News Highlights

Utahns flock to caucus meetings to elect delegates and precinct officers; organizers applaud high turnout (Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret Morning News, Daily Herald, and KCPW).

Survey shows voters generally support Legislature’s efforts to fund and help public education (Morning News).

Quote of the Day

“Utah has a shameful achievement gap between minority children and their white classmates, upwards of 20 points on some standardized tests. And the staggering dropout rate for Hispanic students is above 50 percent, while nearly half the students of other ethnic and racial groups also do not finish high school.”

-- Tribune editorial noting that the number of minority students in Utah schools is increasing rapidly and their needs are not being adequately met.

Prepare To Be Popular

Congratulations to the many new delegates and party precinct leaders selected at neighborhood caucuses all across the state last night. Delegates in districts with contested intra-party races will now become very popular as candidates seek their support. GOP state delegates in the 3rd Congressional District, especially, will receive lots of mail, phone calls, and invitations to many events. Candidate David Leavitt has already scheduled a series of meetings across the district. Most delegates take their jobs seriously and get to know the candidates pretty well. It’s hard to fool them. 

For candidates in districts with intra-party contests, we’re now in the second phase of what amounts to four separate campaigns. The first campaign was organizing for neighborhood party caucuses; the second campaign we’re now in is chasing delegates and preparing for the conventions; the third campaign is the primary election; and the fourth campaign is the general election.

t’s a long, grinding, exhausting process and the candidates who do best have a lot of energy and are highly organized with excellent staff help.

At my Republican caucus in highly Democratic downtown Salt Lake City, we had a dozen dedicated Republicans show up. There was no contest for any of the delegate slots. We had to twist arms to get people to fill positions. I was elected as a state delegate and a couple of others were elected county delegates. Downtown is in the First Congressional District. The only contested race in our area is for the GOP nomination in State House District 24, where three Republicans, Joe Jarvis, Camillia Olson and Mike Ridgway are seeking the nomination.

While only 12 people attended my caucus, I had a report from a precinct in Utah County where 75 people turned out and the meeting took three hours.

Today in Political History

Mar. 26, 1707:  The Act of Union becomes law, making England and Scotland one country.

Mar. 26, 1930:  Sandra Day O’Connor is born, the first woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, is born.  (Source:  NBC5) 

March 26, 1979: The Camp David peace treaty is signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat at the White House. (New York Times)

Mar. 26, 1989:   Free elections are held in the USSR. Boris Yeltsin gets 89% of the vote in his Moscow constituency.  (Source:  Perspicuity) 

Wise Words

"Government is instituted to protect property of every sort; as well that which lies in the various rights of individuals, as that which the term particularly expresses. This being the end of government, which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own."

-- James Madison, National Gazette, March 1792  (Source:  GMU.Edu) 

Campaign Tip

This time of year mailboxes are being stuffed with flyers announcing the candidacy of various people, incumbent or not, for public office.  Some flyers are better than others. According to Election Images a candidate needs immediately to define their platform or reason why they are seeking office and make sure that the candidate’s issues are the voter’s issues as well. Examples of why someone is running may include to pass or repeal a law, to reform some part of government, to lower taxes, to improve health care, etc. 

Candidates must FIND reasons why the average voter should support you. Never forget that your base consists of average people who need to connect with you. You have to target and define those connections.

RESEARCH the concerns of voters in your district. Don't assume YOUR issues are their issues. Find a representative group of people in your district and ask what concerns them. Read letters to the editor. If there are any Internet forums based in your district, tune in. Newspapers and local TV often offer forums on their websites.

THEME and MESSAGE can bolster a campaign ONLY if it is powerful enough to sustain the campaign till election day.  AVOID one-issue messages! Don't base your campaign on a single issue.  (Source:  Election Images) 

National Politics

Best Stories From . . .

-- New York Times: "As part of her argument that she has the best experience and instincts to deal with a sudden crisis as president, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton recently offered a vivid description of having to run across a tarmac to avoid sniper fire after landing in Bosnia as first lady in 1996. Yet on Monday, Mrs. Clinton admitted that she 'misspoke' about the episode -- a concession that came after CBS News showed footage of her walking calmly across the tarmac with her daughter, Chelsea, and being greeted by dignitaries and a child."

-- Associated Press: "Fresh off his eighth Iraq visit, Sen. John McCain declared Monday that 'we are succeeding' and said he wouldn't change course -- even as the U.S. death toll rose to 4,000 and the war entered its sixth year."

-- Politico: Democrats plan on hammering McCain over his offhand remark in January that the U.S. may be in Iraq for 100 years.  

-- Financial Times: Columnist Anatol Lieven: "It may seem incredible to say this, given past experience, but a few years from now Europe and the world could be looking back at the Bush administration with nostalgia. This possibility will arise if the US elects [McCain] as president in November."

Lighter Side

Favorite Headlines

(From James Taranto’s Best of the Web at OpinionJournal.com)

ButBut They're Against Torturing Terrorists
"Dems to Hammer McCain for '100 Years' "--headline, Politico, March 25

We'll Have a New One in November
"Florida Retirees Wary of Old President"--headline, NewsMax.com, March 24

Hey, Nice Throw!
"5 Tossed Out of South Loop Restaurant, 1 Hits Cop"--headline, Sun-Times News Group (Chicago), March 24

Last Seen Slipping Across the Border Into Alabama State
"Oklahoma State Escapes Florida State"--headline, Associated Press, March 24

Elected Officials Birthday List

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