A document widely circulated in these parts states that it is not common for the voice of the people to choose that which is not right. I feel that particular nugget of wisdom was vindicated yesterday—at least in Utah’s Second District.
Ironically, those who worked hardest to smear Jim Matheson in the past few weeks had a friend in Matheson on the two issues that mattered most to them. Mr. Kirkham, the Tea Party and others who helped defeat Senator Bennett had two main issues: TARP and healthcare. And yet these ideologues, (who ostensibly focused on issues, not party affiliation), suddenly zeroed in on Jim Matheson in the final weeks of the campaign. That’s ironic since Jim Matheson voted against TARP and against Obama’s Health Bill! A few days ago I heard David Kirkham on the radio saying he is starting to make peace with Senator Hatch but he then used most of his time to attack Matheson on non-substantive, vague issues like being “Pelosi’s puppet”. One must assume that there will always be some who just can’t get over the “D” label.
Critics of Jim Matheson said over and over that Jim was Nancy Pelosi’s “puppet”. This charge was the exact same talking point used by Republicans challenging Blue Dog Democrats nationwide. Hmm…when a candidate does nothing but regurgitate NRCC talking points, who’s the real puppet?
The problem is that most of these critics can’t name a vote where Pelosi and Matheson voted together and actually criticize that vote on the merits. I did not hear a single ad or statement by a Philpot backer explaining how Matheson and Pelosi were together on a substantive issue. On the substantive issues that riled Republicans the most: TARP, Obama’s health care bill, bailouts and cap and trade, Jim Matheson voted with the Republicans! That's why Morgan Philpot, David Kirkham, Barbara Baker and the dudes on FM 105.7 never brought up the specifics or they would have lost even more Republican votes to Jim Matheson. Instead they attacked Jim’s patriotism and implied he had "taken away our freedoms". Baloney. I ask them to name one “freedom” Jim Matheson has voted against. Freedom of speech? Nope. How about the freedoms of religion, assembly or right to bear arms? Nope. As of Tuesday I still had my greatest American freedom: the right to vote. And I used it to cast a vote for my favorite Congressman: Jim Matheson.
Barbara Baker’s ad against Matheson made me sad. Every American cherishes his or her Patriot heritage from the Revolutionary War. One of my forbears was a Minuteman in that conflict. To state that “freedom is again under attack”, allude to the American Revolution, and then accuse Matheson and those who support him of being against “freedom” is ludicrous. I strongly disagree with many of my friends and neighbors but I have never likened them to Tories in the Revolutionary War, let alone Communists or Fascists. Such accusations are not helpful to voters trying to make decisions on the merits. And again: Baker, Kirkham, Philpot and Co. failed to show us just how Matheson was the bad guy. They could never produce specifics because the real specifics undermined their own cause.
Utah is a great state and we abhor negative campaigns. I hope Utah will continue to produce public servants like Olene Walker, Bill Orton, Scott Matheson, Wallace & Bob Bennett and Wayne Owens. These are public servants that have brought us respect nationwide. Jim Matheson is one of them.
The far left dislikes Jim just as much as the far right and that is fine with me. Go Jim Matheson!
Mormon Archipelago
