So Howard Dean is going to be in my state soon, to register voters

[Zioneer]

http://deanutah.eventbrite.com/

Pretty awesome. If he (and his group, and volunteers) can register 40,000 people to vote, that'd turn the tide of a lot of legislature races. Many of them were lost by less than 1,000 votes. Imagine a Utah that doesn't have a Republican super-majority...

[RedSLC]

Awesome! My dad works at the SLCC campus where he's going to be, too!

[Zioneer]

Awesome! My dad works at the SLCC campus where he's going to be, too!

Oh cool, I've gone to classes at that campus (now I usually just go to the Jordan campus though). I kind of want to ask what your dad teaches, but I wouldn't want to pry.

In any case, just look at the results of Utah legislative races on Ballotpedia, and it's easy to see at least 10 races that were won by less than 1,500 votes.

[barfbag]

I hope he never comes to my town. Although, I would have a meal or go drinking with him to discuss the issues of our time.

[RedSLC]

Awesome! My dad works at the SLCC campus where he's going to be, too!

Oh cool, I've gone to classes at that campus (now I usually just go to the Jordan campus though). I kind of want to ask what your dad teaches, but I wouldn't want to pry.

In any case, just look at the results of Utah legislative races on Ballotpedia, and it's easy to see at least 10 races that were won by less than 1,500 votes.

He's a physics teacher.

[Zioneer]

Awesome! My dad works at the SLCC campus where he's going to be, too!

Oh cool, I've gone to classes at that campus (now I usually just go to the Jordan campus though). I kind of want to ask what your dad teaches, but I wouldn't want to pry.

In any case, just look at the results of Utah legislative races on Ballotpedia, and it's easy to see at least 10 races that were won by less than 1,500 votes.

He's a physics teacher.

Ah, never had his class, then. Only history, computer tech, and three others that I can't remember at the moment.

But going back to the original topic again, someone should do a list of Republican legislators who could be beaten as a result of 40,000 new voters (who would be primarily Democratic) in Salt Lake and Weber counties, which is where it sounds like Howard Dean's effort is going to be primarily based.

[badgate]

For some reason this makes me think of his impromptu rally in Idaho ten years ago

[© tweed]

convert him to LDS you get +5000 YaBB God points

[Zioneer]

convert him to LDS you get +5000 YaBB God points

There's a internet caption about the 2012 election that I can't find the photo for, but the joke goes something like this:

Obama: Hey Mitt, I've decided that it's time for a Mormon President.
Romney: Great! when do I star-
Obama: My baptism is on Friday.
*last photo is of Obama grinning combined with Romney looking down and frowning*

Also, thanks, but no thanks; we've already got the most powerful senator in America, even if he is kinda terrible.

[© tweed]

Faith and Worldly Authority are Incompatible.  Leave the Church

[RedSLC]

convert him to LDS you get +5000 YaBB God points

There's a internet caption about the 2012 election that I can't find the photo for, but the joke goes something like this:

Obama: Hey Mitt, I've decided that it's time for a Mormon President.
Romney: Great! when do I star-
Obama: My baptism is on Friday.
*last photo is of Obama grinning combined with Romney looking down and frowning*

Also, thanks, but no thanks; we've already got the most powerful senator in America, even if he is kinda terrible.

If the republicans actually do retake the senate, he's in line to become President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

[Zioneer]

As a side note, I'm working on a Daily Kos post detailing what Utah Democrats could win with 40,000 new votes, and I'm unsure on how to allocate those votes. I've narrowed it down to Salt Lake and Weber counties, since that is where the bulk of the action is going to be, but I'm unsure of how to allocate votes within the counties, and which districts should/would get x amount of votes. Anyone have a suggestion?

[Zioneer]

Just went to the Howard Dean event I mentioned here; it was pretty awesome. Dean and the state party seem serious about registering at least 40,000 new Democratic-leaning voters.

[barfbag]

I don't think Dean is going to put a dent into Utah.

[morgieb]

I don't think Dean is going to put a dent into Utah.

Might help in SLC-specific races though.

Anyway, the 50-state strategy is not to win every state, but have groundwork in every state so that they can win legislative races at the state and federal level.

With that said, I'd choose another state over Utah.

[Zioneer]

I don't think Dean is going to put a dent into Utah.

Might help in SLC-specific races though.

Anyway, the 50-state strategy is not to win every state, but have groundwork in every state so that they can win legislative races at the state and federal level.

With that said, I'd choose another state over Utah.

I've heard that part of why they chose Utah is to keep the Utah volunteers out of Colorado, Arizona, and so forth.

But the fact is that we (the Utah Democrats) could break the Republican super-majority in the state house (and possibly the state senate) fairly easily if we tried, even if they'd still have a strong majority. 4 GOP-won races were won by less than 500 votes, and 8 were won by less than 1,000 votes. With 40,000 new voters, we could win far more than that. Matheson for example, could give the Republicans the finger forever if he had even just 20,000 new votes. And we'd never lose a countywide race in SL County again.

During the campaign kickoff, Dean and the state party leaders mentioned that something like 800,000 possible voters were not registered in Utah, and while about half would never vote, of the unregistered that might vote, supposedly 2 out of 3 (or 64%, depending on who was speaking during the event) could be persuaded to vote Democratic. They also mentioned 108,000 progressive-leaning voters that would be Democratic but just see no point in voting in Utah. I have no idea where they got the numbers from, but even if we get half of those numbers, Utah Dems will be looking pretty good.