Gov. Olene Walker will have to console herself with the fact that her re-election campaign had the overwhelming support of average Utahns in recent public opinion polls.
Unfortunately for her, that and $1.50 would get her a 44-ounce drink at the nearest convenience store, little more. It certainly won't get her a spot on the ballot either in June or in November.
Much will be made of how her defeat at the GOP state convention on Saturday was a travesty, or a mockery of democracy. A popular incumbent ought to at least have the opportunity to face voters in a primary election. But really, Utah's caucus system is indeed democratic and fair. It is a referendum of the willing, interested and motivated.
People who care enough about self-government to attend a neighborhood caucus meeting for the party of their choice get a say in who represents them at the convention. How is that unfair? In a similar way, those who care enough about ultimately choosing a leader from the list of final party candidates will bother to show up on Election Day in November.
It is true that, generally speaking, caucus attendees tend to be people with agendas or with well-defined ideologies, but the caucuses are not closed to moderates with the wishes of the mainstream at heart.
To those who so vehemently decry the convention's outcome, we would ask, what better system would you propose? How would you give Utahns a more hands-on, grass-roots way to involve themselves in the choosing of a party's candidate? How can you force uninterested voters to participate?
No, the outcome was not unfair. It was, however, a poignant moment in the state's history.
Walker, whose gracious attitude in the face of defeat should serve as a model to all public servants, has served the state with honor and distinction for many years. She has left her mark on the state, and not simply, as so many will think, because she is the first woman to become governor. She is a smart public official with a firm grasp on the issues and with strong ideas for solutions.
We hope the eventual choice for governor will want to continue some of her initiatives. Chief among these is the need for tax reform. Walker appointed a commission that is studying ways to make the system more fair and equitable. It would be a shame to abandon this effort in a state where an outdated system of income-tax brackets and sales-tax distribution leads to a host of other problems.
Nolan Karras and Jon Huntsman Jr. are to be congratulated for surviving from the list of eight GOP candidates, as is Scott Matheson Jr., the Democratic candidate who also was nominated on Saturday. The primary season, which now officially is under way, promises to be among the most robust in state history. Republicans also will have choices in two congressional districts.
Unfortunately, this is where the real fairness problem enters in. The GOP's closed primary system will again force many Utahns to choose between sitting out and declaring their party affiliation. That truly is unrepresentative, as the stakes now are much higher.