This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
"There you go again." Rep. Mia Love invoked Ronald Reagan's words in her debate with Doug Owens, and it's appropriate to apply to the Tribune's inexplicably flaccid endorsement of Love for the 4th Congressional District.
Like the Tribune's endorsement of George Bush in 2004 and Jackie Biskupski last year, the editorial lists most of the shortcomings of the endorsee and very few of the attributes. Your editorial actually identifies her disturbing views and inconsistencies on some of the biggest issues of our time and points out Owens' very reasonable, moderate solutions that you point out are reminiscent of the popular Jim Matheson's, yet you somehow twist your logic to ultimately endorse the person whom you have clearly pointed out is the lesser candidate.
One donation by a congressional Democrat is not an example of Love's "bridge building," and, as you point out, she has no interest in finding common ground with a potential President Clinton. If Utahns are weary of partisan rancor and are influenced by newspaper endorsements, your odd support of Love will not help to change that.
It makes me wonder about the "independent" part of "Utah's independent voice."
Tom Diegel
Salt Lake City