From Deseret News archives:
17 hope they're 'write'
Considering his wave of success and popularity, Urban Meyer's name might get scribbled on some ballots for president as well — perhaps from University of Utah fans who revere their sideline general or from BYU faithful who'd love nothing more than for CUN ("Coach Up North") to get a job somewhere else.
The celebrity characters can't win, of course. But not because they aren't qualified — some might argue they're overqualified. It's just that they didn't officially file their declaration of candidacy for federal or multicounty office with Utah's lieutenant governor before last week's deadline.
But voters who aren't ga-ga over the printed candidates on the ballot still have choices.
For instance, Utah voters officially could select John Kennedy or a woman from the Beehive State as their next U.S. president. They could vote for Cody Judy — infamous for making a false bomb threat at a fireside while standing next to eventual LDS Church President Howard W. Hunter — for U.S. senator.
Or they could bypass the famous wealthy sons and choose a man named Stoney as Utah's next governor. His last name is Fonua, by the way, not to be confused with the 1st Congressional District write-in candidate named Finau (Vena).
All told, 17 candidates applied to Lt. Gov. Gayle McKeachnie to have their write-in votes count, including nine for U.S. president (three Utahns and John Joseph Kennedy of Atlanta were in that group) and four for U.S. Congress seats.
That despite the fact a write-in hopeful has never won a major race in Utah. Dozens have made office the write-in way, but they were for small-county sheriffs, city and town councils, local school boards and one mayor who was clueless he was being voted for until after he won.
Still, Judy, the best known of the write-ins now that Ivory found a home on Salt Lake County ballots, is optimistically campaigning with the theme "Write in a candidate who's right on!" (Democratic State Convention attendees felt otherwise. Paul Van Dam received the party's bid with 98 percent support. Judy only got 38 votes.)
The former prisoner recently asked Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen to place all write-in candidates on the ballots. For him, it makes "economi— cal and ethical sense." But that won't happen, despite his claim it would save money in the counting process (manually done for write-ins) and it would avoid discrimination by including "all the parties" (including self-called "independent Democrats" like him).
After campaigning in all 29 counties and spending oodles on 300 radio ads and 15 TV commercials (more than either mainstream candidate), Judy says bad odds don't bother him.
"I don't consider myself a long shot," he said.
But, he admits, relying on voters to make extra efforts of writing your name or carrying a sticker to put on the envelope "does put you at a disadvantage. It's just one more step people in the fast-food age don't want to have to do. That's a real arduous task to accomplish as a candidate."
Especially since Goofy's name is so much easier to remember how to spell.
E-mail: jody@desnews.com
