This week’s question: What are your thoughts and predictions about Tuesday’s election?
Peter Corroon, current Utah Democratic Party Chair, and former Salt Lake County Mayor. I think it’s fair to say that with Clinton’s steady and continuous lead, she will win the Presidential election. However, this election is indicative of how much of a turn-out game we are playing here and across the country. Clinton’s campaign has used a strong, tactful, organized ground strategy throughout the entire election—strategies proven to turn out voters. Her opponent’s campaign has chosen to approach the election through more of a traditional marketing strategy than a political one, and while it lends to flashy headlines I don’t think it lends to gaining votes in crucial swing states.
I believe that numbers will be lower than predicted for third party candidates as they lose hope in the viability of their candidate’s race. The fact that Utah voters will abandon straight-party voting (in order to not vote for Trump), will help Democrats win down-ballot races.
Richard Kendell, former Davis School District superintendent, commissioner of Higher Education, and governor’s education advisor. Thank you for the opportunity to comment about the upcoming elections. My comments are focused more on the mood or disposition of the electorate in one of the most vexing election years in memory. It is ironic that the GOP has been thought of as the party of Abraham Lincoln who was able to keep the union together and abolish slavery. James Russell Lowell the founding Editor of the Atlantic magazine wrote, “It is in a moral aversion to slavery as a great wrong that the chief strength of the Republican party lies.” Now the GOP ticket is led by Donald Trump who became the face, heart and soul of the birther movement—a crass and rather ugly effort to denigrate our Nation’s first African-American president. Trump has since recanted his earlier position, but his long campaign to undermine the President of the United States was disgraceful.
The November issue of the Atlantic concludes on its editorial pages that “…the Republican Party’s nominee…might be the most ostentatiously unqualified major-party candidate in the 227-year history of the American Presidency.” The editorial goes on to say that Trump is an “ infomercial huckster; he traffics in conspiracy theories and racist invective; he is appallingly sexist; he is erratic, secretive, and xenophobic; he expresses admiration for authoritarian rulers, and evinces authoritarian tendencies himself….”
These are harsh words but it is difficult to dispute them. Yet, many of our Utah political leaders are toeing the party line and supporting Trump. It may be that a plurality if not a majority of Utahns will vote for Trump as well.
Clearly we are faced with two flawed candidates and I suspect that many of us are torn by this “forced choice” situation. But, no third party candidate is going to sway the election and Mitt Romney is not going to sweep in at the last moment and save the Constitution and the Nation The president will be Clinton or Trump. Despite all of the hopes and dreams that Trump will bring to office a fistful of silver bullets to solve all of our problems and to crack open the intractable positions of the U.S. Congress, the dream is illusory.
Trump is simply not qualified to be the President of the United States and I am fascinated by the propensity of Utah political leaders and the voting public to be drawn into this abyss.
On the other hand there may be a great opportunity here. There is some lovely beachfront property in the Western desert that is available for sale. Call me if you want in on this once in a lifetime deal.
LaVarr Webb, Utah Policy Daily publisher. I’m just glad it’s over tomorrow. It’s been a grinding campaign for many Americans. Ideally, a presidential election, even a hard-fought one, would be a unifying event, with the loser urging the country to come together under the new president.
That certainly won’t be the outcome of this election. The country is too divided. Feelings are too raw. There is too much anger and distrust. I believe Hillary Clinton will win, but the campaign won’t end tomorrow. She will not unify the country, and Republicans have no interest or incentive to let her lead. We’ll see more dysfunction and gridlock in Washington. Republicans will easily maintain control of the U.S. House, and probably the Senate. That means compromise will be required to get anything done, unless Clinton attempts to rule by executive orders and proclamations — which will further divide the country.
The Clinton dynasty, the Clinton machine, rolls on. But, clearly, happy times are not here again.
