I have two thoughts about the presidential primary we just had. First, on Super Tuesday, March 5, 2024, I attended the Republican Caucus. I live in voting district Ogden 26. From my time as a poll worker around the start of 21st Century I know there are roughly 350 registered voters who live in my voting district. About two-thirds of them are registered Republicans. Including myself, we only had twelve in attendance. I had my wife’s absentee ballot with me, so 13 of us voted. When you do the math, (13 divided by 234) you realize that 5.56% of registered Republicans in my district participated. Considering that actual elections get larger turnouts of registered voters, I believe that we should do away with party caucuses as they have outlived their usefulness. They were good for the 19th Century and the early 20th Century when most jobs were 9-5 but, based on the numbers who participated, they have lost their relevancy. Second, at the caucus, the platform of the Utah Republican Party was read. Here is the full text of one of the planks, entitled “Ethics and Standards”: “We demand honesty, integrity, and accountability of our elected officials. We will work to expose and stop corruption.” According to state tallies, Donald Trump received 57% of the vote. Donald Trump is many things, but he isn’t honest, he doesn’t have integrity, and he refuses to take accountability. I have to wonder if the plank I quoted is ironic.

David VanLangeveld

Ogden

Newsletter