Primary race exciting and surprising

By Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb
Published: Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 12:08 a.m. MST
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Pignanelli: Primary election night last Tuesday was a political version of family home evening for our family. After most results had been returned, the Pignanelli children — especially my daughter, Christiana — observed on live television the significant event of a woman capturing the most votes in the highly regarded New Hampshire primary. (During this enjoyable household gathering, one of us was undertaking the domestic duty of sewing, and in true 21st-century fashion, it was me fixing a button on my shirt.) Days before, another significant event in our home was witnessing a person of color winning a major election in a predominantly white Midwestern state. Too bad bigotry prevented my children, possessing a strong Mormon heritage through their mother, from hearing a victory speech from the LDS presidential candidate.

This confusing presidential campaign is important to Utah. Excepting the most hardened partisans, Utahns are proud that our country is continually providing opportunities for a diversity of citizens. Leading to the Feb. 5 primary, Utah Democrats will likely be courted by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. This attention will compel a generational, and heated, contest among local Democrats. Although not delegate rich, a Super Tuesday win in Utah could help establish momentum for many of the remaining candidates. If Mitt Romney is out by then, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani will be here to attract disgruntled Romney supporters. (Will Mike Huckabee ever set foot in the state again?) Romney's performance in this election will impact Utahns' collective psyche for years. The blatant bigotry in Iowa will be long remembered (albeit in the localized passive-aggressive form). But deep inside, most Utahns know that a good portion of Romney's problems and challenges are of his own making. Politicians change their minds all the time, but Romney's fumbling to explain his new principles has been comical and tragic. The deeper wound for locals, however, is Romney's continued rejection of important tenets underlying his faith (i.e., the most recent statement that God has not spoken to anyone since Moses).

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Of course, Romney's reserved demeanor, which he shares with many LDS Americans, is not playing well in this election. When the expected results of the New Hampshire primary are overturned by a few tears, Romney is on notice that he needs to express emotion to perform well in Michigan and other states to survive.

In time, the 2008 primary season may be viewed as an important facet in the always interesting relationship between our community and the rest of the country.

Webb: Don't count Romney out yet. In fact, don't count out any of the top contenders in either party. All of them can paint plausible paths to victory. This race is as wide open and unpredictable as ever.

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