GOP Convention Draws Big CrowdApril 26th, 2009 | Comments Off | Posted in Jason Chaffetz, Republican Convention, Republican Party, Utah
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The Daily Herald reports that an overflow crowd of Republicans attended a county convention in Utah yesterday and the speakers whipped up an enthusiastic crowd of partisans ready to help their party take back Congress in 2010.
~~John Cronin~~
Joe Pyrah - Daily Herald
There was plenty of red meat for the core of the reddest county in the reddest state to chew on Saturday.
“Welcome fellow terrorists!” belted out U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, referencing a recent Department of Homeland Security Report that warned of “right-wing extremism.”
The county’s organizing convention drew nearly double what it has the three previous years for a number of reasons. Much of the party’s leadership was stepping down leaving elections wide-open, and the party base has been riled up by the so-called “tea parties” and fears of creeping socialism.
Chaffetz, a first-term representative, got a standing ovation and berated President Barack Obama for making stops around the world and “apologizing for being a military and economic superpower.”
Party leaders
The race for party leadership was close in most cases, but none so close as the vice chairman position which was decided by just 10 votes of 820 cast. Mark Cluff held off Lowell Nelson to retain that seat.
Taylor Oldroyd will be the party’s chairman for the next two years after besting Steve Diamond 440-391. Oldroyd said that leaders need to “energetically articulate that we are the party of ideas.”
Lisa Shepherd was selected as party secretary after defeating Matt Thompson, who was endorsed by all the county’s elected officials.
“First, when I’m the secretary, I’m going to schedule a larger venue,” Shepherd said to the packed house.
Lynn Taylor beat Ben Smith for the treasurer’s seat 592-236.
Fire it up
Chaffetz wasn’t the only one to hammer at Democrats and the Obama administration.
Sen. Bob Bennett warned of the president’s socialism and those who have “embraced their attractive new president as an individual” though maybe not his policies.
He struck a somber cord, citing recent polls that show the majority of Americans believe the country is on the right track for the first time in more than five years.
“I don’t think that’s the sentiment here today,” he said. “But we must face that reality.”
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said Republicans need to be like Paul Revere after the original tea party. Instead of running and hiding, Revere went door to door warning colonists of the coming trouble.
Ronald Reagan Award
Former U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon was given the party’s Ronald Reagan Award.
Cannon, defeated by Rep. Jason Chaffetz in 2008, was honored for his “unwavering love of his God, family and country,” said outgoing party chairwoman Marian Monnahan.
Cannon took the opportunity to warn Republicans against demonizing people and said that he would be working to find ways to create civil dialogue to debate ideas.
“Congress is a complex place, America is a complex place,” Cannon said. “We have to stop assassinating characters and start talking about what we believe.”
