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
You, of course, have once again stated the dirty little secret behind Tancredo's PAC. The only way Tancredo keeps his name in the news and his mug on cable gab fests is to have immigration as an issue.
It keeps the cards and letters coming from his gullible sycophants.
Welcome back Dane! We changed your name while you were out. From now on it's *Dis-Dane-d*
Seriously, you actually bring quite a bit of passion to the forum.
And now Cannon is for illegals pimp.
I think I'll actually watch lou dobbs tonight, his spin will stink so much the smell will come through the TV.
If you are looking for some consolation, you could say that if Jacob runs as an independent in the general election, he will syphon off enough votes to give the district to the dems.
Don't even say that! Can you imagine a democratic house member in Utah??? Please don't let that happen. It is bad enough fighting in blue and purple states much less the reddest state in the U.S.
I left it out in deference to you. Your insistence on propagating your goofy theory does you no service.
I like my amnesty plan!
Please call them INVADERS and don't compare them to people who are legal aliens!
IF you aid and abet CRIMINALS, you are a criminal!
President Bush has been great on most things except for our border.
He has been great on the war on terrorists.
But on the border he is a gross failure.
He acted fast and correct on the 3,000+ people murdered at the world trade center.
He ignores the many rapes, murders and robberies which might be larger than the murders and money loss at the world trade center.
More Americans are abducted on the border of Mexico than in Iraq!
Start building the fence.
It should be made a felony for Criminals who overstay their visas and Invaders.
I believe we should give amnesty to these poor CRIMINALS or INVADERS.
This should be a 2 week amnesty to get the heck out of our Country.
The ones who ignore this amnesty should be buried in a tent city jail and fined $10,000 or buried elsewhere.
All aiders and abettors of these CRIMINALS or INVADERS should get 1 year in a tent city jail and a $10,000 fine for each CRIMINAL aided.
Those in government should be the first ones charged.
They don't care who gets elected, they just want to defeat Cannon, or whoever else they are against.
The drug smugglers are most likely funding the "close the borders" crowd, because that increases their profit per kilo--the demand curve is fully saturated, so the only option for increasing revenue is to increase the price.
Great post.
Some freepers live in their own reality. It's their right to do so but when they try to take down this President while he's battling the enemies arrayed against us in the rest of the world, and the enemies here in the media, this is just plain BAD politics.
So, all those that discuss aiding illegal aliens, invaders, economic slaves to Corporate America, and especially the country of Mexico and its assistance to the illegals to get across the border, are guilty according to the law in the conspiracy to break federal law. No one seems to bring this clear, concise point up in a discussion. Those in favor in government (civilian citizens and legal immigrants alike,) of protecting the illegals by giving tax dollars away for medical, food, housing, education, creation of special programs, ACLU lawyers, and all supporting 'socialist' organizations, etc., refusal to biometrically document, refusal to deport the illegals, etc., etc., are guilty of conspiracy to aid and abet criminals under current law. There are no gray areas concerning this interpretation and it is a felony to do so.
One more point.
All those in public office who aid the illegals because of personal disagreement with current law, can be convicted of another felony under the Hobbs Act.
These felonies are especially significant, applicable and true of all illegal aliens immigrants that have been previously deported and have come in again illegally and government officials who do nothing and those civilians support the definite commission of a felony with the second illegal entry.
Maybe Satan had something to do with the results. :)
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.
Hey, that was rather clever of you!
Well Dane, looks like your 100% ACU ratings won the balttle last nite.
Congratulations to Cannon, to his supporters in UTAH and on this site.
Congratulations to President Bush and His First lady who intejected themselves
into a local GOP primary and last but not least, congratulations to La Raza.
I don't think a 15,752 total vote for Cannon in a country of 250 million is going to dampen our next battle.
Onward to the House Flied Hearings where the Senate bill in all it's glory
will finally see the light of day.
Bay Buchanan and her band of discontents were rejected by the Utah voters. She misrepresented Cannon's position and ran ads full of cheap theatrical tricks to fool the voters.
The Utah voters are smarter than the Buchanites think.
ping
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.