# The tale of Mia Love **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 23, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907 "2012-11-23T16:27:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/1 "2012-11-23T16:27:25Z")
Remember [Mia Love](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mia_Love)? She the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, a city of about 17,000 people. She became well known this past election cycle when she was the Republican challenger for a House seat and was called a rising star by many after her [speech at the RNC](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4BM_B0PTvM). She was anointed as a rising star for the party after her speech. She was also a Mormon in Utah, running as a Republican the same year the Presidential ticket featured a Mormon. Many expected her to become the first black woman Republican in Congress. She had all of this momentum was the (R) candidate in a year where Romney won the state by the insane score of 73% to Obama’s 25% (a spread of 48 points, by far the largest margin of victory for any state for Romney and a larger spread than Obama got in any state at all, even his home state of Hawaii). Yet… She lost. It was a close race, but she lost. A Republican Mormon in Utah with a sparking national profile somehow lost the election where the Mormon Republican candidate for President won by nearly 50 points. How the hell did this happen? Okay, I’ll just come out and say it: Can it be anything other than either sexism or racism or both? Any Mormon above the age of 45 spent with a decent chunk of their lives in a church that would not put a black man in charge and still won’t put a white woman in charge. You really think these people didn’t have second thoughts about putting a black woman in charge of representing them in Congress? I await any other explanation that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/2 "2012-11-23T16:44:09Z")
There could be a grain of truth to that, and not trying to apologize for it, but… Her opponent was a well known incumbent and plus, she just seems plain weird. She seems to be a certain type of immigrant that one meets once in a while, who thinks that the quickest way to become a “real American” is to embrace the wackiest right-wing stuff they can find. It just reeks of insecurity. It’s not such a freak occurrence either. Montana is as red as it gets and they just elected a female (!) Democratic senator. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/3 "2012-11-23T16:48:35Z")
Yeah, the guy who beat her was a 6-term Congressman. It was a newly created district, and I don’t know what the demographics are, but it looks to be more urban than the former 2nd district (where the Democrat who beat her had been elected before). Ultimately, she lost (presumably) partly because of the Libertarian candidate got a few thousand votes, and that was just enough to tip the balance. About half the voters voted for her, so if you want to make a case of racism, it would seem to be a minority of the voters reacting that way. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/4 "2012-11-23T17:00:31Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Her opponent was a well known incumbent and plus, she just seems plain weird. She seems to be a certain type of immigrant that one meets once in a while, who thinks that the quickest way to become a “real American” is to embrace the wackiest right-wing stuff they can find. It just reeks of insecurity. How would that be “weird” to those who are right wing? I mean, look at the other three Utah House seats: > [@](#): > > **Republicans sweep three House races in Utah** > > The hardest fought of the three races was in the 2nd Congressional District, where Republican Chris Stewart easily won, capturing 62 percent of the vote over Democrat Jay Seegmiller, who was holding on to 34 percent support with 100 percent of the precincts reporting. > > This was the first run for public office by Stewart, a consultant, pilot and author whose books on American exceptionalism have been promoted nationally by right-wing media personality Glenn Beck. > > In the 1st District, with 98 percent of precincts reporting, Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, was headed to a sixth term, holding a 71 percent to 25 percent lead over Democratic challenger Donna McAleer, who waged a tough campaign and even out-fundraised the veteran politician since July. > > Bishop said he was grateful the election was over and that Utah was spared the majority of controversial advertisements. > > He was “still hoping for a miracle” in the presidential race and said, “I’m still convinced the solution to our problem is with Federalism.” > > In the 3rd District, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, led Salt Lake City Councilman Søren Simonsen, 76 percent to 24 percent, with close to 100 percent of precincts reporting. Chaffetz spent much of the past year campaigning not for himself, but for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. > > [Deseret News](http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865566211/Republicans-sweeping-three-House-races-in-Utah.html?pg=1) So I don’t see much evidence that Utah voters would be put off by “weird” right wing views. I do see that they might be put off with “immigrant,” however. Especially since the one candidate whose views aren’t mentioned in the above story, Jason Chaffetz, “channeled conservative discontent on issues like immigration to handily defeat then-Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) in a June 2008 GOP primary.” > [@](#): > > Montana is as red as it gets and they just elected a female (!) Democratic senator. Montana has a Democratic governor, Jon Tester just won his fourth term in the Senate and Max Baucus has been there forever. Montana may be red for the Presidential elections but the state is quite mixed in just about every other race, the same of which cannot be said about Utah as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/5 "2012-11-23T17:09:53Z")
BTW, Matheson, the guy who beat her in the election, is also a Mormon. So, it would seem that Mormon-ness wasn’t an issue in Ms. Love’s favor. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/6 "2012-11-23T17:13:01Z")
An immigrant who suddenly decides to go to Utah and become a conservative Mormon as an adult would get a :dubious: response from a lot of people … what the heck are they up to? It _is_ weird. I wasn’t referring to her stated views, which are typical for Utah as you said. Granted on Montana but I’m sure there are other examples… Indiana perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/7 "2012-11-23T17:13:28Z")
Being a Mormon was, itself, a wash. Being an incumbent might have helped but he was an incumbent in a different district which would mitigate that. All things are not equal, true, but Love had a hell of a lot more things unequal that should have favored her than not. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/8 "2012-11-23T17:26:58Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Being a Mormon was, itself, a wash. Being an incumbent might have helped but he was an incumbent in a different district which would mitigate that. How much of the new, 4th district was part of the district he had won in the past? Looks like the 4th contains parts of two very different counties-- Utah and Salt Lake. The former is heavily Republican, but the latter is more mixed. It went for Romney in 2012, but for Obama in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/9 "2012-11-23T17:28:04Z")
Yes, and… > [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > All things are not equal, true, but Love had a hell of a lot more things unequal that should have favored her than not. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/10 "2012-11-23T17:32:06Z")
Take a lesson, Mia Love: You don’t run for public office under your porn name. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/11 "2012-11-23T17:35:56Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Yes, and… Meh. You cherry picked a bunch of things to make it looks so. She was running against a well established political figure in Utah, and she only recently moved there. She’s from New Fucking York City, fer Christ’s sake. Her opponent was a Utah native son, born in Salt Lake City. His father was GOVERNOR OF UTAH. He had already won multiple elections to Congress in a heavily Republican district. There was a “spoiler” Libertarian candidate who was able to just tip the balance in favor of the Democrat. See, I can cherry-pick, too. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/12 "2012-11-23T17:37:56Z")
Yes, and… > [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > All things are not equal, true, but Love had a hell of a lot more things unequal that should have favored her than not. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/13 "2012-11-23T17:44:10Z")
And this one is silly: > [@John\_Mace](#): > > There was a “spoiler” Libertarian candidate who was able to just tip the balance in favor of the Democrat. Even if the Libertarian candidate did cost her votes and maybe the election, how come no other election in the state was even close? You can cherry pick, but some cherries are unripe and sour. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/14 "2012-11-23T17:49:10Z")
And another one… > [@John\_Mace](#): > > she only recently moved there. From the Wiki page I already linked: > [@](#): > > In 1998 shortly after graduating from college Mia Love joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly afterward as part of her job as a flight attendant she relocated to Utah to be closer to the temple and to learn more about her faith. So if you consider a dozen years “recent,” I guess that’s accurate… Those cherries make for lousy pie. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/15 "2012-11-23T17:54:35Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Take a lesson, Mia Love: You don’t run for public office under your porn name. Mormon porn is a dark screen with the sounds of magic underwear fabric rustling. I’ve got some on my iPod. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/16 "2012-11-23T17:56:56Z")
A Google Image Search for [Mormon Porn](https://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=911&q=mormon+porn) is quite amusing… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/17 "2012-11-23T18:00:56Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > All things are not equal, true, but Love had a hell of a lot more things unequal that should have favored her than not. What was in her favor? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/18 "2012-11-23T18:01:13Z")
What accounted for Matheson’s 5 previous wins against Republicans? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/19 "2012-11-23T18:05:16Z")
That’s the only think he had in his favor - he was an incumbent. In another district, which mitigates that somewhat, one would think. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907/20 "2012-11-23T18:07:21Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > What was in her favor? Um, everything else? Read the OP and get back to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tale-of-mia-love/641907.md?page=2)