take an incumbent Republican and put him on the ropes, forcing the establishment to circle the wagons,” Buchanan said. She noted that this was the first of many races in which the PAC will be an active participant, adding, “We have made this congressman pay for his amnesty votes.”
The conservative dissidents can legitimately claim to having chipped a bit into Cannon’s support base. Cannon’s vote percentage was down a couple of points from 2004, when he faced a primary challenge from former state Rep. Matt Throckmorton — also focused primarily on the immigration issue — and won by 58 percent to 42 percent.
Cannon secured his relatively easy victory by maintaining majority support in his home base of Utah County, which includes the city of Provo and provides roughly half of the district’s vote. Cannon won there with 55 percent — the same vote share he received in the 2004 primary — even though Jacob, a developer, also resides in Utah County.
Cannon did endure some slippage elsewhere: It was most pronounced in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, which provides roughly a third of the district’s vote. The district’s portion of Salt Lake County — where Cannon won by 19 percentage points two years ago — gave Cannon just a 3 percentage-point edge over Jacob.
Cannon nonetheless outran Jacob in all seven counties that are wholly or partially in the 3rd.
Despite an often vitriolic campaign, Jacob conceded with a unity statement in which he said, “Congressman Cannon and I were not opponents; we were two patriots with differing views for America’s future.” He added, “It is true that Congressman Cannon and I have had disagreements. There will be time enough to address those continuing concerns, but tonight we lay aside our differences in order to unite together as Republicans.”
Cannon now rates as a shoo-in for his general election contest against lawyer Christian Burridge, who was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Cannon was re-elected two years ago with 63 percent of the vote.
CQ rates the general election contest as Safe Republican. Please visit CQPolitics.com’s Election Forecaster for ratings on all rating
Nah. A man with a 97 rating from the ACU will be going back to Congress.
Tancredo has ruined himself with the GOP caucus by attempting to take down a sitting member of the House. He will almost certainly NOT be on any conference committee that comes up with an immigration bill after this stunt.
It's going to be quite a jolt for those on FR, when they find out their main issue is not the central overriding issue of American politics.
They will find out that they have been living in an echo chamber.
No Republican Pol worth their position would vote with the likes of KENNEDY and MURTHA!!
The war and protecting America against terrorism will be the central focus of the November election. From all appearances, the GOP House wants to kill immigration as an issue.
They must be happy with the status quo.
Tancredo contributed mucho dinero to Cannon's opponent in 06 and Cannon won.
Tancredo needs to spend his money/your donation more wisely.
Blather.
Need a Kleenex?
Ahh Dane I hate to BURST your bubble when you appear to be having so much fun today BUT I will!!
FIRST that is only Utah who appear to love ILLEGALS as much as you , Kennedy and Murtha do.
SECOND Utah does NOT speak for all Republican Taxpaying Americans!
THIRD don't count your chickens before we win all wars, Iraq, and the war against all that is against Republican values by allowing illegals OR Terroists OR socialist dems to try to take over this great COUNTRY!!
Could be Jacobs sounded like a nut. Low turnout could have been - lack of choice of anyone worth voting for.
Nope....not at all, do you??
Value loving Republicans are still in control, the likes of Cannon, Specter, Graham are few.
Doesn't matter in this case because those that think like and vote with the likes of kennedy and Murtha can CLAIM to be as conservative as they like, can't put lipstick on a pig.
The voters of Utah know Cannon better than you do, and they have spoken.
These are not Covey's seven habits of highly effective people, assuming that Tancredo's goal is to actually do something about illegal immigration. People this ineffective usually do not win Congressional races.
However, if we look at Tancredo from a slightly different perspective, his positions begin to make sense.
He doesn't want the problem solved. He wants a revenue stream. The TeamAmerica PAC has supported two losing bids to unseat Cannon; the only visible effect of this is to . . . generate more donations to TeamAmerica PAC. (Said donations, of course, once again demonstrate that a fool and his money are soon parted.) He writes a book. He gets speaking engagements. In short, he gets a lot of money from this gig.
If someone actually came along and solved the damn problem, he'd have to go out and find honest work, and as anyone can tell, work is a four-letter word. (Count 'em yourself if you don't believe me.)
So, when all is said and done in the case of Mr. Tancredo, much more will be said than done, and he's all right with that.
That is brilliant and needs to be published often.
Absolutely outstanding.
LOL!!!
True, and true and I wish them well.
jesse jackson is the poverty pimp, tom tancredo is the immigration pimp.
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