Comments on: Sen. Obama cancels Utah Appearance to Respect President Hinckley’s Funeral

By: Michelle Obama meets with Elders Ballard and Cook · A Soft Answer

Michelle Obama meets with Elders Ballard and Cook · A Soft Answer — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:02:59 +0000

[...] Obama’s Saturday Utah visit may have been thwarted due to President Hinckley’s funeral, but the Obama campaign has not given up on Utah. Michele Obama met today with Elders Ballard and [...]

By: Doc

Doc — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:46:36 +0000

He also impressed this Mormon independant.

By: Nick Literski

Nick Literski — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:01:02 +0000

Thanks, David and Michael. Sorry I seem to have read your intent wrong.

By: David H. Sundwall

David H. Sundwall — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:19:27 +0000

As Michael says Obama clearly intended to vist Utah. In fact there have been several stories on how much attention Obama has paid to the state, somewhat surprisingly. He recently opened a second campaign office there.

My guess is that Obama thinks there is not much Clinton love in Utah (Bill came in 3rd in 1992) even among Democrats and he can capitalize on that as he can’t take any delegates for granted.

By: David H. Sundwall

David H. Sundwall — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:16:49 +0000

Or what Michael said.

By: David H. Sundwall

David H. Sundwall — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:15:48 +0000

Nick,

I agree with you. I’m sorry I wasn’t more clear. That’s why I added the first comment by which I meant that even non-Democrat Mormons could be impressed.

I think its smart politics but I was just plain impressed that he called President Monson.

I don’t share Obama’s politics but like I said, it was a classy move. I wasn’t trying to be cynical, but just making a purely political observation that it also was to his advantage considering the circumstances.

Sometimes good politics and good manners can coincide, if all too rarely.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:12:53 +0000

Nick, he obviously intended to visit Utah. I am certainly not suggesting otherwise. I certainly didn’t accuse him of not being classy either, just agreed with David.
Instead, the current situation conveniently allows him to get probably as many points as he would have gotten for showing up plus additional points for his sensitive stance, without actually having to show up. We can also safely assume that he will not be taking in the funeral on BYUTV, and will be using that time in other campaigning efforts. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does show that he is being “classy but [probably] also clever.”
For all my disagreements with Obama, he does seem like a decent and classy human being, but if this was Hillary … I would be tempted to leave it at clever.

By: Nick Literski

Nick Literski — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:42:33 +0000

You know, Obama isn’t my first choice right now, but I think it’s unfortunate to jump to cynical conclusions here. If I’m reading correctly, some are suggesting that he never intended to visit Utah (or at least never wanted to), and just jumped on a convenient excuse in order to move on faster to California. Can’t it just be that he’s a decent human being, who recognizes that it would be in poor taste to hold a campaign event opposite public mourning for an LDS president, in a state which is 72% LDS?

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:50:11 +0000

He likely didn’t move the rally to the Provo Airport, I’m guessing.

By: David H. Sundwall

David H. Sundwall — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:46:58 +0000

The SL Trib today has some very nice letters from non-LDS who fondly looked on GBH.

I think most reasonable people will understand that he didn’t want to conlfict with such a major event.

Who knows where Obama was going to have the rally but I bet it would be in SLC or close to the airport. I went to a Cheney rally for a 2002 congressional race and it was essentially a fly-by where he stopped just long enough to fuel up.