Weekly Newsletter- HOPE - McCain and Us
Contents
- Chair's Note
- In Praise of Hope
- The Size of the Party
- The Void in the 2nd Congressional District
- State Fair - Sign Up for a Shift
- Last Chance - The Onions Are Marching in Payson!
Chair's Note
The passing of John McCain is a reminder that the U.S. Senate, and the political arena generally, once was a more civil place. McCain was willing to work with those who were of a different party. He gave respect to those he disagreed with. He found good in them, not evil.
This is what we want to do in the United Utah Party. It is common in the heat of the moment to join others in their rabid partisanship, particularly when you may want their vote. However, McCain did not do that. He was willing to see virtues in those he disagreed with. When a female supporter at a campaign rally called Barack Obama an Arab, McCain could have gone along with her claim. But he didn't. He corrected her and called Obama a decent person and a good family man. He simply disagreed with Obama on fundamental issues and said that was what the campaign was about.
That was 2008. But in 2016, one candidate constantly insulted everyone he disagreed with. The other general election candidate occasionally joined the name-calling. It was a presidential campaign that headed for the gutter, thanks primarily to Donald Trump. And the nation has not recovered from it since.
Can we recover civility in politics? Can we treat others with respect even when we disagree with them? Can we turn off the talk show hosts who continually demean others who disagree with them rather than acting like John McCain and respectfully disagreeing?
That is what we are trying to do at the United Utah Party. We are seeking to bring back civility by seeking common ground instead of focusing on how we differ.
If you like this approach, help us get our message out. Go to unitedutah.organd donate and volunteer.
With your time and money, signal to those who have become uncivil that you are fed up with their approach. You want it to stop.
John McCain was willing to stand up to the extreme partisanship that sees enemies, rather than people who simply disagree. Would you do that too?
Help the United Utah Party bring back civility to our political system.
In Praise of Hope
Hal Miller is running for Utah House District 64. Below, he explains how challenging it is to run for office under the United Utah Party banner. Thanks, Hal, for your willingness to put it all on the line.
According to Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox’s office, as of Aug. 21, 2018, 47.2 percent of Utah voters are registered as Republicans, 12 percent as Democrats, and 37.4 percent as unaffiliated. The United Utah Party (UUP) counted 816 registered members, or 0 percent. Don’t bother looking up the percentages in Utah County; the UUP doesn’t even appear there.
Talk about an underdog.
For a UUP member, there may be consolation in viewing oneself among the enlightened, chosen, or fortunate few, of being in the vanguard of a new way. Still, it’s not easy being massively outnumbered and mostly unknown, as Mr. Cox’s data attest. Let’s just say that “against all odds,” “light at the end of the tunnel,” and “remember the Alamo” are not unknown to UUP members. Take it from me. I’m one of them. In fact, I am a UUP candidate.
Daily Herald
Talk about naive.
As a behavior analyst by profession, I depend on frequency statistics. But I also know the mischief they can do. For example, as I stand and talk to voters on their doorsteps, I hear something like the following: “I really don’t know what it means to be a Republican (or a Democrat) anymore. I’m just really tired of the extremism. I want agreement. Nothing’s getting done.” I hear it much more often than anything else.
Enough to wonder whether voters who inherently opt for straight R or straight D may hesitate before doing so this October and November and, in that moment of hesitation, wish for a different alternative. Unaffiliated voters may have a similar experience. Regardless of party registration, many voters may sense the futility of going through the same motions as before.
Doing so is unlikely to reduce the marked mismatch between legislative decisions and citizens’ poll-affirmed preferences, to dislodge the deep partisan divide that prevails in state government, or to restore integrity to its halls and chambers. If only there was a clear way to get out of the hole.
Those who have signed up with the UUP are no strangers to the dilemma. Each has stewed in the same misgivings about the rancor and recalcitrance that partisanship has wrought. Each has sought a hopeful alternative, reasoning that, if the distance between Republican and Democrat is unbridgeable with a single span, it may make sense to build bridges from each to a point between them. This alternative design divides the impossibly wide difference into a pair of shorter distances and brings them together there. That is what the UUP designs to do.
Is it hopeless?
This may be a good time for a chorus of “nothing ventured, nothing gained” or of “only time will tell.” The UUP is asking for a chance—by growing its name recognition among voters and promoting the election of a core of party candidates in the Legislature. Once there, they must make good the promise to bring partisan voices together in the interest of, and, ultimately, to legislate, the will of Utah’s people. As Leonard Cohen intoned, this may be the crack that lets the light in.
Endeavors that begin small and simple sometimes spark great, hoped-for change. And so, as hopeful as ever, I continue to canvass.
This article by Hal Miller appeared in the Daily Herald on 25 August 2018.
The Size of the Party
Have you ever asked yourself how many voters belonged to George Washington's party? The answer is 1 - one - uno. Well, really, President Washington belonged to no party. He was an independent -- a party of one. Even so, he won the presidency.
Too remote to be meaningful, you say? How about Bill Walker winning the race for Alaska governor in 2014. He ultimately ran as an independent and pulled off a narrow victory over the Republican candidate, there being no official Democratic party candidate in the election.
The point is this: The size of your party's membership is only one factor in winning elections. For us, the quality the candidates and the candidates' willingness to connect with people, to listen to their needs, to seek rational, meaningful reform, and to tune out partisan ideologies are paramount.
We can, and will, make a difference.
The Void in the 2nd Congressional District
Second Congressional district candidate Shireen Ghorbani has reached out to the United Utah Party and asked us to put this notice from her in our newsletter. We will do the same for Chris Stewart, if he requests. Since we do not have a candidate in the 2nd Congressional District race, this is simply a service for UUP members who will have to decide who to vote for in that race.
I’m Shireen Ghorbani and I am the Democratic candidate running for the United States House of Representatives in Utah’s 2nd district. I was sad to see that Jan Garbett had to step out of this race. She graciously met with me earlier this spring and I was very impressed by her kind and compassionate spirit, something we could certainly use more of in Washington. For those of you living in the 2nd district, I hope you’ll consider supporting me with your vote this fall. Please know that should I have the honor of serving you, I will always stand up for what’s right for Utahns. I’m running a people powered campaign and will carry that energy and focus with me to Washington.
I’m a red state democrat. I always have been. I understand that no one party or one set of ideas holds all of the answers to the complex challenges we face from providing access to affordable healthcare to Americans to strengthening our diplomatic ties to reinforce our global standing and national security.
I got into this race after losing my mom to pancreatic cancer in 2016. She mostly raised me by herself and was an educator her whole life. I saw how quickly one health crisis can drive families into financial ruin. We were lucky. She was 68 and on Medicare, a system that was there for us when we needed it. I believe that every family deserves the freedom and dignity that comes with access to affordable healthcare.
I invite you to visit ShireenforCongress.com where you can learn more about me and please check out my Facebook page, Shireen for Congress, to keep up with our campaign and to learn about upcoming events.
What I’ve learned as I with my team have knocked on over 20,000 doors is that there is more that unites us than divides us. Please reach out if you have any questions. I can be reached at [email protected] or 801-382-7293.
The 2nd Congressional District covers the territory shown below, from Bountiful to parts of Salt Lake City to Loa to Saint George, and scattered points in between.
State Fair - Sign Up for a Shift
Calling all Volunteers!
We're set to have a booth at the State Fair, starting a week from today!
However, we are still in great need of people willing to take a shift at the fair. See the chart below to see where we still need volunteers the most!
If you are willing to help us, please sign up for a shift TODAY, as we need to finalize our contract with the State Fair officials tomorrow, and having this information is crucial.
To sign up for a shift, click here. Don't let the corn and the cows steal the show!
Last Chance - The Onions Are Marching in Payson!
Have you ever even been in a parade with onions? Try it. Don't cry! Bring a smile. Volunteer to participate in Payson on Tuesday, 4 September in the Golden Onion Days parade.