From Deseret News archives:
Political process really does work well
The Electoral College is a beautiful thing. I know a lot of people disagree with me on this one. But without the Electoral College, the whole character of the election would have changed.
Consider this: When the television networks discussed returns Tuesday night, they did so against the backdrop of a map of the United States. They asked various experts to explain the reasons why Ohio went one way and Minnesota another, or why Florida voted more decisively for Bush this time while New Mexico remained closely divided. We were a collection of blue and red people with defining differences.
In other words, the focus was on the states. While we all call ourselves Americans, we are still a collection of geographic and cultural regions. Indiana voted overwhelmingly for President Bush, while its neighbor, Illinois, went overwhelmingly for John Kerry. Each state has unique needs, concerns and issues, and that would get lost in a purely popular election. The Electoral College turns the presidential race into 50 separate state elections, and it forces candidates to address regional concerns.
Utahns will indeed vote for a Democrat. Am I the only one who gets tired of hearing Utah Democrats continually complain about their inability to win races in Utah, as if the people of Utah are somehow to blame? As Jim Matheson has shown, Utahns will support a Democrat who gains their trust and works to satisfy their interests. They also will support one when they feel the GOP has let them down, as with the scandals in Salt Lake County.
Overall, however, Tuesday's election was another glum day for Democrats, despite a few victories here and there. But that's more a reflection of the party's inability to market itself in Utah than it is a basic flaw in Utahns themselves. Political philosophy is a product, and voters need a convincing sales pitch.
Comments
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Maybe someone out there can help me understand how raising the state...
This almost tops the balloon people.
WHY can no one on these boards spell the word LOSE?!?!?!? It is not "loose"....
Isn't it funny how BYU fans were giving Utah fans crap about only beating...
All terrorists are muslims??? Tell that to the Irish National Liberation...
Scoreboard. Win. We didn't lose the Idaho or SW Baptist. Enough Said.
Anything can be proven or disproven with science! It all depends on what you...
that all the Ute fans have nothing better to do with their lives than hate BYU.
Say what you want, but winning ugly beats losing anytime. They played good...
"three movies it has in the pipeline for next year: "Hot Tub Time Machine,"...
keep it coming utes. We struggle in one game and you clowns jump on the 4th...


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