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Friday's Buzz:
Gubernatorial Race Watch

Huntsman Can't be the Lakers

How do I dislike the L.A. Lakers? Let me count the ways: They're spoiled, rich, dominant; they have that swagger and sneer; they have all the talent money can buy; they're all glitz, glamour and Hollywood. Go, Pistons! (Not a team I've ever liked, but I'll take the underdog.)

So what's the point? Simple: Jon Huntsman , Jr., can't be the Lakers. Or he loses. The Nolan Karras camp is trying to make him the Lakers and it's not a hard sell because the average voter, while respecting the Huntsman family, is inclined to be a little cynical about all that money and privilege. It is becoming a key underlying issue in the governor's race (see today's Deseret Morning News story by Bob Bernick).

However, in my view Huntsman is doing a pretty good job of dealing with the “wealth and privilege” issue. Before the convention he had Fred Lampropoulos providing a lot of cover. Lampropoulos was far outspending him and doing a lot more TV and radio. Huntsman has actually been quite modest in his mass media exposure, unlike the past campaigns of wealthy people. Huntsman is raising real money from outside sources, which was completely unexpected. While he has raised more money than Karras, there's not an enormous difference and Karras has been successful in fundraising and will have enough money to be competitive.

And I find Huntsman quite good on the stump at coming across as an average guy who understands you and me. You relate with him and his passion when he talks about his children and their challenges in school. His self-deprecating humor is effective in dealing with the “Lakers” factor.

What's more, Huntsman presents a vision for Utah, particularly in the economic development arena, that is quite compelling. Also impressive is his ability to leverage his connections and relationships at the top levels of the Bush administration to resolve some of Utah 's most challenging problems.

But Karras is doing a terrific job on the stump, as well. Karras' experience and substance really come through and people find him very impressive, a real leader who would make a very fine governor, able to deal with the challenging budget times ahead. Karras is down in the polls, but if he gets in front of enough primary election voters, he will make a real race of it. Remember the quick gains he made in the last several days before the state convention, when he went from being an also-ran to almost beating Huntsman. He is a very likeable and capable underdog and is effectively exploiting that status.

Both campaigns have focused hard on grassroots organizing and communications. I see more Karras signs in the areas I frequently drive, but Huntsman has a lot, as well. The Karras campaign claims significantly more endorsements by Utah House and Senate Republican members, and more mayors, while Huntsman may have more county commission endorsements thanks to his running mate, Gary Herbert, a long-time Utah County commissioner.

—LaVarr Webb

Reader Feedback

A couple of readers correctly pointed out that the quote on the value of persistence attributed to Ray Kroc in Thursday's edition really came from Calvin Coolidge. We had read in a book on leadership by Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, that Kroc wrote the quote. But the book is wrong, although Kroc used it frequently. Check out the origin of the quote at Bartleby.com: http://www.bartleby.com/66/31/14831.html

Casual Friday :
If God Wants to Mess With Us...

I haven't seen the movie, “The Day After Tomorrow,” Fox's $125 million disaster flick about abrupt climate change. But I do know there's a lot of hand-wringing in liberal circles over global warming, and the movie will probably foster those fears among the naïve.

I don't doubt that global warming is occurring, but I'm not willing to concede that the terrible activities of humankind are responsible for it. All sorts of geologic evidence exists of recurring periods of global warming and cooling, with obvious disastrous consequences for some species, so why should we blame ourselves now?

A look at geologic history clearly shows that Mother Nature herself is responsible for environmental disasters far more horrific that anything humankind could pull off.

And such things could happen in the future. If God gets fed up with us, and really wants to mess with us, it will be easy. Here are some scary things to keep you awake at night compiled by Bruce Sterling in Wired Magazine, May 2004, page 108:

Global Dimming: The sunlight reaching the earth is getting feebler. Either the sun is weakening or some unknown atmospheric factor is steadily darkening the planet. In 1985, Atsumu Ohmura, a climatologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, checked sunlight records in Switzerland and discovered that solar radiation had declined a startling 10 percent in 30 years. Subsequent studies found the same effect in Ireland , Japan , the former Soviet Union and at both poles. A 2001 study found the same thing.

Interplanetary Chaos: We're used to the idea that a giant asteroid killed off the dinosaurs. Newer findings suggest that the solar system might be chaotically unstable, and that this instability could have beckoned the monster monolith out of deep space. Sifting through ocean sediment, UCLA astro-biologist Bruce Runnegar found signs of climate changes corresponding to subtle perturbations in Earth orbit. He modeled the wobble and found that it had created a substantial kink in the orbits of the inner planets 65 million years ago. The gravitational disruption was powerful enough to pull chunks of rock out of the asteroid belt and send them hurtling toward earth.

Killer Supernovas: A rotten supernova may have once fried Earth's atmosphere, destroying ozone, killing sea life, and blasting the planet with cosmic rays. In 2002, Jesus Maiz-Appellaniz, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, found that a supernova-spewing cluster of stars was closer to Earth a few million years ago. Core samples dating to that era contain a rare iron isotope, likely debris from a stellar explosion. Massive extinctions of plankton at that time have yet to be explained.

So you worry about global warming. I'll worry about killer supernovas.

—LaVarr Webb

The Earlybird is a service of Utah Policy.com

Publisher: LaVarr Webb
Editor: Bart Barker
News: Golden Webb
Calendar and Subscriptions: Paul Hollingshead

Friday, June 4, 2004

Today's Headlines

Political Calendar

Please submit calendar items to Earlybird@UtahPolicy.com

- June 4: Debate between John Huntsman Jr. and Nolan Karras, Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce and Daily Herald, First Friday Forum lunch—noon at the Provo Marriott Hotel . Lunch reservations, 379-2555; debate questions, Michael Mower 852-6103.
- June 4: Davis County Republican Women Gubernatorial Debate, 6 pm at West Point Junior High School.
- June 5: Candidate Debates for Every Race on the Primary Ballot, 2-6 pm, UVSC Student Center, 800 W. University Pkwy., Orem. Nolan Karras, Enid Greene & Gary Herbert (Governor's Race); Chris Cannon & Matt Throckmorton (US 3rd Congressional District); John Swallow & Tim Bridgewater (US 2nd Congressional District). Get detailed agenda and submit questions at www.citizensresource.org.
- June 6: Gubernatorial Debate: On the Record with Chris Vanocur—KTVX Channel 4, 9:30 am, Contact Chris Vanocur, (801) 975-4444.
- June 7-8: Innovations in Education Conference—8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastmont Middle School, 10100 South 1300 East, Sandy. $30 registration, including 2 box lunches and breaks. www.iie-edu.org.
- June 8: Peter Corroon for County Mayor fundraiser, 7-10pm, Uintah Brewing Company, 1722 S. Fremont Drive (2375 West), SLC. $50 contribution per person. RSVP by June 4.
- June 9: Kitchen Table Talk with Nolan Karras, 5:30-7:00pm, home of Lew & Patrice Swain, 1688 North Canyon Circle, Farmington.
- June 10: Gubernatorial debate, Huntsman vs. Karras, 9-10 a.m., SLC Library Auditorium. Sponsored by the Salt Lake Chamber, co-sponsored by the Utah Foundation and KCPW Radio. Broadcast live on KCPW 88.3 and 105.3 FM. Space is limited so arrive early.
- June 10: Kitchen Table Talk with Enid Greene, 8-9:30 pm, home of Brett Graham, 222 Lauri Kay Dr, Holladay.
- June 10: Fundraiser for Salt Lake County Council candidate Jenny Wilson, 7-9 a.m., Alta Club, 100 East South Temple. $100 individual, $250 business, $500 sponsorship. RSVP to lashman@xmission.com or 801-201-8442.
- June 10-11: Government Affairs Advisory Committee of the Salt Lake Chamber—11am, Eccles Board Room, Salt Lake Chamber.
- June 12: Utah House Democrats Fundraiser, Barbeque & Stingers Baseball, 5:30-9:30pm, Franklin Covey Field, SLC. RSVP by June 2, 3620 South 6000 West, West Valley City, UT 84120. For info call 801-328-2208.
- June 12: Davis County Democrats No-Host Breakfast—8:30 am to 10:00 am, Joanie's Restaurant, 286 North 400 West, Kaysville. Contact: Richard Watson (801) 292-6772.
- June 13: Gubernatorial Debate: Take Two with Rod Decker—Live on KUTV Channel 2 at 5:30 pm, Contact Rod Decker, (801) 973-3000.
- June 14: Lt. Governor Debate: KCSG and Bonneville Radio in St. George—Live at 7:00 pm, Contact: Dan Matheson, (435) 467-7452
- June 15: Gubernatorial Debate: KCSG and Bonneville Radio in St. George—Live at 7:00 pm, Contact: Dan Matheson, (435) 467-7452.
- June 16: Ogden Rotary Gubernatorial Debate, noon at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center.
- June 16: Greg Skordas for Attorney General Fundraiser, 5-7pm, Urban Bistro, 216 East 500 South, SLC. Suggested Donation $50/person.
- June 18: Meet Nolan Karras, 6-7pm, Lehi City Council Chambers, Lehi Administration Bldg., 153 N 100 E, Lehi.
- June 18: Kitchen Table Talk with Nolan Karras, 8-9:30 pm, home of Jeanette Hales Beckham, 1260 E. Oak Crest Circle, Provo.
- June 21: Gubernatorial Debate: KUED Channel 7—Live at 9:00 pm.
- June 22: Utah Primary Election—7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- June 22: Green Party of Utah Roots Local Monthly Meeting—12:00 pm, Sprague Library, 1100 East, just past 2100 South, Salt Lake City. Contact: 486-2558.
- June 24: Legislative Golf Tournament—Thanksgiving Point. 533-9777.
- June 26: Republican Central Committee Meeting.
- June 27: Green Party of Utah Roots Local Monthly Meeting—12:00 pm, Sprague Library, 1100 East, just past 2100 South, Salt Lake City. Contact: 486-2558.
- July 19-23: National Conference of State Legislatures— Salt Lake City.

See the entire calendar.