What did we learn from the 1996 elections?
Well, Republicans are still king in Utah. As if the Democrats needed another lesson in this.No doubt some will be saying that the defeat of Ross Anderson in the 2nd Congressional District to born-again Republican Merrill Cook means the Democratic Party, especially in Salt Lake County, needs to move more to the center.
But how, then, does one account for Rep. Bill Orton's defeat in the 3rd District?
Orton was already in the center, maybe even right of center. The Democratic Party can only go so far.
State Democratic Party chairman Mike Zuhl cautioned state Sen. Robert Steiner, D-Salt Lake, on Thursday when Steiner suggested that Senate Democrats and others get together to discuss moving more to the middle.
"We had good, moderate candidates lose Tuesday," said Zuhl. The party doesn't need to move - it's already there. Maybe the citizens need to wake up, says Zuhl.
Democrats may be getting one minor public relations break: The Gay and Lesbian Utah Democrats are disbanding at the end of this year. During the late 1980s and 1990s, GLUD members have been especially active. So active, in fact, that state party leaders met with GLUD leaders during the 1996 Legislature and asked them to take the word "Democrat" out of their name, saying that identifying the party with their gay-rights agenda was only harming the party in conservative Utah.
GLUD leaders refused but announced on Election Day that the group was ending its wide activities. A gay and lesbian caucus within the Democratic Party will continue but may not be as vocal in outside activities.
GLUD aside, Democrats face problems on two levels.
In big races, like governor, U.S. Senate and House, it takes one kind of candidate to win the Democratic nomination, another kind to win the general election.
How do moderate Democrats get through the first part in order to be around for the second?
On a second level, moderate-to-conservative Democrats can get a state House or Senate nomination, or a county commission nomination, only to lose the final election because so many citizens vote Republican regardless of who the Democrat is or what he stands for.
How do Democrats in minor races get an honest look from voters?
State Sen. Joe Hull, D-Hooper, comes from a family who's lived in the Weber County area for five generations. But the population of his Senate district has grown from just over 60,000 people to more than 70,000 in six years.
All the newcomers don't know him or his family. And in the last several elections they've been voting Republican. "The demographics are changing against me," says Hull.
He saw friend and colleague Eldon Money, a long-time rancher/farmer from Spanish Fork, beaten by a newcomer by fewer than 200 votes this election.
"They (the demographics) got Eldon. Maybe they get me next time" when he faces re-election in four years, says Hull. Hull was unopposed by a Republican this year; he fears what could have happened had any Republican filed against him.
Todd Taylor is state Democratic Party executive director. His job is to recruit minor race candidates, like legislative candidates, county candidates and so on.
Taylor says over the last three elections (six years) good, hard-working Democratic candidates have run good races, had adequate funds, only to be beaten.
How can he continue to go to people, asking them to put up their time and effort, when they know that come Election Day they'll probably lose? Taylor asks rhetorically.
There is only one advantage to being so far down. Almost anything looks like up.
It was 1986 when Democrats had few numbers in the Legislature. That election year they gained 13 House seats (to 27 Democrats) and two Senate seats (to eight Democrats).
Maybe 1998 will bring more victories for Democrats.
After all, what more can they lose?