Daily Herald, September 19, 2010
Joe Pyrah

Richard Davis has expended substantial amounts of energy making over the Utah County Democrats.

The party here isn't the same as U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's party, he says, and voters should be made aware of that. But what voters most likely won't be made aware of at first glance is that Davis's candidates are Democrats at all.

On campaign websites, fliers, signs and billboards across the county, Democratic candidates are omitting the fact that they're Democrats at all.

"It's something that they have been urged to do -- to not emphasize party but to talk about themselves as a person," Davis said.

He contends that parties, particularly Republicans, have moved more and more toward ideological extremes. That, in turn, leads to candidates who aren't in step with mainstream voters.

"They think they're getting a garden variety Republican, and instead they're getting an extremist," Davis said.

His Republican counterpart Taylor Oldroyd said party does matter, and Democrats are simply running from a failed label in an attempt to stave off a disastrous November.

"What party you belong to reflects the values that you hold," he said. "The choice is clear between the parties, even here in Utah County. Party and party values are also important because it gives an indication of what type of policies you will pursue."

For example, Oldroyd says, most Democrats support ballot initiatives for ethics reform and drawing of legislative district boundaries, which Oldroyd says is advocating "for a system which empowers unelected persons to make decisions. This deflects responsibility and accountability where it belongs ... with the voter."

Democrats counter that voters are taking responsibility and making changes that Republican lawmakers fail to tackle.

And Democrats aren't exactly running from the party label, Davis says. They talk about why they belong to the party when they're knocking on doors, focusing on things like ethics reform and more funding for education.

Where they're not talking about party affiliation, they are talking about church affiliation.

On the same websites and fliers that exclude party, Democrats are including specific LDS Church service -- from bishops, to stake presidents, to mission presidents.

"Voters want to know whether that person shares their values," Davis said, and in Utah County, the LDS Church is a common connector among many.

The church positions also reflect leadership capabilities, Davis says. Mission presidents oversee complex operations for three years away from home, for example.

Listing specific church positions makes Oldroyd uneasy.