It has been a very long and exhausting election season and I assume pretty much everyone is happy to see it come to a close. Unfortunately, we may not have clear winners Tuesday night in the presidential race, and in a number of key U.S. Senate races that will determine Senate control.
So it may take some extra time to have all the election questions answered, but that’s almost to be expected in the topsy-turvy year of 2020 when not much is normal.
In Utah, the 4th District race could make for a long night, along with a few legislative contests.
But we can all handle a few extra days, or longer if necessary, given what the country has been through this year.
And I hope we are all willing to live with the results. Elections do have consequences, and there is nothing more basic to the smooth functioning of our constitutional republic than accepting the will and voice of the people (and the electoral college) in a free and fair election.
So however long it takes, and whatever the outcome, let’s go forward and make our state and nation the very best they can be with the leaders the voters have chosen.
A very nice thing about the American system of government is that if you don’t like what’s happening, the next election really isn’t very far away.
Captain Moroni. I really think when Mike Lee said Donald Trump was like Captain Moroni, he actually meant Captain America. It was a slip of the tongue. He had been teaching his Sunday School class about Captain Moroni and it was easy to get the two mixed up. I’m sure he wouldn’t compare Trump to Captain Moroni and risk alienating a lot of his fellow church members while totally confusing the rest of America — including Trump. And Trump clearly would rather be one of the Avengers.
Good Reads. Reasonable conservative Michael Barone provides a little history of “political trifectas” – when one party has held the presidency, the House and the Senate – and why they have been so infrequent. Since 1968, we’ve had divided government 72% of the time and one-party control only 28% of the time. Barone speculates that if Democrats win the trifecta on Tuesday, “they may find it to be as turbulent and short-lived as both parties’ trifectas in the past half-century.” Read his essay HERE.
Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus outlines why Trump deserves a second term. The Economist makes its case why Trump should be defeated. The Hill says Trump has a very narrow path to victory. The Hill notes that the battle for control of the Senate will likely spill into overtime with possible runoffs and slow ballot counting due to late mail-in and absentee voting.
Political People Watch. The Council of State Governments (CSG) has honored Gordon Larsen, policy director in the Utah governor’s office, with a “20 Under 40 Leadership Award.” The 20 honorees from around the country, all under 40 years old, “exemplify strong leadership skills and a true commitment to serving the citizens of their state,” said CSG. “While they may be young, their public service honors the oldest and best values of our democracy.” To learn more about the annual CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award, visit web.csg.org/20-40.
Parting Shot. Brian Fabbi, the United Utah Party candidate for state auditor, complained Friday about the name John “Frugal” Dougall appearing on the ballot in the auditor’s race. “By allowing (Dougall) to insert a descriptive nickname, the ballot becomes a government funded campaign advertisement, which is something it is not and should never be.” Fabbi makes a good point. Dougall did pull a fast one. But the complaint is way late and Dougall was going to win the election anyway. But if Dougall ever runs for governor, his ballot nickname will become a much bigger issue.
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