The Election: Why I’m Happy and Sad

Like most things in life, this election is bittersweet. I’m happy Obama won. I’m sad that so many of my friends and family members are, well, not so happy. I’m happy that so many people across this country have brighter hopes for America and for the future. I’m sad for those who think that the [...]

Open Letter to Mitt Romney (Dear Cousin)

Hey Cuz! You don’t know me, but I think we’re fifth cousins or something like that. We’re both descendants from Parley P. Pratt — 2 greats for you, 3 for me. We have lots in common: we’re both active Latter-day Saints, we’ve both graduated from BYU, and we’re both not afraid to change our minds [...]

Playing the “Democrat Card”: Utah County Politics

We’ve heard a lot this campaign season about playing the gender card or race card. But there’s another kind of card-playing that is unique to highly conservative areas, such as Utah County, Utah: playing the “Democrat card.” This is the story of a Utah County Republican who is playing the Democrat card in order to [...]

Obama vs. McCain 2008: Round 14: Education

This is the fourteenth of a weekly series of public forums on TMB. Watch for a new round every Monday. In keeping with the start of a new school year, the topic of this week’s post is on education (I apologize the post is a day late, due to Labor Day). The key similarities and [...]

VP Choices: Biden and … Romney?

I just left the following comment on the McCain vs. Obama VP forum. I’d like to hear what you think about it, but I’ve closed comments on this post and am encouraging you to leave comments on the original VP post instead.

The Power of “R” Ratings: Video Stores and Ballot Boxes

For Latter-day Saints, the letter R can be one of your best friends. It simplifies your decisions at the video store as well as the ballot box: A movie with an R printed on it is bad. Even if you don’t know anything else about the movie, don’t watch it. A movie with any other [...]

LDS First Presidency Encourages Members to Attend Political Caucuses

Today in sacrament meeting my bishop read a letter from the First Presidency encouraging members in Utah to be involved in their precinct’s caucuses this Tuesday (March 25). (I’m uncertain whether similar calls were made to members in other states, but no doubt the same principle of political involvement is at play.) Interestingly, this letter [...]

2008 Headline: Utah Goes for Obama?!?!

Check out this post from NPR’s blog. Also, this amusing post from Council of Fifty.