Chaffetz: Bennett may not survive convention fight

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14837871

Washington » Sen. Bob Bennett might not make it out of a convention fight to see a primary election, said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the last Utahn to knock an incumbent member out of Congress.

Chaffetz, a Republican who toppled GOP Rep. Chris Cannon in 2008, said Wednesday he sees a similar environment this election cycle that could cost the three-term GOP senator re-election.

"The conventional wisdom was that Bennett was at least going to get out of convention, but I think that's in serious doubt," Chaffetz said. "Go try to find a Bennett delegate. They're pretty hard to come by."

Bennett faces seven Republican challengers as he heads into the final month before the state convention. The senator needs to get at least 60 percent of the delegate vote at the May 8 GOP state convention to secure the nomination without a primary and more than 40 percent of the vote to make sure he's in that primary.

Chaffetz said in some ways he proved that Utah incumbents are not elected for life and the outcome of his race has given challengers a new sense of what's possible.

"A lot of people were very skeptical about how realistic knocking off an incumbent can be," he said.

Cannon, who is back in the private sector, says there's no doubt the same movement that kept him from a 13th year in Congress has "evolved radically since" the 2008 election and Bennett had better hope GOP delegates are not going to hold him personally responsible for all that's wrong with America.

"The question is do you have angry people or are they people who care about how we govern ourselves?" Cannon said. "For Bennett to succeed, he's going to have to hope they care how we govern ourselves."

Jim Bennett, the senator's son and spokesman, says his father encounters more of the latter when he speaks with delegates.

The senator is spending all his time between now and the convention talking with delegates one on one, Jim Bennett said, and when the senator explains how he differs from his opponents, "we are finding that these delegates return to Senator Bennett as the responsible choice."

Joe Hunter, who ran Cannon's congressional office and his campaign, said the political waters are more toxic this time around but the anger isn't focused on one issue or one person.

"There is actually a greater opportunity for Bennett than there was for Chris Cannon to actually convince some of those delegates," Hunter says. "My gut tells me that they are more open to discussion."

tburr@sltrib.com