Find Marko

Mark Crocket Campaigning in Tampa

Finding Mark Crockett is something like that old game, "Find Waldo." Parades come and go, festivals happen, radio appearances are scheduled, but where's Marko? It would be easy to assume he's hiding out at his campaign headquarters, except he has no campaign headquarters. 

So where is he?

He's a stealth candidate, hoping to find a place in Mitt Romney's suit pocket, believing a vote for Mitt will be a vote for him. Unfortunately, I don't have access to Mitt's person, so I have no photo of Marko staring up from the darkness of that pocket. But I have the next best thing, a photo from Tampa.

Recently I received word that Marko is stalking Mitt at the Republican convention. Normally, a candidate for county mayor sixty days before the election would be looking for votes in Salt Lake County. That's because it would be easy to assume that most of the Republican Delegation will vote for him.  (Though his popularity with the Utah Republicans who know him best is suspect.) 

So why is Marko in Tampa?

Silly you, because a convention center in Tampa is as close as he can get to Romney's suit pocket. That consideration is the one and only pillar of his campaign strategy. 

......

A while back I used this blog to ask the question, why do people like Ben run for public office, and why do so many quality people attach themselves to his campaign? My answer back then was that they were effectively crazy; all of them born without that essential human characteristic called "self interest."

Now I'm not so sure.

Recently I discovered that the campaign had a acquired a red school bus from Afton Wyoming. 

A red school bus?

Yes, Justin, our campaign manager, and Joey, or finance director, drove up to a remote village in Wyoming, bought a bus for a song, and then drove it back to our campaign headquarters. 

Men reading this blog will identify with the glorious wonder of that ridiculous mission. All of us have a gene requiring us to do immature things with immense enthusiasm. (I remember bringing home a ruined 1949 GMC pickup and being astounded when my wife didn't see its potential.) 

Only in political campaigns can a man have "cover" for this kind of escapade. Imagine Ben walking in his front door and casually remarking to Julie, "Hey hon, I picked up an old red school bus. It's sitting in the drive way." 

Yes, like that's ever going to happen. My marriage didn't survive a '49 GMC pickup, so what marriage would survive an old red school bus?

But in a political campaign Ben can waltz in the front door and say, "Julie, the campaign just bought an old red school bus," and she's likely to respond with little more than a raised eyebrow. 

Ahhh, now I fully appreciate the appeal of a political campaign, and understand why most candidates are men. 

The Absence of A Common Touch

Stacee Adams at The Magna Art Festival
Sitting Next to a Handsome Guy Who is Not Me

This past weekend, along with Stacee Adams, I staffed the McAdams booth at the Magna Art Festival. Unsurprisingly, Mark Crockett had no similar presence. Long ago I've come to believe he would be a no-show at his own family reunion. 

However, there was a fellow on Main Street wearing a blue "Mark Crockett For Mayor" tee shirt. Repeatedly he marched up and down the promenade as if his mission was a solitary show of support. 

Eventurally, on perhaps his tenth transit, he found Stacee and I unoccupied by the presence of Ben, Peter Caroon, Sue Duckworth or a stream of visitors. So he walked over to pay a visit. 

His demeanor was friendly, and I guessed that his pause might be motivated as much by a need for company, as it was a need for rest. 

Stacee and I both smiled, but we let him begin the conversation. "You know," he said, "I wouldn't be all that disappointed if Ben McAdams won this election."

It was an odd way for this blue sentinel of support to say, "Hello." 

It left Stacee and I searching for a way to reciprocate. For us, a McAdams loss to Crockett would be like the loss of eyesight. Eventually, one of us congratulated the Crockett campaign for the use of a pleasing shade of blue, and we left it at that. 

Once he had left, Stacee and I looked at each other mystified. I remarked, "If he's a Crockett groupee, they're in trouble." 

.......

There's a new Mark Crockett page on Facebook. This one is called the, "Mark Crockett for Mayor Open Group."

Mark Crockett, the kind of guy whose dog might divorce him, now has three Facebook pages. (Not in his worst nightmare did he ever think this might happen.)

I gave it a reading, and given its level of participation that took three minutes. 

Let me share some typical postings… 

Zach Wellman: Can you verify Mark Crockett reads this page and responds to voters? So far he has been MIA from his own Facebook profile.

Tifanie Webber Pulley:...I agree we should do much better in getting answers to questions that are posed on here... 

Drew Chamberlain UTgopSec: The number on the website goes to Randy (O'Hara, the campaign manager) and he does not return calls yet (10 days). Mark has no direct number. Does anyone know how to contact Mark Crockett? I really want to help his campaign. He needs to win

I wonder, does this occur to them: if all they want is to offer help, and he's this hard to get in touch with, how will they get his attention if he's mayor?  

Crockett's Response

Today Mark Crockett answered Mayor Peter Caroon's op-ed piece in the Trib.

Caroon's article was titled, "Get Your Facts Straight." It was a point by point critique of Crockett's repeated assertion that the County was $2b in debt and the budget was out of control. The mayor's defense of county stewardship made the same points Crockett heard from disgruntled Republicans on the county council.

Virtually every informed observer found Crockett's allegations mystifying. Many found them aggravating.

Now he's answered these criticisms, mostly by not answering them at all.

Caroon originally argued that the county's superior credit rating was so strong that Salt Lake County could borrow money at the most favorable rates. And he quoted Moody's forecast that, "…the county's debt profile will remain favorable given a low debt burden (which is) modest and below the national medians for AAA-rated counties."

Crockett's response? "Just because Salt Lake County can borrow money doesn’t mean we should."

What happened to his bold assertion that the county was heading for fiscal armageddon? And where, exactly, did Caroon argue that the county should be in the business of borrowing vast sums of money?

In other words, Crockett's reply was to an argument Caroon never offered. Which made Crockett's response little more than a stipulation to the facts as offered by the current and quite popular mayor.

However, Crockett did make one good point. He said that, "People should be given the opportunity to prioritize which projects are most important for their tax dollars."

Indeed they should, and they do that by expressing their opinion in a forum called elections. They put their trust in political leaders who demonstrate good judgement, a willingness to listen, and a fondness for the facts.

By those criteria, Mark Crockett has not made a good argument for his own selection.

Ben's Rebellion

If you're a Ben follower you've probably received news of his recent PoliticIT score. PoliticIT is a service that correlates a politician's following in internet social media with his likelihood of being elected. According to them Ben's level of online activity versus Crockett is 78 to 22.

Virtually every race they follow shows a tighter margin between the two candidates. If PolitcIT's advertised record of predicting the winner in 87% of the races is credible, it would seen the election is in the bag.  

Yes, that score does give me a nice warm feeling inside. Especially since the blog I write, and the Facebook activity it generates, both contribute to Ben's online advantage.

The rational side of my nature, however, is more reserved on its significance. There is just too much we don't know about Ben's online following, or the online following of any politician. We don't know who these followers are demographically, or anything about their voting behavior.

For instance, I have top-line information about the readers of McAdams Apple. So I know there are a dozen people in Russia who read it regularly. Is their interest relevant to Ben's chances of winning the election? Maybe, but that correlation isn't entirely clear to me.

(If you're interested in a third party evaluation of PoliticIT I'd recommend The Political Omnivore.)

............

The "Yeah, he's different" billboard campaign has achieved a lot of notice. It features the juxtaposition of two seemingly incongruous facts about Ben. There are a variety of tag-lines: "Eagle Scout, Not Eagle Forum," "Democratic Candidate, Republican Support," etc etc.

What do these messages mean? Do they insinuate that he's only rejecting the conservative movement's harder edge? Or do they portray a liberal who's gone feral?

I don't think so.

Yes, there's a sense of rebellion, but not a rebellion against either end of the political spectrum. It's purely a rejection of the hyper-partisanship in the body politic generally.

Ben's message is post-partisanship, and he's rebelling against the belief that answers can be found in ideology... any ideology.

His message reminds me of a wonderfully effective ad campaign Apple used a few years ago. It wasn't so much about the wonders of Apple versus Microsoft. It was a critique of conformity, however defined. Apple's message was that creativity is the source of our progress... social, technical and political.

If that's "different," then I'm all for it.

Ben's Love Boat

One true thing about any successful political campaign - it's a very busy place. 

Yesterday I was copied on an e-mail with a multitude of recipients. Joel, our field director, was trying to organize us all to attend myriad events, at several different places and at  a variety of times… all on Saturday. 

Of course, no sooner had he shared the schedule than half a dozen people needed to change it. So my cell phone sang a chorus of bing, bing, bing as a storm of e-mails went back and forth. Fortunately, my own appointment with the Magna Arts Fair was unaffected, so the tornado spun all around me, but left me untouched. 

Gradually the chaos of individual agenda slowed to a halt. It seemed all the pieces of the puzzle had finally found their place.  

Then I was filled with a perverse desire. I so wanted to send out my own e-mail, copying the same multitude that had copied me, saying "Could I switch the Magna morning shift for Riverton in the evening?"

Captain McAdams of The Love Boat

That moment of temptation was a reminder that yes, there is a thing called original sin. 

………

As you've probably already learned, Joey Pitt will now follow Joel Freston on a trip to the altar. Joey, our finance chair, has proposed to Angela Hatch, and that proposal has been accepted. 

There are some pictures in a gallery on my Facebook page recording the grand event of proposal made, and proposal accepted. 

From the top of the city and county building, no less!

Here at the McAdams campaign matrimony is breaking out all over. Soon I may be the last bachelor standing. (So if you're female and single, applications are being accepted.)

Just Like Me

I noted with interest a comment by LaVarr Webb, a political columnist in the Deseret News. I quote...

Depending on late poll numbers, candidates may be tempted to go negative in the Fourth Congressional District (Matheson vs. Love) and the Salt Lake County mayoral race (McAdams vs. Crockett.) Utah Democrats, in big races especially, sometimes have a difficult choice: Do I lose with dignity? Or do I hold my nose, go negative and perhaps have a small chance of winning?

Did he really suggest that Jim Matheson and Ben McAdams have two chances of winning - one slim (with a pinched nose,) and the other a dignified none? Aren't these the two races where Matheson has a double digit lead over Love, and McAdams is out raising Crockett by a multiple of three, or thirteen, or thirty?

Pardon me, I'm trying to recall, how did those two races turn out last time? You know, the ones for Scott Matheson's congressional district, and the one for Salt Lake County mayor? Was it the Republican or the Democrat who won?

How about the time before that? Who won then?

Exactly when would you suggest that Democrats despair?

..............

There is another article. One actually worth reading that provides facts and solid argumentation. That's Mayor Caroon's op ed piece written in response to Mark Crockett's invention of a $2b county debt. His dissection of that fable is exquisitely effective. The mayor probably makes the same points made by the Republican county council members when they recently took Crockett to the woodshed.

Caroon concludes with this observation, "Interestingly, Crockett acknowledges that the mayor proposes a budget that is then adopted by the council, and yet he goes on to say that the council is not the problem. If that’s the case, it’s hard to understand exactly what Crockett believes the problem is."

Sorry your honor, but the answer to that is obvious. The big problem for Mark Crockett is the absence of a big problem.

He's doing his best given that he has so little to work with. My guess is that soon Crockett will return to his previous script which ran something like this, "I'm a businessman, exactly like Mitt Romney, who's a businessman, just like me."

That approach is far less likely to get him in trouble.

Breakfasts for Ben

This Saturday Ben attended two community breakfasts with Republican mayors. The hosts were Russ Wall of Taylorsville, and Tom Dolan of Sandy. Attendance was strong for both events with Mayor Wall's backyard a perfect fit for the Taylorsville turnout.

Mayor Dolan hosted his breakfast at the Sandy Amphitheater - a gorgeous facility that features fountains and streams overlooking the valley.

There were lots of people, stacks of pancakes, and an endless supply of Canadian bacon. About the only thing in short supply was coffee. (But hey, this is Utah.)

Below are photos of these two fine events. Thank you Mayor Wall, and Mayor Dolan, for being such great hosts and sharing your enthusiasm for Ben with the citizens of your fair cities.

32nd Degree Political Geek

Joel Freston Leading a Field Staff Meeting

I've spoken before about Joel Freston. He is the spectacularly effective field director for the McAdam's campaign.

The fact we've developed a burgeoning army of volunteers and interns is in large part due to him. He combines a keen intelligence with a love for retail politics that I've never seen duplicated in another campaign operative.

He's fiercely dedicated to the success of Ben McAdams, he's in love with the principles of the Democratic party and he has a deep faith that every election ultimately depends on calls being made, yard signs going up, literature being distributed, and hands being shaken.

Joel's focus and determination are a force of nature, and if you work for him it can be intimidating because these qualities are almost impossible to equal.

Why? Because they aren't simply the product of his considerable energy, but the consequence of conviction woven in his DNA.

Recently I attended one of his meetings with the field staff. It was a model of brevity as he announced that the corps of volunteers had grown to a point where our office was no longer sufficient.

Starting Monday two new field offices were opening up to accommodate campaign activities in West Valley and North Salt Lake.

You might think this was the moment to relish that achievement - in large part, his achievement. But no, the announcement was simple, blunt and factual. He made more of Ryan exceeding his quota of phone calls than he did a tripling of our volunteer capacity.

Then off he went to party headquarters, and back I went to making phone calls.

A few hours later he floated back into the office, obviously in a state of advanced rapture. He quickly gathered everyone around him for some fabulous announcement, except me. I was still in the middle of a phone call.

"No," he said, "We'll wait, George should hear this."

Finally I was off the phone and ready to hear the big announcement. "You'll never believe what I just saw," he said, "it's called predictive dialing!"

"What?" we thought. Then all of us looked at each other in perfect agreement. If ever there was a 32nd degree political geek, we were standing in his presence.

And isn't it wonderful that he's on our side.

Popping The Clutch

Have you noticed that someone pushed the accelerator peddle? After the wait for a Republican primary winner, and then a period of adjustment when the field was finally set, the clutch has been popped.

This campaign is now in full swing.

I can feel it, this campaign is going to be a wild ride. It will be thrilling, exhausting, unpredictable and hugely entertaining. If you're fully engaged in the outcome it will demand every ounce of commitment, and stores of energy you didn't know you had.

Then, when November 6th arrives, August 15th will seem like yesterday.

Thats why political campaigns are so addictive. They're just like life, only more so.

……………...

Here are a few observations about the week so far…

I was originally cautious about how Clinton's visit with Ben would be received in Salt Lake County. (Cautious is probably too mild a word, absolutely petrified is more accurate.)

Today I think I was wrong. Clinton, with all his warmth and humanity, has at last captured an enduring place in the public regard. Ben's moment at Clinton's side lost him nothing with those who were at all open to supporting him.

And among those voters already inclined to vote for Ben? Well, the $110k raised by the event speaks for itself.

……………….

The billboard campaign has been a real hit! The theme of "Yeah, he's different" communicates in a memorable way the essence of what Ben's about. Plus the strong press coverage (especially from KSL) following right behind Clinton's visit, was a terrific boost.

Hats off to Ashley Sumner!

……………….

I think we should pay close attention to Mark Crockett's response to the billboards. According to KSL he said, "It misses the whole point of the county. The county is a service organization, and it needs to stop being political."

When you read that comment it seems nonsensical and off point. And in fact, it is both those things. The connection between the slogan, "Yeah, he's different," and "the point of the county" is an awkward segue at best. And the comment about the county not being political? What?

However, the strained construction was designed to do only one thing… let him say, "the county is a service organization."

That is emerging as the central message of his campaign.

Why? Well there are two reasons…

1. It allows him to pose as a politician who cares about people and their needs. Constantly talking about human services is wonderful cover if your real intention is to set a match to most functions of county government.
2. What this stress on human services amounts to is a de-emphasis on everything else. Crockett's grandiose affirmation is an endorsement of only one of the four departments of county government.

If your interest is the Clark Planetarium, The South Towne Convention Center, criminal justice or weed control, be afraid… be very afraid.

Crockett is about the devolution of county government while asking his detractors, "Do you care more about people or projects? Services or things?"

About Farm Pigs And Presidents

I spent part of the weekend sharing the McAdam's booth at the county fair. Being at the county fair was hugely enjoyable, and I'm a bit nonplussed as to why it took the McAdams campaign to motivate my attendance.

My life in Utah is a story in two parts. I lived here when I was in high school and college, and then 142 years later I returned (OK, slight exaggeration.) So I'm occasionally caught short by an assumption that was justifiable in the 70's, but not now.

When I first learned the fair was on 114th South and 2100 West I thought of farm land.

Yet, on my way there I didn't pass a single farm, only residential developments and commercial districts. I did see one feed store, but it was in the process of a liquidation sale. At the fair's display of farm animals I wondered, "Could that pig really be a citizen of Salt Lake County?"

The growth and change here are rapid and astounding. The last agrarian sections of the valley are quickly giving way to suburbs and exurbs. I was reminded of what a challenge it is to plan for that kind of change. It's like standing in front of a fire house and managing that stream of water.

Yet there has never been a more critical time to get it right. The decisions made now will be the criteria affecting lives far into the future. Thinking of the long term and establishing precedents that will advantage that future are hugely important.  

And all of this depends mightily on leadership.

The night the fair concluded, I rode a very long distance home reflecting on that weekend. And I had a moment of clarity. Wearing this loud orange McAdams t-shirt, passing out flyers and talking to voters; these are exactly the things I should be doing.

---------

The day before yesterday I enjoyed a great favor. I was allowed to be a driver in the Bill Clinton motorcade. He was here with George W. Bush on a bipartisan tour. The underlying theme: If we can act like grownups, why can't Republicans and Democrats everywhere do just the same?

It was front page news when Clinton recognized Ben locally for what these former presidents are doing nationally.

The event was exciting, and I got to play a modest role that put me in the middle of it.

When I first found out how I'd be spending Monday, I set about sharing the news with everyone important in my life. First on the list was my sister, Donna, which was a big mistake. She's able to call my parents at a lightening speed that I can't duplicate.

Here's the first question my Mother asked Donna, "Will Georgie actually be driving President Clinton in his car?"

My sister's response, "Well I don't know, but maybe."

My dear mother replied with a line only a mother could utter, "Please tell your brother to wash and vacuum out his car before he picks up the president."

You've got to love her.  

Something About Ben

Did you read the Deseret News piece on Ben? If you're reading this post you probably have.

It's quite well done, but it tells a story now so familiar that it risks being trivialized. We read once again how Ben works with the political opposition and turns a demolition derby into a harmonious concert.

Somehow repetition only makes the miraculous seem predictable.

How does he do it? Well, you've read the stories about how he listens, really listens, to those who are opposed to something he hopes to achieve. Then that listening results in a synthesis that both can accept.

It all sounds like very patient sausage making, and I'm sure there's a lot of that in what he does. But there's more, and I've seen it happen.

There's something about Ben that makes people simply want to be the best version of themselves.

Sit with him sometime in a sky box at a baseball game. Watch the far right Senator from Kolob seek Ben out and begin to gab. He'll trade small talk, and he'll occasionally tick through the reasons why the word "Democrat" is simply a concise definition for socialism.

But there's an addendum, there's always an addendum. He'll tell Ben how he did something unpredictable, something progressive, something politically risky. It might be his support for the guest worker provision of an immigration bill, or a vote to save watershed from development, or working for a rider on an education bill that would reduce class size.

But it will be something, and he or she will end with that story. It's not an effort to say they're secretly a liberal, far from it. But somehow they need to believe Ben knows they'll do the right thing when their conscience obliges them to step beyond partisanship.

Simply put, there is something in Ben's personna that broadcasts decency, fairness and public service. If you're a politician, of whatever stripe, he's the person whose good opinion of you really matters.

In public life, Ben's friendship is the trophy you want on your mantle.

I'm Resigning

Did you read the Ben McAdams endorsement in the University of Utah Chronicle? If you're interested in Ben, or in the race for county mayor, it's really worth your time.

For those of us who are already Ben supporters it covers some known territory. That includes the blood donation story, but with a new twist. We already knew the proceeds paid for dates with Julie, but now we learn they also financed his political science degree.

(For a guy of average height he sure gave a lot of blood. By his senior year he must have looked like Nosferatu.)

That aside, there was one passage in the article that, for me, was both new and compelling. Let me quote it for you here…

After his Hinckley internship, McAdams served as ASUU president. During his campaign, McAdams wanted to broaden the student government’s services to reach everyone, particularly student mothers. McAdams saw this underrepresented and vulnerable demographic as a group in need of help, so he founded the U’s child-care center.

Did you read that last paragraph? Well, read it again.

Recalling the time when I was a junior in college, let me assure you that the plight of coed mothers was not on my mind. Yes, coeds were very much on my mind, but coed mothers and their special challenges… not so much.

So how does that issue enter the head of a twenty something year old Mormon boy from West Bountiful?

And if by a miracle that should happen, why would he then think he could use that issue to run for an office that by default goes to "Joe Cool?"

Of course, all of this is precedent. Fast forward ten years, put Ben in the State Senate, and substitute "LGBT" for "co-ed mothers."

Ben's Mother

So again, how does that happen?

How does someone born in the waters of a hyper-conservative culture acquire that kind of insight - that kind of sensitivity? Even more curious, how does that "someone" wind up passing bills and winning elections?

Verily, verily I say unto you, it's not possible that anyone with a "Y" chromosome could come to that place on his own.

I know.  I'm a man.

The more I thought about it, the more I agonized over it.

There was something profoundly important and essential, but I just couldn't see it.

Then, at last, there was good news.

After fasting and contemplation it came to me. Not just the intimation of truth, but the promise of a new calling.

Therefore, I'm announcing my resignation from the Ben for County Mayor campaign.

Starting immediately I will be leading an exploratory committee incorporated under the following title…

"BEN'S MOTHER FOR PRESIDENT"

A Deepening Critique

Most of you know that an article appeared this morning in UtahPolicy.com titled "A Republican Rift in Salt Lake County."

The article is by Bob Bernick and it describes a chasm opening up between the Republican majority on the Salt Lake County Council and Mark Crockett, the Republican nominee for County Mayor. The article is great reading and it speaks for itself, so I'll not try to duplicate it here.

However, its thesis is that Republican council members are taking umbrage at Crockett's claim that the county has gone $2 billion in debt. Recently they had a "come to Jesus meeting" with their mayoral candidate and asked him to explain claims they felt were wild and irresponsible.

It appears Crockett is trying to save himself with a bit of subtrafuge. Reportedly, he claimed that he never said "county government" was $2 billion in debt, but Salt Lake County as a whole is in that kind of debt, if you include other things, like bonds issued by the UTA.

(One could only imagine how large that debt would be if you also included home mortgages - a form of borrowing over which the Council has as much authority as it does over the UTA.)

Anyway, these spurious claims have estranged him from his potential Republican colleagues on the County Council.

No matter how these competing claims are reconciled or explained away, the real story here is an ever deepening critique of Crockett's ability to lead.

So far not a single billboard has gone up, and not a single debate has been sponsored. Yet a consensus of Republican mayors has already deserted him, and Republican County Council members are clearly dissatisfied. The two constituencies that would be most critical to his success.

Whatever Crockett's vision might be, it can't happen without allies. And while he does seem capable of manufacturing facts, he's much less gifted at creating a following... a real problem, because the democratic process is a team sport.

Wright's Complaint

In today's Deseret News, Tom Wright, chair of the Utah GOP, expressed unhappiness with "Republicans for Ben" using the elephant logo.

Even though its orange and blue colors clearly reference the McAdams' campaign, Wright cried out that using it amounts to intellectual property theft.

I'll not judge his ability to discern things "intellectual." However, I wonder, just how much intellectual content could there be in a two dimensional image resembling an elephant? Does that silhouette unlock the secrets of the universe? Is the image so sublime that artists everywhere are trying to duplicate it?

My guess is the GOP's objection is potential trade mark infringement. It may come as a disappointment to Tom, but the intellectual content of that logo is about zip.

However, there is something with even less intellectual content than a two color logo.  And that is Wright's consistent carping that "Republicans For Ben" is using it.

How many reminders should he issue about fellow Republicans supporting Ben before doing that becomes counterproductive?

I'd say one time would be overkill.

Making Mr. Brinton Happy

There's a link on the new Mark Crockett for County Mayor Facebook Page. It takes us to a letter in the Deseret News. Lee Brinton, the fellow who submitted the letter, is riled up about user fees that pay for Unified Police Department Protection. He complains that county government, because of these fees, raised his property taxes by 14%.

"I can't afford them any longer," he says, "Mark Crockett is a proven tax fighter and budget hound with the guts to face reality. I can't afford anything less."

I won't pass judgement on Mr. Brinton's assertion regarding taxes. I do know the user fee initiative favored by Mayor Caroon is controversial. No one likes to pay more for government services, and the arguments for and against this revenue device are beyond my expertise, or the scope of this blog.

But for our purposes here, let's stipulate to Mr. Brinton's complaint that county government "spent our tax dollars on things far less important than police protection."

What's more, let's even stipulate to his assertion that, "Mark Crockett is a proven tax fighter and budget hound with the guts to face reality." (Personally, I'm not so confident about Crockett's grasp on reality. But he does hate taxes, in fact, you could make a case that he hates government - period.)

What's more, let's say that the UPD is by far the county's highest priority, and that it should be funded exclusively by revenue diverted from other programs.

So, no new taxes.

Heck, I'll even do one better. Let's insist on a tax cut!

Now, does it follow you should vote for Mark Crockett?

No, not in a million years.

And why?

The two qualifications Crockett would have for Mr. Brinton's support are a visceral hatred of taxes, and experience in business finance. That is where it begins, and unfortunately, that's also where it ends.

In a democracy the ability to effect change depends solely on your ability to lead by convincing and inspiring others to follow you. That's the essence of leadership, and with Mark Crockett that's the missing piece.

As a one term un-reelected councilman he wasn't famous for his achievements. The one lasting impression he left behind was as a condescending hot-head enraged by those who disagreed with him. Ultimately, he could have announced the council chambers were on fire and his colleagues would have gone up in flames just to spite him.

That defect in personality is one reason for the current insurrection by Republican mayors opposing his candidacy. Crockett is a tough guy to like, and an even tougher guy to follow.

But there's one other reason Mr Brinton should reconsider. And that's a nasty little secret about his opponent, Ben McAdams. Yes, if measured soley by his values, McAdams is a Democrat. He loves education, human rights, conservation, clean air etc. etc.

But he's also the cheapest Democrat on the planet.

If he had his way we'd have pay toilets at campaign headquarters. The great reputation he earned in the State senate for getting things done was not purchased with a single taxpayer dime. That unique blend of progressiveness and a loathing for red ink is an important source of his bi-partisan support.

Would I call him a liberal or a conservative? No. He's different. I'd classify him as an idealistic cheapskate, and one of the most charming kind.

Precisely the sort of leader who would make Mr. Brinton happy.

Splash And Dash

Today Ben participated in the American Cancer Foundation's Spash and Dash fundraiser in Magna. It was an event organized around cancer survivors and it featured an all night relay and the chance to dunk someone in a tank of water.

The featured speaker was Mark Shurtleff, Utah's Republican Attorney General, who survived a much publicized bout with cancer. As he delivered his remarks he saw Ben in the crowd and decided to deviate from his script.

Shurtleff said the fight against cancer demanded that politicians set aside partisanship and work together to create programs that will find a cure. Then he identified Ben as just that kind of politician; the kind who reaches out in a bipartisan way to find solutions. 


It was a wonderfully affirming gesture from a man who knows how trivial politics can be when compared to the gravity of life itself.


Mayor Caroon was also in attendance. He and Ben chatted for a few moments before Ben's appointed time at the dunking tank. 


It was a wonderful time in behalf of a great cause. Below are some photos and one terrific video that record the event. Enjoy...

Ben with Peter Caroon

Ben Gets Dunked For A Good Cause

No Quotes Attached

Charles Dickens wrote "A Tale of Two Cities." It is a complex story set in two very different cities during the French revolution. The distance between Paris and London is less than 300 miles, but in the 1790's they could have been on two different planets. In almost every regard each city could be defined as the opposite of the other.

Yes, France and England are two different countries, but normally the feel of urban life is common to every city.

Likewise with political parties. If you're a Democrat and you walk into a Republican campaign headquarters typically you're astounded by the similarity of mood, activity and spirit. In fact, it can be disturbing how similar they are if, like me, you've spent a lifetime concentrating on the differences between the two parties.

But now, for the first time in my life, I'm part of a campaign without an analogue in the opposite party. For instance…

The McAdams campaign headquarters is bursting at the seams and often we're wondering where to find enough chairs.

Mark Crockett doesn't have a campaign headquarters.

I've lost twenty pounds trying to take pictures of Ben in scores of parades and civic events.

So far I've seen Mark Crockett at one of those events.

I've friended the McAdams Facebook pages and there's always notice on my phone of new activity.

Last week the County Republican chair promised a dollar toward the Crockett campaign for each person who would "like" the new Crockett Campaign Facebook page. (A gesture that seemed both late and pathetic.)

The differences in personality, energy and warmth between the two candidates are too numerous to mention. If they were in a zoo one would be leading tours, the other would be in the herpetarium.

A month ago, based on low name ID, and one candidate being a Democrat and the other a Republican, Crockett enjoyed a lead over McAdams. This lead will persist only if everything we believe about the importance of both a candidate and a campaign proves to be false.

My bet is a later poll, one in November, will show you can pay people a dollar to "like" you, but you're unlikely to get their vote unless they actually like you (with no quotes attached.)