I did enjoy Jay Evenson's Deseret News Editorial where he wonders whether a bunch of political moderates can muster enough fire to win an election.

It's true, that most of us have day jobs. We go about our business without a lot of noise. We're the ordinary moms wiping noses, and the kids in the band on the back row. We're the guys teaching shop, and the clerks behind the counter. And there are more of us than you think.

Our low key approach is exactly our strength. Moderates tend to be patient and low ego. We don't insist on having it all our own way, but we're persistent. We have the calm to bide our time, and play the long game. Zealots and demagogues make a lot of noise in the short term, but they don't last. Eventually, people get tired of slogans and rhetoric. They just want a little sanity. They want lawmakers that do their homework, work things out, and keep the country running.

Which will make a bigger hole, stick of dynamite or a stream of water? Well you'd pick the dynamite, obviously, until you remember the Grand Canyon. Remember the tortoise and the hare?

It's the moderates that clean up and carry on when the riots peter out. We outlast tea parties, countercultures, red scares, and even civil war. It's the moderate voices, in the end, that stabilize, and compromise, and hold the republic together. We're the ones with shovels after the show horses strut by. We use pitchforks, you know, for what they were made for. We moderates aren't coming for you, we've been here all along.

And our time has come. Again.

Good news! We have well over the 2,000 signatures we need, and we’re submitting them to the Lieutenant Governor’s office tomorrow at 11:00 AM.

In today's Deseret News Editorial, Jay Evenson says we are.

Prove him wrong!  Get Involved by Signing in on Our Volunteer Page to Help!

We are deeply horrified and saddened by the brazen and cowardly terrorist attack that occurred yesterday in Manchester, England.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms this murderous act committed against innocent children.  We similarly strongly condemn those organizations or individuals who sponsor, support, or encourage these acts.

Our deepest condolences and fervent prayers go out on behalf of the victims, the injured, and their families.

We are extraordinarily grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve seen since our announcement this morning. Our inboxes are filling up; our phone is ringing off the hook, and everyone wants to know how they can help.

But the one question we’re getting above all others is this one:

“Where do I sign?”

As you know, we need to gather 2,000 signatures to become a registered political party with the state of Utah. We are well on our way to that goal, and we are optimistic that we will have those signatures delivered to the Lieutenant Governor’s office by Thursday of this week. But, of course, we still want to gather as many signatures as we can get.

The challenge is that this can’t happen online or remotely. Each signature has to come from a registered Utah voter, and they have to sign it in the presence of a witness who can verify that the signature was properly collected.  That means that those who want to sign have to show up, in person, to sign the petition.

To make that easier, we’ve talked to our supporters, some of whom have opened their businesses to allow people to come in and sign at locations in both Salt Lake and Utah counties. If you want to sign the petition, you can do so at the following places during regular business hours:

Garbett Homes
273 E Capitol St
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Open M-F 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

The Lodge at Jordan River.
1341 W South Jordan Parkway.
Open M-F 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

ZYTO Corporation
1172 W 700 N
Lindon, UT 84042
Open M-F 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM

The other option available is to print a copy of the petition and collect signatures yourself. This would require a greater commitment of time and energy than just signing, but if this interests you, email me at [email protected] and I’ll walk you through the process.

Thanks so much for your interest in the party! With your support, better government starts here!

Thanks,

Jim Bennett
Executive Director
United Utah Party

SALT LAKE CITY, UT: Citing the critical need for unity, civility, and reasoned discussion in the public arena, a group of civic minded and politically experienced Utah citizens announced the formation of the United Utah Party on Monday, May 22, 2017 in the Centennial Room at the Utah State Capitol.

“The existing parties created the existing problems by becoming co-opted by extreme views on both sides,” said Richard Davis, who serves as the chair of the United Utah Party. “It is time for a political party that will represent the people of Utah and not merely the views of a few.” Dr. Davis is a political science professor at Brigham Young University. He previously served as a county chair of the Utah Democratic Party.

“The political landscape has shifted dramatically since this last election,” said Jim Bennett, Executive Director of the United Utah Party and son of former Utah Republican Senator Bob Bennett. “Both Republicans and Democrats in Utah are increasingly unhappy with their choices, and they are looking for a reasonable alternative. The United Utah Party is that alternative.” Mr. Bennett has managed a number of Utah political campaigns and served five times as a delegate to the Utah State Republican Convention.

Davis noted strong interest in this new effort, particularly among those who no longer feel at home in the two major parties. “People are eager to bridge the divide,” he said. “United Utah will give them candidates they can vote for instead of having to choose between two undesirable options.” The United Utah Party is collecting the 2,000 signatures necessary to be recognized by the state as a registered political party in Utah. They intend to submit those signatures to the Lieutenant Governor’s office by May 26, 2017, which is the day the governor has designated as the deadline for candidates to declare their intent to participate in the special election to replace Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who is stepping down at the end of next month.

“The United Utah Party plans to have a candidate on the ballot for the special election, and we will announce that candidate in accordance with the deadlines outlined in the governor’s special election calendar,” Bennett said.

The United Utah Party is online and accepting support at unitedutah.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/unitedutahparty and on Twitter as @unitedutahparty.

News Conference Announcement – United Utah Party

When: Monday, May 22, 10 am
Where: Centennial Room, State Capitol Building
What: Announcement of new centrist, reform-oriented political party in Utah

A citizens’ group will announce the formation of a new political party in Utah on Monday, May 22, 2017 in the Centennial Room at the State Capitol. The party will be directed at moderate Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who are dissatisfied with the current two-party system.

According to Richard Davis, chair of the group, speakers at the announcement will include current Republicans and Democrats who endorse the formation of the new party. A press packet will be provided for those reporters in attendance to explain the purpose of the new party as well as issue emphases.

For more information, contact Jim Bennett, United Utah Executive Director, at [email protected].

Everyone wants to hold Washington accountable, but they don’t realize that the vast majority of elected officials are going to deliberately ignore them. This isn’t a conspiracy or collusion; unfortunately, it’s just the way Washington works.

23 years ago, I was a newly-married guy living in the District of Columbia who had just started work as in intern in the office of Senator Alan K. Simpson of Wyoming.

One of the more glamorous jobs of a Senate intern is answering the phones in the front office. I was given very specific instructions as to how to handle phone calls. Before they launched into whatever tirade they had prepared, I was to ask them their name and where they were calling from. I had a form next to the phone where I wrote down the details of their complaint or question, and if a response was necessary, I’d ask them for their contact information so the office could mail them a reply.

I’m halfway through the run of Pioneer Theatre Company’s production of “The Will Rogers Follies.” I play Wiley Post, the aviator who was piloting the plane that went down  in Alaska in 1935, claiming the lives of both Rogers and Post as a result. I spend the entire show sitting in the audience, yelling “Let’s go flying, Will” every once in awhile. It’s kind of a running joke until the end of the show, when it finally dawns on everyone as to what happens when Will finally takes me up on my offer.

Note: This article originally appeared in the Deseret News on May 12, 2017.

Editor's note: This article from scholar Richard Davis is a response to the recent reactions to Taylor G. Petrey's piece "The failures of Mormon conservativism." These opinion articles are part of an ongoing Deseret News opinion series exploring ideas and issues at the intersection of faith and thought.

Which is it? Have the predominant conservative forces in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led church membership on a path to political failure, as Taylor Petrey suggests? Or is the church inherently conservative and therefore the calls for more progressivism essentially contrary to the basic nature of LDS doctrine?