That’s right, it is that time of the year when the Young Democrats of Utah hold their annual BBQ.  This year, we have teamed up with the Salt Lake County Democratic party to host a Unity BBQ that will bring all of the campaigns together under one big pavilion.

The BBQ will be at Sherwood Park from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. The food is free and the times shall be good.

Sherwood Park is located at 1500 West 400 South in Salt Lake (MAP).  To RSVP, visit the events Facebook page.

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It is that time of year again, you know the one, where the news media will rightfully report the shocking heat wave, rising gas prices, and (one can only hope) single shark attack that will mark the official start of sharkmageddon 2010.

I, for one, welcome the change of pace. Though I am still concerned about the size of Kim Kardashian’s butt and which common household item could kill me if applied to the ear – but that is neither here nor there; what is really important is that the news media will still report the issues that matter most.

Never mind the immigration debate or the environmental disasters taking place in Alaska and the Gulf Coast.  I know it is a bit of a downer to think about how instability in the Middle East may lead to higher energy prices or how domestic terrorism is on the rise. No, no, don’t burden me news media with issues that might actually affect me and my family.

Although, to be fair, I will admit that when news programs talk about these issues, they do a bang-up job of showing flashy graphics and yelling at people who have different view points from those approved by the network.  That does provide some level of entertainment but, come on, SHARKMAGEDDON!

Aw, who am I kidding – I don’t want to watch the news in the first place, TLC has a show about little people who bake cakes and were attacked by killer bees. Now that’s news!

For those of you who did not attend, I can tell you that this was, by far, one of the largest conventions I have seen in years for Salt Lake County, and for good reason. There were no less than three major races up for grabs, and each campaign made it abundantly clear that they expected their supporters to show up in force.

The Young Democrats, too, had a strong showing, and I was impressed that nearly every candidate and lawmaker, from the state on down, took the time to wait and speak to our caucus. I counted at least 35 candidates lining up just to speak to our group. In the end the body chose to endorse Arlyn Bradshaw for County Council District 1, Sim Gill for District Attorney, and Rebecca Chavez-Houck for House District 24. Asside from Bradshaw, both Gill and Chavez-Houck made it out of convention with out much trouble.

And it turns out that that was the big story from the convention. The race between Bradshaw and Cal Noyce would span three votes and two hours – resulting in an eventual primary run that will take place on June 6th. Now, there is a whole blog post in and of itself about why this race will prove interesting and you can expect one coming soon.

The convention was abuzz about the impending decision delegates will have to make regarding House District 2. Both Claudia Wright and Jim Matheson were present, and both were pressing the flesh in an attempt to gain supporters. Wright at the Young Democrats meeting called those (such as myself) who say that she is unelectable “fearmongerers” and that conventioneers should not believe the hype.

I still think that Wright victory is wishful thinking and that I am not so much fearmongering as looking at reality, however I have invited Ashley Anderson, a staunch Wright supporter and political activist, to write on this blog why he feels Wright can win.

Finally, I would like to tell a nice story about Salt Lake County Mayor (and hopefully next Governor of Utah), Peter Corroon. I stepped outside to get some cool air, as tradition seems to be to never turn on the air conditioning at these events, when I spotted Mayor Corroon playing with his two young boys. Encouraging them to work off a little steam after a long day standing around boring adults, he tells them to run from one side of West High’s football field to the other. After returning, one of his children challenge him to another foot race. Sure enough, Mayor Corroon, in full suit and tie mind you, goes running across the field. Now, I am convinced that Corroon threw the race and let his son win (I know, right?), but I think it speaks volumes about his character.

Plus, I would appreciate your vote for Vice President.

Anyone under the age of 36 is considered a “Young Democrat,” so if you meet the criteria, please come join us!

Here is the Facebook Invite.

The Young Democrats are taking applications for various board positions for next year.  All positions, aside from national committeewoman, last for a year.  To apply, click here.

YDU JOB DESCRIPTIONS:

Vice President – - Assists President and Executive Director as needed – Fills role of President when he/she is unavailable – Works with Caucus Chairs in achieving the goals of each caucus – Keeps Caucus Chairs accountable for their goals and duties – Assists and provides coordination between YDU Board and the caucuses – Assists in setting the goals and carrying out action plans of YDU – Oversees production and works with President, Executive Director, Secretary, and Caucus Chairs to develop the YDU quarterly newsletter – Works with Secretary to develop copy for YDU quarterly newsletter

Secretary – - Keeps records and minutes of all meetings and functions of YDU – Emails meeting minutes to all board members within 48 hours of every meeting – Maintains and keeps current the contact list and database of all YDU members – Works with the Caucus Chairs to organize contact lists and maintain charters for each chapter – Responsible for all emails and correspondence to YDU members – Helps Vice President develop copy for newsletter – Maintains charter of YDU with YDA

Treasurer – - Maintains record of all donations and expenditures to YDU – Balances the budget and gives quarterly budget reports to Executive Board – Writes checks for YDU expenses – Works with Executive Director and President on fundraising efforts

Communications Director – - Develops all advertisements for YDU and YDU activities – Designs flyers, posters, and YDU literature – Maintains branding scheme while developing t-shirts, buttons, and other promotional goods – Oversees production of all promotional goods and advertisements – Develops, maintains, and keeps the YDU website current – Works with Secretary to develop press releases and other press related activities, including radio, television, and print media – Distributes all press materials to the media – Works with Executive Director to develop advertisements for YDU activities – Produces layout and production of YDU newsletter

National Committeewoman (Two Year)- – Represents YDU on a national level – Develops relationships with neighboring states and regions – Attends the Young Democrats of America national meetings – Reports on the progress of YDU – Gathers ideas from other states and implements them in Utah – Advocates for the growth of the Democratic Party within Utah – Build coalitions with neighboring states and regions to increase the effort of the Young Democrats.

Caucus Chairs (High School, College, and Young Professionals) – - Represents caucus members on YDU board – Acts as a liaison between YDU Board and local respective caucus chapters – Oversees outreach and recruitment strategies/efforts for the caucus – Assists local caucus chapters with recruitment and membership efforts – Reports to Executive Board of progress within local chapters. These positions will be elected at convention in caucus meetings, there is no need to apply for these positions.

If you do not see anything that interests you, or you are not qualified for these positions YDU still needs your help.
There are many ways to get involved with YDU, and we need your skills. To inquire about an appointed position or other ways to get involved call Justin at 801-824-4073 or come to one of our board meetings every Wednesday at 6:00 PM at State Democratic Headquarters.(board meetings are open to everyone, and all are welcome)

So there you are, minding your own business in, say, your works break room, when you overhear a conversation between two of your fellow coworkers and one of them says something that you know is just blatantly wrong…well, you don’t know if they are blatantly wrong, but by damn it sure sounds like they are!

But, oh no! You know that this guy is probably some liberally educated, latte drinking jerk who has probably taken a debate class or two – he is going to cream you for sure when you inevitably have to attack him what he is saying – after all, it is your First Amendment right to state your opinion even when no one asks for it!

Well never fear, I have compiled this short list of do’s and don’ts to ensure that you beat that snot nose every time.

Don’t:

Think about where the other side is coming from – everyone has the exact same background as you.

Do:

Shout as loudly as you possibly can – more observers will be able to hear what you have to say and, naturally, agree.

Don’t:

Concede a single point, even if mounds of evidence can prove you wrong – “facts” are just what people use when they don’t know the truth!

Do:

Bring into question the personal history of the person you are debating with, even if it has nothing to do with the issue at hand – If someone got a speeding ticket eight years ago, they clearly don’t have the moral fortitude to discuss any issue.

Don’t:

Allow your opponent to use this tactic on you – you were young and naïve, and it is absurd to bring up the past when discussing this issue.

Do:

Cite websites, chain email, and those who are paid to say things on television as legitimate sources – it is fact that the people who write and say things have no reason to lie.

Don’t:

Allow your opponent to cite so-called “legitimate” sources such as critically examined books and newspaper articles – Everyone knows that that is just elitist.

Do:

Try to compress your argument into overly simplistic issues – if it can’t fit on a bumper sticker, it probably isn’t short enough to prove your point.

Don’t:

Acknowledge that complex issues may require complex solutions, sometimes over many years – this is America, dammit! We get things done!

Do:

Blame some other group; preferably one that you already think are gross or taking your job – never acknowledge that your way of life may be part of the problem.

And finally…

Don’t:

Gain any sort of perspective or insight over the debate that just took place – continue to stay close minded and pity that pour soul that just lost the debate for thinking the way they do.

Let us begin with the national perspective. One of the most prevalent rumors surrounding the outgoing Governor was that he intended to run for president in 2012; all the while thinking that he did not have a shot in hell at actually getting the position.  I suspect that President Obama has heard these same rumors but feels that Huntsman is a greater threat.  What better way to block a challenge than to send your potential adversary to the other side of the world?

Now, please don’t get me wrong, I feel that Huntsman is a fantastic choice for ambassador.  His experience serving a mission in Taiwan makes him intimately aware of the tensions involved between those to nations.  Furthermore, I feel that if you come across as diplomatic in the eyes of Democrats and Republicans in Utah, you have to have some skills at keeping the peace. Furthermore, as ambassador to Singapore under Bush Sr. he knows what it takes to get the job done.

But, on that note, lets focus on Utah.

First off, I know that the next election for Governor will be the newly created special election in 2010, however I doubt that a reasonable campaign will be put together by a challenger to unseat Herbert, either from a Republican or Democratic candidate.

Lets focus on the most obvious jumping off point: what happens once Herbert takes office. Governor Herbert’s first official act will be to appoint a new Lieutenant Governor.  Herbert, being far more right that Huntsman and knowing that he can get more done if he tows the party line, will most likely pick another far right conservative.  Now, hailing from American Fork, Herbert can either choose a candidate also from Utah County and risk upsetting Salt Lake and Weber Republicans, or he can choose a candidate from Salt Lake  in an attempt to tow the party line and attempt to make the county Red again and secure a power base for at least the next five years. Obviously I feel that the latter is the route he will go.

Now who is out of work, is far right, has aspirations for higher office, and comes from Salt Lake County? Now I fully admit that I hope I am wrong on this one, but the three names I come up with are former Speaker of the House Greg Curtis, former state Representative and federal office seeker LaVar Christensen, and former Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman.

We now have our Herbert/(insert name here) ticket for 2012; depending on the job he does, Herbert may be challenged internally.  As it stands right now, Huntsman was a formidable opponent, pulling 80 percent of the vote in the 08′ election – I doubt that Herbert could pull those same numbers, and this weakness opens him up to a challenge.  Watch and see if Attorney General Mark Shurtleff accidentally tweets his intention to stop running for U.S. Senate and picks up the gauntlet for Governor.

On the other side, who are the Democrats going to run? The person needs to be a moderate, have statewide name recognition, be plausible, and either is out of work or would be by 2012.  The one name that I keep turning to is Representitive Jim Matheson.  Matheson has, time and time again, proven to be a moderate Democrat on many issues (sometimes upsetting his liberal base), furthermore Jim is well-known across the state for both the work he and his father, former Governor Scott Matheson, have done for the state.  Being a Federal Representative, Matheson as Governor is not a hard sell to make and would be considered a political “step up.”  Now on to my final point, they must be out of work or would be by 2012.

The census is coming up in 2010 with the 2012 election to be the first affected by the inevitable boundary changes taking place.  It is also no secrete that Utah will get a fourth congressional seat. No matter how you cut it, Utah will have one Democratic seat at a minimum (most likely consisting of parts of Salt Lake and Summit County), and this seat will be very liberal. Matheson will, most likely, be cut out of his district and his tactic of being a moderate Democrat will come back to haunt him.  He will be too conservative for the new fourth seat and too liberal for the rest of the state. Result: Matheson probably can’t win in 2012.

What better way to avoid the embarrassment of loosing a seat that you have held for 12 years than to run for Governor? His moderate voice would be a good contrast to Herbert’s probable far-right rhetoric and fill the moderate “hole” that Huntsman creates when he leaves office. To win over more voters, Matheson would need to pick a Democrat that is also well known.  I predict that this means either Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corron, former federal Senate candidate Pete Ashdown, or Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker are put on a short list.

In short, I am saying it now, we will have a Herbert/(insert name here) Matheson/(insert name here) ticket. in 2012.

Next post – how Utah will change with Herbert as Governor.