Chaffetz won’t challenge Hatch in Utah?

Darn.

I wonder what Hatch said to get Chaffetz to stop?

My money would be that when he refused to endorse Huntsman, he caught a lot of flak from that family, which is extremely powerful here in Utah (because of the dad). Why in god’s green earth he did that is beyond me. It was too early to endorse anyone.

I have not heard a peep about anyone else challenging Hatch. We’re screwed.

Y-not on August 22, 2011 at 2:15 PM

Directly support the democrat for instance.

Boxy_Brown on August 22, 2011 at 2:16 PM

I’d rather shoot myself.

Schadenfreude on August 22, 2011 at 2:25 PM

Ditto.

It would be beyond insane to support any Democrat against Hatch in Utah.

When Chaffetz was mulling a run, the rumor was that Matheson (D congresscritter who pretends to be a conservative democrat) would jump in to oppose Chaffetz (assuming Jason was successful in knocking off Orrin). But I assume that is off the table now.

Y-not on August 22, 2011 at 2:29 PM

Hatch endorsed Romney (formally) on July 6th of this year, btw. I found it at http://www.p2012.org/

Y-not on August 22, 2011 at 2:49 PM

I am new to Utah, and I have been asking around to find out why Hatch keeps getting elected. My neighbors tell me that while they don’t like some of what he does, he is great at protecting land in Utah from the Feds.

People seem to genuinely like him. I’ve met him and he is a kindly old man. He hugs everyone. My husband has been hugged by him on several occasions.

But as for the protecting Utahns from the federal land grab, I’d like to see evidence of that. It seems to me Hatch has been in a long time and the Feds own a lot of Utah. The folks I’ve heard really pushing that issue are our governor (who is wonderful) and Mike Lee (who does not impress me despite his conservative creds).

When did you move to Utah? I came here a year ago.

Y-not on August 22, 2011 at 2:53 PM

http://www.p2012.org/candidates/natendorse.html

A google search will also pick up a lot of references to it. He’d been signaling it for a long time (as early as February).

Y-not on August 22, 2011 at 3:13 PM

We moved to Utah last year too- we just moved from Provo to Springville, which seems more conservative than Provo.

We lived in Springville (near Hobble Creek Canyon) for a year before recently buying a house in Orem. It is more traditional, I guess I’d say. Lots of very established families who’ve lived in the Valley for generations. Provo (and Orem) benefit from being university towns. But Springville is beautiful and very green, especially in the canyon. Make sure to take advantage of the trail that runs to the golf course.

I saw Mike Lee speak at a Republican party function last year. He didn’t strike me as particularly bright, whatever his resume might say, and he seems like too much of an ideologue for my taste.

He told a story about meeting with the Secy of the Interior about the federal lands grab in Utah. The upshot of that story was that Mike was treated badly by the Secy and nothing was accomplished. I mean, I think Lee was trying to score points for fighting the good fight, but there were no positive results. His talk was much less well-received than Chaffetz’s or even our Lt. Gov’s speech, although certainly more popular than Hatch’s.

I’ve chatted with folks in the area (Republicans, mostly business leaders) and the consensus seems to be Lee got elected because of the tremendous respect for his dad and also because the TP wanted to take out Bennett.

Y-not on August 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM

Fellow Beehive Staters, What do you think about the comments by Chamberlain and Nelson (UT GOP party officials)?

Link to the SLTrib.

Y-not on August 22, 2011 at 6:37 PM

Chaffetz’s explanation (from his FB page) below. To me I read “I didn’t think I’d win on my current resume” between the lines (even though he said he would win):

August 22, 2011

Fellow Republican,

I was elected to office to help change the way we do business in

Washington, DC. During my short two-and-a-half years in Congress

I’ve been instrumental in that fight, helping to bring about a

national conversation focused on how Congress is borrowing, taxing

and spending too much.

From the earmark ban and the Pledge to America, to the Fast and

Furious investigation and my recent Cut, Cap, and Balance

legislation, I’ve been a leader of government reform. In fact, after

my central role in writing, introducing and passing the Cut, Cap, and

Balance bill (I was the primary sponsor), it’s clear that I don’t

need to wait for seniority in order to be effective in the House.

During the last several months, I’ve been exploring a possible

challenge to Senator Orrin Hatch. Last week my family and I reached

a decision.

When I first ran for office, I argued that I wanted to do what’s

right for America and right for Utah. I still do. I have carefully

weighed my options, evaluated the pros and cons, and come to a

conclusion.

I plan to run again for office in the United States House of

Representatives. I’ll continue fighting for fiscal discipline,

limited government, accountability and a strong national defense.

That’s why I was elected. That’s what I’m doing. That’s where my

passion is.

Ultimately, I can spend the next 15 months doing my job, or I can

spend the next 15 months campaigning to do Senator Hatch’s.

Despite being tempted to compete for the privilege of serving in the

U.S. Senate–and being convinced I could win–I won’t allow a fight

for that seat to distract me from what I was sent to Washington to

do. I was sent here to help clean up the financial mess left by

decades of fiscal mismanagement. That is a battle that cannot wait.

It’s a battle that must be fought and won in the House and in the

Senate.

We live in a critical moment in history. President Obama’s policies

have twisted our problems into crises. We’ve got to get our country

back on the right course, and time isn’t on our side. I believe I’m

in a position to have influence solving our problems. I simply can’t

justify setting many of my legislative priorities on the back burner

in order to spend more time campaigning.

In order to continue to be the world’s economic and military

superpower, we must continue to fight for fiscal discipline, limited

government, accountability and a strong national defense.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as one of Utah’s Representatives.

It’s an honor and a privilege. My goal is to do what’s right for our

country, our state and our party. Let’s work together to elect good

Republicans in all four of Utah’s Congressional seats and defeat Jim

Matheson in whichever race he decides to run. Thank you for your

active participation in our government, as we strive together to be

part of the solution.

Faithfully,

Congressman Jason Chaffetz

Y-not on August 22, 2011 at 10:12 PM