Pete Ashdown is not your standard Democratic U.S. Senate candidate — he's high-tech savvy, using the Internet to solicit ideas on issues, raise money and conduct opposition research on GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch.
But a search of Ashdown's Web-site issues (www.peteashdown.org) shows that the first-time candidate has adopted some traditional Democratic stands that could harm him in conservative, LDS Church-dominated Utah, at least in a statewide race.
"Obviously, from our point of view, his views are not in line with most Utahns," says Dave Hansen, Hatch's campaign manager, joking that Ashdown's stands on some so-called moral issues "are some good targets of opportunity."
But Ashdown says he's approaching issues "through the Constitution," and he's proud that he's running what he terms a nontraditional, voter-friendly campaign.
"When people ask how can you take that stand, I say I vow to uphold the Constitution first. Second comes constituent input," says Ashdown, who is using a "collaboration wiki" Web site where anyone can log in and suggest changes to his stands.
"Finally, it is then my own opinion. But in areas like the death penalty or terminating a pregnancy or definition of marriage, I believe the Constitution is clear in those areas," he says.
Hatch's Web site lists eight issues with the senator's stands on each. Ashdown's lists 46.
Being candid and explicit on so many issues is a political "mixed bag," Ashdown admits.
"Many people find it refreshing — my honesty and openness. That overrides their politics. But some just look for a hot-button issue and won't be convinced otherwise. Frankly, I can't be helpful to those people, if one or two issues is all they care about."
Some examples of where his views may harm him politically in conservative Utah:
Abortion: Ashdown is pro-choice. While saying local, state and federal governments should act together to decrease the need for elective abortions, "Women should have the option for safe pregnancy termination."
Opposing state and federal constitutional amendments banning abortions, Ashdown says, "let's control the demand for abortion with the sensible use of contraception, education and abstinence."
Marriage: Ashdown opposes banning gay marriage. He's against government interference in all "intimate affairs" between consenting adults.
"I would vote against 'message bills' regarding marriage because this is best left to an individual's" own decisions. His opposition to "message bills" includes any bills "that would ban or affirm any form of marriage."
Death penalty: Ashdown opposes capital punishment. He says executing a murderer is more costly than life imprisonment, innocent people have been executed and capital punishment has not been shown to be a deterrent to murder.
Polls show that as many as 90 percent of Utahns support capital punishment. And while executions here are rare, Utah does have a capital punishment law.
Health care: Ashdown favors universal health care coverage for all who need it. He says current federal programs that work, like CHIP and Medicare, could be extended to the uninsured.
Federal tax reform: Ashdown supports a "true flat-rate income tax." He would keep only one current tax exemption, that for low-income Americans.
That puts Ashdown at odds with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who have publicly asked that any income tax reform include some kind of deduction for charitable giving. "Yeah," the church's position "is the big wrench" that some have used against adopting a flat-rate tax, Ashdown acknowledges.
Foreign affairs: Ashdown strongly supports the United Nations, and he wants the United States leading the world in adopting a variety of treaties, including the Kyoto trade/global warming accords.
Ashdown has also come up with some unique ideas.
For example, he says there is a relatively easy way out of Iraq. Just conduct a national vote asking Iraqis when U.S. troops should leave. Then do what the Iraqis want, he says.
A way to cut escalating drug costs is to ban general drug advertising — which is costing billions of dollars — letting drug companies only push their new drugs to physicians.
Finally, he also favors a number of issues that align him more with Republicans than Democrats.
In fact, Ashdown says in some ways he's a reluctant Democrat, and has some Libertarian leanings on keeping government out of people's lives.
"All in all, I find myself more closely aligned with Democrats but wish we didn't have a party system at all. I believe it prevents representatives from acting and thinking for their constituents' best interests," he says.
Ashdown says that like the late LDS Church apostle Hugh B. Brown, he's a Democrat because that is the party that cares the most about the poor.
Ashdown defends the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
He takes a tough stand on immigration. All U.S. businesses should be held liable for hiring illegal immigrants, borders should be secured, and there should be no advantage given to U.S.-living illegals in getting legal work permits or citizenship.
He wants to be tough on polluters, too.
And while decrying the seniority system in Congress, Ashdown does not favor term limits. Let citizens decide each election who they want to serve, he says.
Noting that a recent Deseret Morning News/KSL-TV poll finds Hatch 42 percentage points ahead of Ashdown, 63-21 percent, Hansen says the Hatch strategy is just to keep talking about "what the senator will do over the next six years. We aren't really running against Pete." So unless Ashdown makes a significant push against Hatch, the senator probably won't even be mentioning some of Ashdown's more vulnerable positions.
If Hatch were being challenged by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, who is very popular in his 2nd Congressional District, "We'd probably have a different strategy" and go after the Democrat, Hansen admits.
E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com