|
Issues/News>
Cannon faces fired-up folks (SL Tribune)
May 25, 2008
Cannon faces fired-up folks
His opponent lacks funds, but has many energetic supporters
By Sheena McFarland
and Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 05/25/2008 02:27:41 AM MDT
Jennifer Scott's to-do list is slowly shrinking.
As the campaign manager for Jason Chaffetz's challenge
to 3rd District Rep. Chris Cannon, Scott was scrambling to
fulfill all of her duties.
But since Chaffetz came within 10 votes of ousting
Cannon at the Utah Republican Party Convention, she says
volunteers have poured in, offering to help with the
primary campaign.
"So many people want to be involved, it's a challenge
to plug everyone in," said Scott, who is an unpaid
volunteer. "But it takes more work. It's harder than having
paid staff because it's harder to parse up the work of one
paid person among 10 people."
For Chaffetz, who now is facing a June 24 primary with
no paid staff and no money to hire workers, it's his only
choice.
"It's not just about name recognition and money,"
Chaffetz said. "But now we have to leverage our grass-roots
supporters and get them to share our message with others."
Cannon has faced five Republican primaries in what is
now his seventh election. Each time his opponent has either
been unable to compete financially or has self-destructed -
his last challenger suggested Satan was working against
him.
Chaffetz may be just the latest to give Cannon a scare
but then sputter. Or his grass-roots focus and his
continued pummeling of Cannon's record may make this year
different.
"Chaffetz probably will be strapped for money, doesn't have
the name ID with the general public, so history could
certainly repeat itself here," said LaVarr Webb, a
political consultant who ran former Gov. Mike Leavitt's
campaign. "But I do think Chaffetz is a stronger
campaigner. He's not going to make some of the mistakes
that some of the campaigns in the past made."
Cannon dismisses Chaffetz's populist appeal, saying
he's merely tapping into the same group of discontented
voters who latched on to earlier challengers.
"If he beats me, that's how it would be, but I think he
has not created a grass-roots network. There are people who
are very unhappy and have been a growing group," Cannon
said. "It's not like he has a big group of people who are
dedicated to him. He's got a big group of people who want
change."
Chaffetz recognizes that dissatisfaction with Cannon
and Washington drives much of his support.
"The incumbency is a detriment because Cannon is tied
so closely with [President] Bush," he said.
Cannon has received Bush's endorsement and the backing
of Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett.
Chaffetz has the backing from several state
legislators, but his former boss, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., is
staying out of the race.
Chaffetz, who was Huntsman's chief of staff, took a
shot at the governor during the state convention, saying
that "Jon Huntsman, as much as I like you, you're wrong on
global warming. It's a farce."
Huntsman said Thursday he would not respond to the
criticism. "I don't think that returning a cheap shot makes
for a good political dialogue," he said.
But a departure from political tradition is what
Chaffetz says drives his message. "People recognize it's
time for a change, and a change for the better."
Connie Smith, for example, joined Chaffetz's campaign
after being disappointed with the help Cannon's office
provided years ago. Now she is Chaffetz's deputy campaign
manager, one of four mothers who make up his core campaign
team.
She's passionate enough that she canceled a trip to
Morocco with her husband after Chaffetz fell just short at
convention.
"I've worked on this for more than a year," Smith said.
"I couldn't just leave after the convention. It didn't feel
right."
Cannon will have a big advantage in getting his message
out. He has raised about $600,000 for his election campaign
and, while most of that was spent on the convention, his
incumbency makes it easier to replace. Chaffetz ran his
convention campaign on about $60,000.
But Chaffetz's small budget is part of what fuels his
most fervent supporters.
"I want to send a congressman who is beholden to the
people of Utah," said his campaign manager Scott. "I don't
want to send someone who is in debt and has to raise the
money from Washington lobbyists and then has to work to
keep them happy to pay himself back."
Chaffetz realizes wooing nearly 60,000 voters in
District 3 will be more difficult than courting 1,000
delegates at convention. Cannon says reaching those typical
Republican voters will enable him to survive.
"We're going to outwork him with people who actually
care about good government, with people who actually care
about people's past and background and successes," said
Cannon.
"We're going to try to tell people what I've really
done."
smcfarland@sltrib.com
gehrke@sltrib.com
(Tip of the day: Jason's last name is pronounced "Chay-fits")
|
