Deseret News | Guv's departure could tilt Utah further to the right

Reader comments
Pignanelli & Webb: Guv's departure could tilt Utah further to the right

Further? | 12:59 a.m. May 31, 2009

I am amused by the title of this article/editorial. I did not know there was room on the right for Utah to tilt even further.

Many of us around the country are fed up with all the bickering and in-fighting of our leaders. There is in actuality very little difference between the parties and we all waste a huge amount of time arguing rather than unifying to get things done. I also miss some moral guidance from leaders - talk down all the violence, rudeness, abuse of children (pick your topic). This is only done selectively when something happens rather than pro-actively.

Nostradamus | 1:06 a.m. May 31, 2009

Everyone knows that if the republican party doesn't come to center, and chooses this "purity" path of Rush and Newt, then they are going to lose even more power nationally.

If they go far right, then this nation will be ready for a third party- socially moderate and fiscally conservative with balanced ideas on the environment/energy, and foreign policy.

Real Utahn | 1:41 a.m. May 31, 2009

This was one of the most pathetic propaganda...er...articles I have ever read. Puh-leez. Let's see: we get the crazy leftist view from the Democrat, and the nose-in-the-air, unprincipled so-called "moderate (read: leftist) Republican" viewpoint, but nowhere to be found is the opinion of someone who actually believes in principles instead of parties, someone who doesn't fit in the painfully small-minded box that the Deseret News has created for political thought here in Utah.

You know, the people who are hatefully referred to as "right wing" instead of pro-liberty or freedom-loving.

We don't have a voice in the Newspaper world, since all of the major newspapers in Utah are so far left; it's too bad there isn't a newspaper that caters to the worldview of the majority of Utahns. No wonder they are hurting for $!!!

Comments continue below

@Real Utahn | 4:43 a.m. May 31, 2009

"You know, the people who are hatefully referred to as "right wing" instead of pro-liberty or freedom-loving."

Lets not forget that the "LEFT" have no "HATRED" but you'll find many as "HYPOCRITES".

AYE | 6:22 a.m. May 31, 2009

I agree with Nostradamus and the authors. The Neo-Cons definitely need a party of their own and it is past time for a third party in this country. Since they are socially liberal and supposedly fiscally conservative we can call them the Oxymorons.

Self-destructive | 6:39 a.m. May 31, 2009

How in heaven's name can you move farther to the right than Utah?

Efforts to make Utah more right-tilting than it already is will only succeed in further marginalizing state GOP politics and enhancing our state's reputation as a political nut-house.

Dave | 7:38 a.m. May 31, 2009

Awe, and I was hoping Utah could be more like Calif. Mass. and New Jersey. Bankrupt!

Kevin | 7:42 a.m. May 31, 2009

"Far more Utahns label themselves conservative as liberal, and most residents want limited government and maximum freedom. "

Conservatism doesn't mean "limited government" or "maximum freedom." It just means religion.

pro liberty? | 8:28 a.m. May 31, 2009

Free to deregulate and allow banks and hedge funds to rip off Trillions? Freedom loving as in allowing freedom for everyone to marry?

Cosmo | 2:21 p.m. May 31, 2009

Both Webb, Pignanelli, and their families feed at the, "Government/Taxpayer Trough", therefore their so called astute observations have no value, whatsoever. I am disappointed at Deseret News,for thinking that this drivel was useful.

hbg | 4:03 p.m. May 31, 2009

I have been a life long republican and I find that the party no longer represents me. I feel that the Utah Republican Party has been hijacked by individuals that get their views from mass e-mails and talk radio. It is becoming dominated by people how are full of fear and hate. I hope we can get away for the Chris Butters type and demonstrate that we care about people, and get a deeper understanding of principles than you get from pass around e-mails.

Anonymous | 4:08 p.m. May 31, 2009

I have left the Republican Party because I have come to see that we need a two party state and Utah Democrats have good ideas also that need to be heared.

Phantom Panther | 5:44 p.m. May 31, 2009

Who is the "radical right" the "moderates" keep complaining about? From what I can see, if you don't believe in abortion on demand, anything goes sex, government control of pretty much everything (except sex), and that Obama and illegal immigrants are going to save the country, you are a "right wing" nut. Amazing. Why is the anti-God, anti-prayer, anti-traditional family left every accused of being "extreme" and "dangerous?" My guess is because many of these media types are liberal, left of center Democrats who believe "there are no enemies on the left."

huh | 10:39 p.m. May 31, 2009

with Obama tilting far left most Utahns will try to balance by tilting more right than they truly believe merely to compensate

That's Enough | 7:05 a.m. June 1, 2009

Soon as I get my pension I'm out of this state, Governor Huntsman was actually trying to bring Utah into the 21st century! Keep it up Utah, you're just about as appealing as the Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma HILLBILLIES!

More trickery | 8:47 a.m. June 1, 2009

Just as in Bernick's article last week, this one, from Pignanelli and Webb, seems to seek to take Utah ever further LEFT by claiming we are already too far right.

It's complete nonsense. We've had no real conservative lately until Chaffetz. Utah's republican party threw out conservative republican Merril Cook, had a succession of RINO governors (Banggerter, Leavitt, Huntsman) and, like many other State Republican parties have become a bad joke to conservatives who look in vain for representation in their State. Huntsman was far more acceptable to Dems than to conservatives. Likewise Dems are now coming to the aid of Bennett. Hmmmm.

Conservatives are actually forced to go to third party candidates to find someone to champion their cause. Democrat candidates of earlier decades are now more conservative than most of today's repubs.

I hope we will say goodbye and good riddance to Bennett and Hatch, make a state republican party representative of the conservative values it merely purports to embody, replace the party itself if it has become so controlled and corrupt now appears.

Anonymous | 9:13 a.m. June 1, 2009

The Utah GOP is far right extreme. They think being more conservative is the answer, but it is the answer to oblivion. No influence outside Happy Valley. I fearm however, that the Dems will put up a token candidate. Where are the moderate, LDS or semi-LDS Democratic leaders of the past? Politics in Utah have become polarized, and rational thought on both the left and the right has gone out the window. The GOP want nut-case conservatives, and the non-LDS Dems don't want a Mormon leading on their side. Because the GOP is perceived to be the party of the Church, all lose.

Don't Call Me An Extremist | 10:30 a.m. June 1, 2009

Since when do we call a group of concerned citizens extremist conservatives just because they believe that the federal government has (1) grown too large, (2) acted irresponsibly by accumulating debt in trillion-dollar increments, and (3) assumed entitlement liabilities that are unsustainable according to any objective standard? The authors of this column--who I really like but whose judgment I am starting to question--seem to equate having a consistent political ideology (one that seeks only to move the federal government in a direction of sustainability) with extremism. They are sorely mistaken.

Extremist | 1:51 a.m. June 2, 2009

Extremist are the people that claim they're for less government- (unless it's for war, unbridled military spending, gun control, gambling, alcohol, religion in public schools) you claim fiscal responsibility then let the CEO's off with a slap on the hand when they take our bailout money and head for the Bahamas - it's the social issues that seem to over-ride everything which contradicts your motto of LESS GOVERNMENT intrusion, what you claim your party is about is nothing at all what Reagan visioned. Republicans arrogantly claim they are the Patriotic Party and every one else is anti Values, (because we believe in separation of church and state) that's why your party is going down the toilet. Abortion, gay marriage, equal rights, screams of socialism to control health care costs! Every time some kind of regulation is mentioned to control the corruption that has enveloped Capitalism people scream socialism. If capitalist were honest then Reagonomics would have worked, shocker- it never trickled down. Now look where we're at- giving billions to incompetent CEO's and lending a big hand in bankrupting our country

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