Now I'm Bent Out of Shape

Utah is really a beautiful place to live.  We went to school at the U, moved away, came back, left for a long time, and came back and stayed!  Eleven years this May.  This time of year (February) drives me nuts.  

The legislature is in session, and there is no end of stupidity from them.  The winter started early, was quite cold even in November, and we have had several depressing inversions, with filthy air and no sunshine for weeks on end.  

Now, there is a rumor in the Salt Lake Tribune of a challenger to Jim Matheson, the ONLY Democrat in Utah's Congressional delegation.  And even worse, the last name of the challenger is Romney.  

Josh Romney, son of former presidential contender Mitt Romney, says he's been approached about running for Congress against incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson of Utah. He says he hasn't ruled out the possibility.

Romney's out, but son Josh may run for Congress in Utah

I am sure that the Utah Republicans would love to have a Romney run against Jim Matheson.  Both with well-known family names.  I'm not sure of Josh's current residence status.  

UpDATE:  Josh Romney not only has a myspace page, he claims Utah residence.  In Salt Lake City, nonetheless.  

Being a Democrat in Utah is a tough thing.  Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Moab, and Price are historically Dem-leaning.  Salt Lake City has had a Democratic mayor for around 30 years.  The Utah legislature redistricted UT-02 in 2001, trying to make it more republican.  They used the "reasoning" of "let's make all 3 districts equally urban and equally rural," after the redistricting in Texas ran into legal trouble.  

Jim Matheson is a Blue Dog.  But he's my blue dog.  Sure I'd love to see an even more progressive Dem in this seat.  

In 2002 and 2004, a man named John Swallow ran against Matheson.  He was so conservative, but one of the elections was only decided by 1600 votes.  In 2006, a former state legislator named LaVar Christensen took on the task and also lost.

Mitt Romney won 70% of the Utah Republican Presidential primary.  I know what those national and state Republicans are thinking.  

I am all wound up about this - I've worked myself into a migraine - I feel personally insulted.  I will certainly work for Jim Matheson this fall if there is such a challenger with that famous last name.  I don't even know when the filing deadlines are.  

The republicans could gain 5 seats nationally if all 5 of Mitt's sons ran for office from different states.  AAAUUUGGGHHH!

•  tips for having one dem in utah's delegation

  i need to treat this headache but i'll hang around here.  

  by jlms qkw on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:54:21 PM PDT

•  what a great way to serve his country!

  Better, of course, than joining the Army and serving in Iraq.  And clearly he was such a help getting daddy elected president.

  by bubbanomics on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:57:33 PM PDT

  •  Well, you know...

    he's not serving his country by working on his father's campaign anymore so he needs something to keep the tradition going.

    by nupstateny on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:13:26 PM PDT

•  I understand

  best wishes!  

  by cfk on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:03:01 PM PDT

  •  ha cfk!

    your state has lots of dems in it!

    it's so painful!  

    thx :-)

    by jlms qkw on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:21:13 PM PDT

    •  yes, but we have some very, very bad

      Repubs...Candace Miller springs to mind just to the north of me.

      The Michigan House and Senate have been bad and the House just got a hair over half this last election.  The things they have dreamed up during Engler's tenure and after would curl your hair...sigh.

      by cfk on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 06:04:26 PM PDT

•  the Five Brothers Mobile

  is coming to Utah, oh noes!  This would be a tough one for us.  I wonder if they will bring that   Fortunately, Matheson has a famous name (for Utah) too.

  by mcfly on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:06:29 PM PDT

  •  but there's not a matheson

    that had 70% of any vote.  is there ?

    by jlms qkw on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:14:24 PM PDT

•  I hope you feel better soon. ((HUG))

  

  Actually, I can't chase the nightmare away but I hope it's the thought that counts. We're still living in our gerrymandered Republican nightmare here in Texas.

  * sigh *

  "They're all crazy. They're all crazy except you and me. Sometimes I have me doubts about you." -- Garrett Fort

  by Spathiphyllum on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:09:40 PM PDT

  •  wow! what a powerful pootie!

    i'll keep this one around.

    by jlms qkw on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:18:12 PM PDT

•  This here Utahn

  will keep right on voting for Matheson.  We usually do OK here in the 02, even with redistricting.  Cheer up; we'll just all work that much harder on his campaign.

  by middleagedhousewife on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:15:52 PM PDT

  •  remember before matheson though?

    cook had a temporary insane hold on the 02.  so much of rural utah in it now.

    at least matheson does great work for the state.  

    by jlms qkw on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:18:56 PM PDT

    •  Yup,

      and then there was the Enid Green fun and games.

      by middleagedhousewife on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:27:43 PM PDT

    •  I'm sure my sister and her husband...

      ...who moved to Park City from Santa Monica will vote for Matheson.  I'm not sure about my mom, who splits her time between Calfornia and Utah and may still be registered in California.

      As for your comment about rural Utah, I can see what you mean just by looking at the map.  All of Dixie is in the district.  I'm sure Cedar City and St. George will vote for Romney, making it more difficult for any Democrat.

      by Neon Vincent on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:03:52 PM PDT

      •  thx for the link!

        the old district lines were much more dem-favorable, how that EVER happened i'll never understand.  

        by jlms qkw on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:11:20 PM PDT

        •  Who draws the boundaries in Utah?

          If it's the State Legislature, I can certainly see that the GOP majority would want to eliminate Democratic representation in Congress by redistricting.

          BTW, the real fun will begin in 2010-2011, when the next Census results come in and Utah is likely to get a fourth representative.  Let's see if SLC gets divided four ways instead of just three.

          by Neon Vincent on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:27:44 PM PDT

          •  yes: state legislature

            there are rumors of national repub fiddling though.  

            an early proposal was floated for the fourth seat to be a "guaranteed dem" - in which case matheson could very well be primaried out by a true progressive.  

            there was speculation that Rocky Anderson might run in that scenario, however, he did a couple interviews near the end of his term and ruled that out.  something about not wanting to be one of 435 reps when he'd already been the mayor of a capital city.  

            by jlms qkw on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 05:32:47 PM PDT

            •  Yeah, I remember that deal.

              Increase the size of the House of Representatives to 437 and give one seat each to Utah and D.C.  I liked it, but the GOP scoffed, as they were pretty sure that Utah would get that seat anyway after 2010.

              by Neon Vincent on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 05:56:49 PM PDT

            •  redistricting rules

              Does anyone have any idea about whether or not redistricting rules can be changed by referendum in Utah?

              It might be worth trying to get a referendum call underway to move to a non-partisan system like the one used in Iowa.

              by ragged claws scuttling on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 11:42:55 PM PDT

              •  i'll check on this

                but i don't have great hope.

                this is the state that passed marriage discrimination by 70%+ in a referendum.  

                but still, thx for the idea.

                progressive utahns unite!

                by jlms qkw on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 06:46:33 AM PDT

                •  Talk about timing...

                  today's Salt Lake Tribune has a letter to the editor about the issue.  Apparently Rep. Roz McGee has a bill proposing it that is dying in committee.  I'll try to find out more info -- maybe diary it.

                  by ragged claws scuttling on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 01:21:58 PM PDT

                  •  thanks! i'll look at that too.

                    oh and i was so wrong, i should edit my diary.

                    romney had 90% of the repub vote.  eeek.  this laptop is a pain in the butt to use.

                    roz mcgee is MY rep!  

                    by jlms qkw on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 02:16:10 PM PDT

•  Oh, crap

  Please don't make me campaign for Matheson.  I hold my nose each time I vote for him.  Which was kind of fun in the last election as the our new Diebold   machines don't have booths (they don't have any integrity, either, but that's a different story) and everyone can see when you hold you nose.  In Moab they know who you're voting for when you do that.  One year I actually did vote Green, but that election was so close that the next time I just couldn't.

  by sombra on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:10:25 PM PDT

  •  honestly

    i keep wishing for a more progressive, true dem to run.  better a blue dog than a repub.  it's hard.  

    by jlms qkw on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:12:20 PM PDT

•  my conresscritter

  is the idiot son-in-law of the guy who owned Clear Channel. The district was drwan with the Travis county boundary around the back side of his mansion.

  We're trying to replace him with a good, progressive Democrat. But one thing - when I was house hunting, I ran my current address through Vote Smart, to make sure I stayed in Doggett's district, and it was wrong. If either of the Democratic candidates wins in my current district, we'll have a really cool representative. But, Lloyd Doggett is the best, and has been my friend for 25 years. I'd really rather live in his district, and be helping my unfortunate neighbors win CD10.

  by anotherdemocrat on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 06:00:06 PM PDT