Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Normally, KSL wouldn't inject itself in partisan politics.
But, when a threat to the overall well being of Utah's political system comes from within a particular party, we feel compelled to speak out.
On August 23, at the GOP state convention delegates will consider a proposal that could effectively end republican primary elections in Utah. A right-wing fringe group is pushing an amendment to the party's constitution to require that all nominees for state and county office be picked in convention.
Essentially, if passed, the proposal would mean a select group of GOP loyalists would pick the party's general election candidates. And because republicans generally go on to win elections in Utah, sometimes unopposed, that cadre of activists would be choosing the state's leaders.
Democracy and the voice of the people would be thwarted!
It is already hampered enough by the GOP's ill-advised decision to hold closed primaries that require prospective voters to register as republicans before they can cast ballots.
More reasonable leaders in the Republican Party give the proposal little chance of passing. That's little consolation, though, in view of what's happened in recent years within the GOP. Still, KSL hopes those leaders are correct. We urge delegates to the party's state convention to solidly reject the cockamamie proposal.
