You can chat with Pat, or sing along with Pat, or just come out and say hello to Pat.
U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Pat Shea has started a camper trek through Utah - complete with a country-western campaign song - and claims he'll be out almost every day until Nov. 8. Tuesday and Wednesday Shea is traveling through Carbon County and Park City. Other days he may just take small trips along the Wasatch Front.Shea's hitting the road in part because GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch isn't. Hatch remains in Washington, D.C., where Congress is trying to wind down for an August break while dealing with health-care reform, Whitewater hearings and other matters.
While Shea says he's pleased to meet "ordinary" Utahns, he'd also like to meet Hatch - in debates. But even though several weeks ago Hatch was looking at between three and seven debates with Shea, Hatch's campaign manager now says if Shea doesn't lighten up on his rhetoric against Hatch, there may be no debates.
"The shrill nature of Pat's attacks offer us nothing," said Hatch campaign manager Charlie Evans. "There's no debates (set) for sure, and if Pat continues with this negative tone we may not even debate him."
In 1982, Hatch was challenged by then-Salt Lake Mayor Ted Wilson. The two had 12 debates around the state in addition to various joint appearances. Evans said he wasn't in Utah in 1982 and couldn't say what led Hatch to debate Wilson then. In this campaign, said Evans, debates aren't part of the strategy.
Previously, Hatch officials said there probably would be debates, but only after Sept. 1. Shea said Tuesday that Hatch has rejected a KUED Channel 7 debate scheduled to be taped in early November and broadcast Nov. 7, the night before Election Day. (KUED officials say Hatch hasn't yet agreed to the November debate, and they're still working with his staff.)
"And (Hatch's) aides say the senator wouldn't debate in the three weeks preceding the election," saidShea. If Hatch sticks with a three-week ban on debating before the election, such an action would likely be a first in modern Utah politics.
Finding Hatch hard to find leaves Shea frustrated.
"I have a game I play with my young sons. It's kind of a Where's Waldo, only it's where's Orrin?" joked Shea. "I've been to 15 parades and five rodeos and Hatch hasn't been to one. Oh, he did ride in that `parade for incumbents' on July 24th. I was in the Ogden parade where they let everyone ride." Shea referred to the Days of '47 Parade in downtown Salt Lake City that includes officeholders like Hatch but doesn't let challengers participate. Shea said Hatch doesn't care about Utahns, travels to the state infrequently and is too concerned with Washington power brokers and keeping his political influence.
"That's an example of what I'm talking about," said Evans. "Pat has been in this race since mid-March and is just now going out with his camper tour to meet people - fine - we've been around the state three or four times in recent months, we just don't call press conferences first. But (as part of his tour) Pat attacks the senator for not caring, for not meeting with constituents. We've yet to see one mention of what vision Pat has for the nation, anything about what he'd do in the Senate. It's all why you shouldn't vote for the senator. That stuff in a debate holds nothing for us.
"Our campaign strategy is talking about what Orrin Hatch has done for Utah, what he'll do. Debates aren't the best forum for that. Debates are usually just counting zingers, who got the best sound bite." (The KUED debate, however, would be a 90-minute prime-time show aimed at fully discussing the issues of the day, KUED officials said.)
Shea wants 10 debates on 10 Utah college campuses. Ideally, Shea wants real-life questions put to the candidates and, without staff help, the candidates would have to put forth their solutions within several minutes contemplation. He knows he won't get that. "At least we can have 10 debates on 10 specific issues so the people can see where we stand," said Shea.
To go along with his camper trips throughout Utah - which he's calling the "Keep in Touch with Utah" tour - Shea has a campaign song: "18 Years and A Dozen Promises." Sung to the country tune of "18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses," the song laments Hatch's 18 years in the U.S. Senate (he seeks another six-year-term) and points out reasons Shea believes Hatch should be replaced.
"Utahns are more about trucks and campers than long lunches and limousines," said Shea.
A tour is also an inexpensive way to do some campaigning, and Shea isn't close to Hatch in fund raising. "My latest (federal campaign) report shows I've raised $180,000 and have commitments from the Democratic Senate Committee for another $110,000. I'd like $4 million (as Hatch may end up with), but I don't want to have to do what you need to get it."
The latest Federal Election Commission reports show Hatch has about $1 million in cash and has spent about $1 million on the campaign so far. "That's why the debates, and the timing of the debates, matter," said Shea. No debates or other joint appearances the last three weeks of the campaign means Hatch "could bury us with TV commercials" and citizens may see little from Shea if he doesn't have the debates to highlight his campaign.