It has degenerated into simply a platform for the politically disaffected to rage and rant against the moderate Republican establishment.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake City Tribune) Gov. Spencer Cox received mixed reactions at the 2024 Utah Republican Party nominating convention on Saturday, April 27, in Salt Lake City.
Stuart C. Reed | The Salt Lake Tribune
| May 28, 2024 12:05 pm
While it may be understandable that Governor Spencer Cox recently expressed a desire to maintain the caucus-convention path to the Republican nomination, those of us who have been circling around this issue know that what the caucus-convention path produces does not benefit Utah.
What happened at the recent Utah Republican Party Convention was shameful and embarrassing, but the incivility should not have been unexpected. It is certainly a direct result of Utah's 2014 state legislative session passing SB54. Now, that bad behavior is paying the price.
I was one of only seven Utah senators who voted against SB54 in 2014, warning then that “the two factions will rage and shout at each other through their respective candidates. One will proclaim it represents 'the people,' and the other will proclaim it represents 'true Republicans.'”
I believed then, and I still believe now, that SB54, as proposed, would do absolutely nothing to moderate the extremist wing of the Utah Republican Party, and I was convinced that the separation of signature gatherers and caucus-goers as a result of SB54 would permanently diminish moderates’ influence over the growing far-right populists within the Republican Party.
Frankly, further clashes among segregationists were entirely predictable. The moderate Republican forces pushing SB54 were sending a message to the populist far-right that they were inferior and needed to be reined in and put in their place.
It is not surprising that moderate governors and other moderate candidates and officeholders are shouted down and voted down at the Republican Convention. The moderate Republican establishment has done everything in its power to isolate and neutralize far-right populists, only to generate more resentment.
The establishment had three options: 1. Fully embrace and seek to influence the populist far-right by actually running the caucus-convention system; 2. Abolish the caucus-convention system entirely through the 2014 ballot proposition that would have eliminated the caucus-convention system and replaced it with a direct primary; or 3. Avoid the caucus-convention system through SB54 as a compromise to keep the caucus-convention system and collect signatures, preserving the caucus-convention path and seeking to isolate and curb the growing influence of the populist far-right.
The establishment ultimately compromised by keeping the caucus-convention system, choosing the worst of the three options, and now the entire state of Utah must endure frequent Republican infighting in the state.
The growing anger shown from 2014 through the recent Republican Convention was a reaction to the elitism of the establishment, as the moderate Republican establishment decided that aggressive use of the caucus-convention system to unite the party was inappropriate and a waste of effort.
And frankly, the way Governor Cox shielded his angry convention audience did nothing to help the situation. He simply confirmed that the establishment thinks it's superior to far-right populists, ensuring that the conflict and strife will continue, spreading a spirit of contempt and constant fighting throughout the state of Utah.
In an effort to reverse the widespread disdain and constant controversy, I believe the Utah Senate will pass a bill to eliminate both the caucus-convention and signature-gathering paths in favor of a direct path to party primaries, while the House will likely be reluctant to abandon the caucus-convention path, which has more sway over House members who are elected every two years.
In the event of real resistance from the legislature, there is an alternative, a popular initiative, which proposes a direct primary process and which has a higher chance of succeeding, but at this point both the legislative and popular initiative alternatives need to be seriously considered and discussed.
As a Utah State Senator in 2014, I was a staunch defender of the caucus-convention process, but I now believe that the process is no longer productive for Utah. Unfortunately, it has become little more than an outlet for political grievances to vent their anger at moderate Republicans and those who won't bow to Donald Trump and his vitriol.
Not only is the caucus-convention process a shameful and embarrassing spectacle of discord and confusion, it nominates candidates who are largely unacceptable to the Republican primary voters the party is supposed to represent. While the signature-gathering compromise did indeed ensure the nomination and election of a moderate candidate, it did nothing to ease caucus-convention nominations or intra-Republican divisions.
Instead, resentment and rifts between the two factions of the Republican Party have intensified, spreading hatred across Utah beyond the bounds of caucuses and conventions and radicalizing certain elements into rebellion.
It's unfortunate that Governor Cox and so many others can't see where this is all leading. Procrastination will not do the Republican Party, the state of Utah, or especially the younger generations who will inevitably be influenced by the conflict and strife spread by their elders.
Stuart C. Reed is a former Republican Utah Senator.
The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. To do this, we need your insight. Learn how you can share your voice here and email us at voices@sltrib.com.
