Comments about ‘Poll: Sen. Orrin Hatch maintains lead over Dan Liljenquist in GOP primary’

All I can say is, it ain't over 'til it's over, and that is why elections are decided in the voting booth and not by polls.

Liljenquist your biggest problem is name recognition. People do recognize you!!!

Well, so much for that bluster from all the Hatch-bashers on how they were going to put this old fossil out to pasture. It doesn't look too good for Scott Howell either.

These poll numbers over both Liljenquist and Howell are not much different than the poll taken back in April that showed Hatch with the same commanding lead (>60%).

This contest is over - Hatch is going back to the Senate.

Last Utah General Legislative Session for 2011, I remember seeing bill after bill sponsored by Sen. Dan Liljenquist pass the house. I was amazed at the respect he and the bills had. I was amazed at how both republicans and democrats voted for them.

For example, his 2011 SB 180 Medicaid Reform bill passed both houses with no votes against it from either party and was signed by the Governor.

With at least 7 bills, both the house and senate, both republicans and democrats all voted for the reforms Senator Dan Liljenquist proposed. In all, 9 of his bills were signed by the Governor.

We need that in Washington DC. These are the same areas that are bankrupting our nation. Again, we need Dan Liljenquist in Washington DC. Yes, we have a US Senator with 35 years of seniority, but remember that in 2011, Senator Dan Liljenquist was still in his first 4 year term. He did it without seniority.

in 2008, Jason Chaffetz beat 12 year incumbent Chris Cannon 60/40 in the prmary with Rep. Cannon endorsed by Pres. Bush and the 1st lady, Mitt Romney, Sen. Hatch and Bennett.

When Jason Chaffetz won the nominee, the endorsers backed Jason.

If Utah decides it doesn’t want a 42 year incumbent US Senator, no endorsement or campaign stop is going to help Sen. Hatch.

Can't say enough times how important that we keep Hatch in place for another term, he is the only threat to Obama and his spending us into oblivion.

We need Hatch to help save the United States from Socialist government and oppression and loss of more income to the American workers.

Same approach, same results. This is not the change needed in this country.

It time to step up and RETIRE Liljenquist from Utah politics. We do not need Liljenquist repreenting Utah on any level. Just say No to Liljenquist!

@aceroinox & Utah_1,

Overcome a 28 point spread in the poll TWO days before the election?

It is not gonna happen - that is reality.

The primary race between Hatch and Liljenquist is a race to pick the least worse candidate, because neither of them would well serve the people of the United States and neither Hatch nor Liljenquist would well represent the state of Utah. In this primary election, based on their records and positions and supporters and endorsers, Hatch is the least worse. Therefore, in the primary election, I will be voting for the best interest of the United States and the state of Utah by casting a vote for Hatch. I will not really be voting FOR Hatch nor will I ever support Hatch; I will just be voting to keep Liljenquist from causing the same harm to the people of the United States that he caused the people of Utah when he was in the state legislature.

Re: Furry1993 Clearfield, UT
"The primary race between Hatch and Liljenquist is a race to pick the least worse candidate ..."

When the Democratic party decide to drop the abortion on demand plank from their platform then, and only then, will they gain traction in a state that places value on the lives of the innocent unborn.

Meantime the chances of Hatch winning the general election in November are 100%.

About Scott Howell, those are GOP primary voters. 30% of the GOP will support Howell in the general election, not including democrats and independents. Hatch isn't as safe as he thinks.

Sorry Dan but you lost this election when you went on the attack against Police, Fire, Teachers and every other state worker. The minute you decided to wipe out the retirement plan for these professions, you made it impossible for yourself to get elected. You took advantage of a couple of bad years in the economy to wipe out the best managed pension plan in the USA and patted yourself on the back for doing so.

The officers and teachers can only take so much. Time for the rest of the legislature to take notice.

This is a win / win. Hatch goes back as the Finance chair and Liljenquist can't mess up the state of Utah anymore.

God bless the USA!

@ My2Cents I've heard this argument from Hatch supporters for months now, and it is utter nonsense. Hatch is going to save us from Obama? Why hasn't he been doing that then? Hatch panders to Democrats more often that not. Hatch is a big part of the problem. He hasn't done much in the way of conservatism during his last two terms, and won't offer any conservative solutions during what will hopefully be his last, assuming the people of Utah are blind and ignorant enough to send him back again.

Every time Hatch is up for re-election, he threatens voters with Hill Air Force Base, and pontificates on all the reasons we should send him back. Then, once we do, it is back to business as usual. He ignores us and nothing beneficial ever gets done. This next term, he'll be a lame duck senator. So yes, let's all vote for Hatch again because he's done so much for us during his last two terms, and without the threat of being booted out next time, I'm sure he'll do a fabulous job.

@ Furry1993 I agree with your assessment of the situation right up until you say you'll vote for Hatch. Neither candidate is a great choice, but at least you can hold Dan's feet to the fire with threats of withholding your vote next time around. Hatch has already proven he doesn't care about the people of Utah, and I'm absolutely positive that his apathy will only get worse once the worry of re-election is no longer hanging over him.

@howard12,

No, Howard, they are NOT just GOP numbers who would vote for Howell. This latest poll mirrors a poll taken back in January (by Election 2006) of ALL voters in just a race between Hatch and Howell. It was 62% for Hatch, 31% for Howell.

@Clinton,

I'm sorry Clinton, but this race is over – Hatch is going back to the Senate.

It is amazing to see Dan make the comment that Senator Hatch is outspending him 10 to 1 but Dan doesn't mention the money the PACs have spent against Hatch for months, prior to the convention and since then. Those PACs spent so much and thought they could beat Hatch as they did Bennett two years ago in the Convention. Dan would either have won in the convention or still had a primary and would still be out there. He has definitely benefitted by the PACs against Hatch. However, when the Chamber of Commerce and businesses support Hatch because of his Conservative votes over 36-years, that means that Dan may be further right or even left where those two PACs don't want to tread. Hopefully, voters will go with someone they can trust as they have for 36-years.

Let's save ourselves the cost of a primary and move on to the general election.

Given sufficient name recognition and unprecedented levels of spending for a primary, I guess it is true that you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time.

Hatch has been fooling us for maybe 12 of the last 36 years, but as a very good politician (and that is faint praise, indeed) he will probably fool us again.

I will proudly vote for Dan Liljenquist, and wait to see the actual votes counted.

And, given Hatch's superannuated age, perhaps Liljenquist would be a good replacement if Hatch expires before his term does.

Our country needs real change in Washington to cut spending, repeal Obamacare, and free up the economy. Hatch is too firmly entrenched with his good old "friends across the aisle" to do any of that, so he really is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

"What do you call a Senator who has been in office for 18 years? You call him home!"-- Orrin Hatch 1976. That should go double for one who has been there for 36 years!

At Hatch's age maybe God will be the ultimate arbitrator! Hatch represents all thats wrong with our government, it was never intended to be a life long career. He's been there since our national debt was $54.5 billion.