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Issues/News>
Immigration key issue in 3rd District
May 17, 2008
Immigration key issue in 3rd District
By Tad Walch
Deseret News
Published: May 17, 2008
Chances are, something about illegal immigration makes you
mad.
One way we know that is a striking exit poll conducted
during the 2006 Republican primary by the Center for the
Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young
University.
Results of the poll showed that 88 percent of voters
thought the issue of illegal immigration was important to
their decision between incumbent Rep. Chris Cannon and
challenger John Jacob in the race of Utah's 3rd District
congressional seat.
June 2006 was awash in national attention about the
Cannon-Jacob contest. Of all the zany ideas, CNN came to
our Orem newsroom to interview me about the race. The whole
thing reminded many people of June 2004, when tons of
out-of-state money from immigration special-interest groups
poured into the campaign coffers of Cannon and his
Republican opponent that year, Matt Throckmorton.
Fast forward to June 2008 and the latest Cannon primary
battle, and the Bush administration and Congress still
haven't managed to do anything to reform immigration in
this country.
That should make all of us mad.
Meanwhile, Cannon's back asking for your vote and facing
yet another primary with a challenger attacking him on
illegal immigration. Cannon has high marks from many
national immigration groups, but challenger Jason Chaffetz,
as was Jacob and Throckmorton, is less compromising.
For example, Chaffetz wants to repeal the right of
citizenship the Constitution provides to every child born
in the United States.
But Chaffetz learned the lesson reflected in the exit poll,
which is that our obvious distress over immigration
problems doesn't make this political race a single-item
referendum.
One quarter of those who voted in that 2006 GOP primary
said illegal immigrants should be required to go home
immediately.
About 40 percent said they should go home but some should
be allowed to remain as guest workers.
That left 31 percent who said most should be allowed to
stay, but only as temporary guest workers, and 5 percent
who felt illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay
permanently.
The hard-liners who wanted to deport everyone voted
overwhelmingly for Jacob. The other three groups voted
overwhelmingly for Cannon.
While opinions obviously may have shifted some over the
past two year — 55 percent of Utahns supported a state law
passed this year to toughen immigration policies — Chaffetz
has established himself as a multiple-issue candidate.
That clearly helped Chaffetz earn a handy victory at the
state Republican convention, but despite the result,
there's no question Cannon is running his most effective
campaign.
He's performed better than ever in debates and at
conventions while his campaign staff has offered customized
information packets on his record to convention delegates.
There also are detailed fliers on his record and strong,
specific responses to attacks by Chaffetz and former
challenger David Leavitt.
One colorful flier touts what it calls 76 benefits Cannon
has provided to the West, to Utah and to his district and
asks voters to check out www.thetruthaboutchriscannon.com
to cut through the "political spin."
For example, Leavitt accused Cannon of being "a voter, not
an influencer" in Congress. The Cannon campaign response
was that Cannon, according to govtrack.us, ranks 30th among
all members of Congress, House and Senate, in passing
legislation since 1993.
On Friday, Cannon's campaign sent out an e-mail to voters
encouraging them to e-mail him, visit his Web site and read
his blog.
"The next few weeks will be busy ones in Congress," he
wrote. "I will not have the luxury of campaigning
full-time."
But he promised to be accessible and said that voters will
see a lot of TV commercials, mailers and e-mails from both
him and Chaffetz.
One item of interest beyond the horse race will be how many
ads will be about illegal immigration and whether
out-of-state immigration groups take a similar interest in
this year's race.
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Utah County Bureau Chief Tad Walch lives with his wife and
their five children in Provo, their home for the past 21
years. E-mail twalch@desnews.com.
© 2008 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved
(Tip of the day: Jason's last name is pronounced "Chay-fits")
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