Jacob Concedes [referendum on immigration issue], Cannon Moves on to General Election

KSL TV ^ | 27 June 2006

[Spiff]

Jacobs Concedes, Cannon Moves on to General Election

June 27th, 2006 @ 11:12pm

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, challenged by a political newcomer who accused the five-term incumbent of being soft on illegal immigration, was leading in Utah's Republican primary Tuesday with more than half of precincts reporting.

Cannon led John Jacob 58 percent to 42 percent, or 19,575 votes to 14,395 votes, with 313 of 623 precincts reporting. That includes 100 percent of returns from Juab, Beaver and Millard counties.

The 3rd Congressional District race focused primarily on who stands taller in opposition to Bush's call for a path to citizenship for some 11 million illegal immigrants.

Cannon voted last December for a House bill that would toughen border security, criminalize people who help illegal immigrants and make being in the U.S. without the required papers a felony. But he also supports Bush's proposal for a guest-worker program and says "there's massive room for negotiation."

Cannon's willingness to compromise made him a target of Team America, a conservative group that calls illegal immigration the most critical problem facing the nation. It spent $40,000 on radio ads criticizing him.

Jacob, a millionaire real-estate developer, favors returning illegal immigrants to their home countries before giving them a shot at U.S. citizenship and punishing businesses for hiring them.

At the state Republican convention last month, Jacob captured 52 percent of the delegate votes while Cannon got 48 percent. Sixty percent was needed to avoid Tuesday's primary.

The winner will face Democrat Christian Burridge, among others, in November in a district that anyone but a Republican has little chance of winning. Bush carried the 3rd District with 77 percent of the vote in 2004.

The sprawling district, which stretches south from Salt Lake County and west to Nevada, is heavily Mormon and predominantly white. Hispanics make up about 10 percent of the population; blacks less than 1 percent.

In 1996, Cannon won the seat, in part by arguing that the Democratic incumbent, U.S. Rep. Bill Orton, was soft on immigration. In 2004, Cannon's actions on the issue prompted conservatives to back Matt Throckmorton, who managed 42 percent in his GOP primary loss.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[BlueAngel]

Good one!! He does seem to have the run of FR along with other forums.

[Wallace T.]

The RINOs are going to gloat because they won this one. I am surprised the usual suspects have not joined Dane in a victory dance. However, when the House of Representatives refuses to pass a de facto amnesty bill, conservatives will have the last laugh. (BTW, I bet that Cannon will cease being an open borders advocate after this primary scare.)

[Zeppelin]

The Civil War example doesn't work either. The North had worse military leadership for a long time. But it was able to change that. Once it did, its superior resources combined with good leadership to win. With inferior resources, the North probably would not have won. At best, it would have had to let the South alone.

The very things you cited as differences are, in fact, supporting parallels.

The leadership (politicians) can be changed if we the people are willing to commit more resources (not just supporting the good candidates financially, but by voting and making ourselves heard every chance we get). I'm a youngin', so I'm kinda new to the political machine, so anyone have any suggestions as to what we can do other than sit on our @$$es typing?

[roofgoat]

And to think this is a so called Conservative site. Reading some of the posts here I would never know that.

Utah deserves its future. And the future I see doesn't look rosy.

[Dog Gone]

I think we all know why Jacob really lost.

[Bikers4Bush]

Agreed with the exception of Cannon ceasing to be an open border advocate.

He owes this win to Jacobs claiming satan had a hand in troubles for his campaign and Bush and company doing the heavy lifting in the end.

Now his political soul belongs to Bush, expect him to be even more of an advocate for the amnesty push.

[Eagles Talon IV]

"Why do most polls underestimate Republican turnout in general elections?"

Because this is the message they want to get out. "Republicans give up, fail to even bother to vote. The rest of you Republicans might as well stay home since you haven't a chance anyway."

[JCEccles]

Just as I said it would, the drive to toss Cannon out on his shamnesty-loving rear end starts anew today. The party faithful I've spoken with are exhilirated and encouraged by the bashing he took this time round, the enormous amount of money from pro-shamnesty businesses he had to use, and the desperate last second intervention by the White House he needed--all to defeat a political neophyte in the most conservative congressional district in the country.

Of course, he'll win the general election. Any Republican candidate in the Third District is a shoo-in. So we're not worried about losing a Republican seat in Congress this November.

Our efforts are now focused on the next cycle. We intend to ensure he is defeated cleanly at the Utah State Republican convention next time round. There will be no primary. Cannon will simply be history.

Cannon has one chance to avoid this fate, and that is to repudiate his pro-shamnesty stance and get back to representing America, not Mexico, in Congress. He will be watched like a hawk, every speech recorded and examined, every meeting with and award from pro-shamnesty groups scrutinized. It will all come back to haunt him like a bad nightmare in two years.

[Wallace T.]

The Mormons settled in Utah before the territory became part of the United States for the purpose of having a land they could call their own. Massive waves of immigration will accomplish what Federal threats in the 19th Century, evangelical missionaries in the 20th Century, and the mainstream culture from the 1960s onward failed to do: to eliminate Utah as a Mormon enclave. Of course, the Mexicans argue that Utah was once Spanish and Mexican territory. (While their claims were recognized by other nations, the Mexican government and their Spanish predecessors had little or no authority in most of what became the Southwest.) Some Mexican nationalists even claim that the Aztecs originated in Utah and migrated southward.

Unless the tidal wave of immigration is stopped, Utah's future is not rosy. Nor is the future of any Western state, Texas and Oklahoma included.

[Dane]

What the anti-Tancredo people should take from this is this:

TWO YEARS AGO THIS WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE BEEN ON THE RADAR

Uh yes it was. Matt Throckmorton made immigration his main issue against Chris Cannon in 2004. He got 42% of the primary vote.

in 2006 John Jacob spends 6 times as much money as Throckmorton and the race generates massive local and some national interest and Jacob get's a whopping 2 percentage point gain.

[who knows what evil?]

Cannon is an open borders puke. The worst of the lot in the US House of Representatives. The clowns in the Mormon church there (Utah) are bizarrely open borders. Their hierarchy promotes it, dittos for the Catholic hierarchy. It's based on body count. How many more warm butts can you get in those church pews.

Amazing how "churches" care more about filling the pews than they do about the thousands upon thousands of Americans killed by illegals since 9/11.

[TSchmereL]

I think you are right.

Cannon is an incumbent and incumbents are extremely difficult to defeat, even in a primary.

The primary was a popularity contest with a political neophyte.

The challenge was serious and it will not just go away.

When Cannon gets to Washington, he will forget about it at his own peril.

The challenge, which has significant support, will return in two years.

[Dane]

LOSERS!

[Dane]

Amazing how "churches" care more about filling the pews than they do about the thousands upon thousands of Americans killed by illegals since 9/11

You need help, IMO.

[kabar]

This election continues to show the power of the immigration issue, even within the Rep party. An incumbent Rep with an ACU rating of 100, the endorsement of the POTUS, and a flawed primary opponent can only muster 55% of the vote.

If the GOP uses the immigration issue properly, it can be a political winner. Cannon went out of his way to say he was tough on illegal immigration. He voted FOR the House bill. He should have won by a lot more.

[McGavin999]

Don't laugh Texasforever. The President of the United States of America had to get involved in a primary race for representative for Pete's sake. That is unheard of!

FGS, President Reagen wouldn't even endorse GHWB, his own VP, in a primary because he said a president had NO business getting involved in a primary.

Last time GW got involved in a primary was Specter, and now Specter is trying to put together an investigation into Bush's "abuse of power".

All in all, this has been a BAD thing and I understand you guys are crowing over the Trancrado Troops, but it's still a bad thing and you guys aren't looking at what all this really means. This isn't a football game, there are things going on that you guys are ignoring while you all celebrate. Cannon is a good guy, he's wrong on immigration, a lot of people stayed home. That is the message you are ignoring.

[Dane]

This election continues to show the power of the immigration issue, even within the Rep party. An incumbent Rep with an ACU rating of 100, the endorsement of the POTUS, and a flawed primary opponent can only muster 55% of the vote.

Uh a 56% vote total is condidered a mild landslide, but go ahead and spin faster than a top.

OH BTW, turnout was very low, despite the massive local publicity that this was a referendum on immigration.

Seems that voters in one of the most conservative districts in the US don't have immigration high on their political radar.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Sally, Have you ever botherd to look up the term "multi-culturalism, or are you a ignorant defender of social marxism?

Speaking of ignorant...

So, rmlew, when did you stop beating your wife?

[Dane]

Just as I said it would, the drive to toss Cannon out on his shamnesty-loving rear end starts anew today. The party faithful I've spoken with are exhilirated and encouraged by the bashing he took this time round, the enormous amount of money from pro-shamnesty businesses he had to use, and the desperate last second intervention by the White House he needed--all to defeat a political neophyte in the most conservative congressional district in the country

[Mo1]

The spin has started

Entertaining .. who brought the popcorn?