10:33 AM Getting a little bit of a late start this morning…but give me some credit. There are 51 candidates here today and I had to run around and get pictures of as many as I could. At this point, they’ve already explained how electronic voting will work, and it means that no one will ever need to leave their seat. That means awesome sauce. Also, they’ve just adopted the rules for the day.
11:05 AM I know it’s not exactly live…I’ve had a few wi-fi issues with my laptop. Rolling now.
11:06 AM Jeremy Friedbaum is going to be the first US Senate candidate. Gotta be honest: never heard of him. Also, I didn’t realize there were so many candidates for the Senate. Little girl named Faith Ashworth is introducing. Says she has $12.47 in her piggy bank, and isn’t here to ask for money since she’s a Republican, not a Democrat. [Applause] Now she’s talking about the national debt clock and ripping on politicians in DC who are spending it…also, this is still the 10-year old. She’s gotten several rounds of applause, now.
11:11 AM Faith Ashworth (10-years old) is still speaking…when do we hear from Friedbaum. People are eating it up. The red meat, that is, that she’s throwing out. She says that if we retire Hatch, he’ll have more time to spend with his grandkids, and great grandkids.
11:13 AM Friedbaum finally gets up, says he hopes to nominate Faith in 20 years, when she’s eligible, then says thank-you and sits down. Next up is Kevin Fisk. Fisk is a marine, knows how to recognize leadership, and says we don’t need people just with experience to go back to Washington. He’s a little miffed at not getting invited to the debates. After bashing on Hath, he says that Dan Liljenquist is a nice guy, “but he’s a liberal.” Argues that Chris Herrod is the only conservative in the race (but also does not want to campaign for Herrod).
11:20 Were watching a video of news and C-SPAN clips bashing on the Fed. Subtitles that include “Hitler received federal reserve funds.”
11:22 AM Loy Brunson is singing to us about the federal reserve, the national debt. He’s sporting a vest under his suit and using his preacher-pound-the-pulpit voice, and with good reason. He says we need to interpret the constitution by holding it sacred.
11:25 AM Brunson is getting some applause as he cites and quotes from the constitution and declaration of independence. Are we here to vote for our friends, he asks, or to vote for the person who most upholds the constitution. Brunson is running through different amendments. “We need people in Washington who understand that it is against the law to be liberal… it is called ‘thou shalt not steal.'”
11:26 AM Dale Ash giving a straight forward speech alongside his wife. He said that he had an epiphany while writing a book. Cites the unborn, children in school, protecting women from pornography, etc as all groups that are not being protected by the law. Says the constitution is being shredded by the US Supreme Court. How do we change it, how do we bring it back? Ash wants a constitutional amendment that shifts power back to the states.
11:30 AM Ash says that the current elected officials strategy is not good enough to win nationally. Ash says “they” are attacking us economically, too much regulation, taking our lands, and trying to make our businesses fail, tying up natural resources. Need to stop tying up resources on public lands and too much regulation. If we can put a man on the moon, we can harvest our natural resources without destroying the environment. Also, Ash loves this party, this government.
11:33 AM Tim Aalders up now. Introducing him is Mark Maxon (?), a state delegate. Mark is talking about how “big” Aalders is, as a conservative, a family man, etc. Ends almost in a shout, then to Tim Aalders. Tim says that “if you cannot stand up there and speak from your heart, you cannot represent in Washington, D.C.
11.35 AM Aalders gets the crowd going by raising a pamphlet copy of the constitution and calling it sacred. “We cannot vote what is comfortable, but what is right, what is in our heart.”
11:39 AM Ok, I realize I’m missing a lot of Aalders speech here, but I see why I’ve heard of him. He’s given a rebel rousing speech.
11:40 AM Dan Liljenquist speaking alone on stage and opens to lots of a applause. Says the country did not start with one person, but with “we the people.”
11:41 AM Today’s vote, Liljenquist says, has nothing to do with the title chairman or seniority, but has to do with turning around country, which Liljenquist says he has done at Bain. He’ll use every thing he learned at Bain to not just propose things, but actually do them.
11:42 AM Liljenquist will live in Utah, will not serve more than three terms. Will work with Utah legislaure, and will go to them rather than summoning.
11:43 AM Gotta be honest; Liljenquist is easy to blog. These are not long sentences, but short, pointed, and clear. And it’s getting a lot of applause, more than I expected from the buzz on the floor before.
11:44 AM Liljenquist says no one senator is too big too fail. Citing the Hatch record of joining the senate in 1970s and being immediately effective. Talks about a new young generation of senators that he wants to be a part of in Washington.
11:46 AM All in all, Liljenquist made a great speech, and he got a lot of applause.
11:49 AM William Lawrence giving a folksy and rambling speech. Dropping a few names, served in a few positions in Davis County (sheriff, county commissioner). Among the names dropped (Reagan, Hatch), Ted Bundy.
11:51 AM Says that they were able to build a case with the help of Salt Lake County. After all the energy that the audience was giving Dan Liljenquist in the last speech, this is like the opposite side of the moon.
11:52 AM Lawrence finished by dropping Spencer W. Kimball’s name.
11:53 AM David Chiu, who also ran in 2010, is speaking. He starts off by asking who has lived abroad.
11:55 AM Chiu just said “I come from a long line of fugitives.” Random. Last thing I would expect to come up in a speech, but, heck, why not? Also, Chiu has mentioned his support for Mitt Romney and how his contrast to Romney will boost Romney’s campaign. Odd. Also, his son is a missionary and a marine.
11: 58 AM Chiu ends with “I am David Y. Chiu. Choose more.”
11;59 AM Chris Herrod starts with Huey Lewis and the News playing.
12:00 PM Former Russian, sounds like Herrod’s wife, is introducing Chris Herrod now.
12:02 PM Herrod says that once in every generation there is an election that defines a generation, and this is that election. Says most proud day was when he put his hand to the square and took an oath.
12:03 PM Time for the silent majority to stop being silent. Herrod one of the founding members of the Patrick Henry caucus. Says he has been perceived as ultraconservative or radical. But everyone is talking about the issues he has proposed. He’s actually done something on lands issues and Obamacare, he says.
12:06 PM Video of Mitt Romney introduces Orrin Hatch and asks for support. Warm and fuzzy music playing. Orrin on the stage alone. Lots of applause.
12:07 PM Hatch says he has never let us down and he never will. This will be his last six years, and the most critical six years of all. The lady behind me is saying “yes” for everything he says (and “woo-hoo!”).
12:09 PM Hatch says he has proven his worth before, putting conservative judges on the court. As chairman of the finance committee, he will make difference that matter. Will have ability to put the BBA on the floor to force every senator to vote for it.
12:10 PM Will fight for our land. It’s our state, it’s our land, and we should control it. Will make sure that Hill Air Force Base stays open permanently.
12:11 PM Hatch says he’s a tough old bird, and asks for the vote one more time. Voice cracks a little bit while closing, and lots of standing applause.
12:12 PM And back to Thomas Wright for credentials report. 3921 delegates here today. 79 did not make it, statewide.
12:18 PM Wright’s video is explaining how the elimination of candidates will occur. Says delegates must think about who is the second choice in case first choices are eliminated.
12:20 PM Wright calls for the poll watchers to go to the poll watching room while “Another One Bites the Dust” plays overhead. Also, because Washington County is sitting so far away from the voting machines, they are having to walk close to the center of the hall to cast their ballots.
12:22 PM Wright says 3900 votes have been cast and calls for the last 21 votes to be cast.
12:55 PM Here’s what happens when I get up. Hatch took 57% and we had a second round between Hatch and Liljenquist, and Wright has closed the polls for the second time. And people are loving this electronic voting.
12:57 PM Next up is the governor’s race. The speeches will start as soon as we have results from the second round of voting.
1:00 PM Results from second round are 40.81 % for Liljenquist and 59.19% for Hatch. Wowsers.
LIVE BLOGGING CONTINUED HERE.
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anyone willing to talk of Caucusgate??
Tell us more. I left early…slightly. Are you referring to the action in the Second Congressional race?