Seniority matters | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

This is what I have learned so far from the barrage of television campaign ads:

1. We must re-elect Sen. Orrin Hatch. Seniority matters. It's good for Utah.

2. We must not re-elect Rep. Jim Matheson. In his case, seniority does not matter. It's not good for Utah.

3. Both major party candidates for the 4th Congressional District — Republican Mia Love and Democrat Matheson — are simultaneously the Second Coming and the worst thing since the dawn of creation. Either way, both are lying.

All this is confusing. I am researching alternative candidates. We need fresh faces in the U.S. House and Senate.

And that does not include old-school career politicians, like Hatch, nor handpicked, heavily financed candidates of national party committees. Anyone who can't see that Love is nothing more than a puppet for the Republican National Committee is delusional.

As a lifelong Democrat, I struggle with Matheson, but if we re-elect Hatch because seniority matters, then seniority matters regarding Matheson, too.

Kevin M. Sillito

West Valley City