Some anonymous comments:

Mia was shallow on the issues Mia never got a cohesive campaign team and plan. Mia had an inferior ground game.

Endless attack ads put enough doubts in enough voters' heads that they wanted to stay with their safe incumbent.

Matheson, like Obama, had a better ground game and got his voters to vote. Love was lulled to sleep anticipating the Romney coat tails.

Love's appeal was not broad enough and too conservative, even for voters in Utah. The political landscape of the nation is trending away from the extremes on either end of the spectrum and to more moderation. Love needed to move more to the middle, just as Matheson has done.

I think she was rightly perceived as too far right of center. Matheson is a politician to the core, but is undeniably moderate. The Pelosi scare tactics are becoming less effective.

Mia Love just proved too extreme and too inexperienced for the voters. Crossover voting for McAdams, lower than expected Utah County turnout, and a third party candidate all factored into her loss.

In the course of a year-long campaign, Mia ran through four campaign managers (though they called the last one an 'advisor'), three communications directors, and countless other staffers and consultants. It was a hot mess. And, as the saying goes, the fish stinks from the head.



Mia Love was hugely extreme and poorly informed - a deadly combination. The first words out of her mouth were about destroying some valued government services, like dept of education, social security, pell grants. Her first act was going to get rid of the Black Caucus in the House - amazing naivety. How embarrassing it would have been to all Utahns if she had been sent to Washington.

Not so much that she ran a bad campaign as that she was a bad candidate. She was a mild version of Sarah Palin; an empty suit who couldn't go off script from her simplistic, partisan messages. If she did go off script she sounded uninformed, contradictory, and dare I say, unintelligent.

Mia didn't have the ground game. Matheson had no idea what he was doing and he isn't a "master strategist". He is a numbers guy and saw the numbers, but he had no idea that he was still going to get a 12 point swing. The guy is an Obama-supporting democrat and Utah ignored that. He is Teflon.

The Matheson legacy is still vibrant and alive even in conservative Utah.

In multiple public settings Love demonstrated a lack of depth on the issues.

Mia needed more substance than hanging on Romney's coattails.

People were intrigued with Mia Love initally but as they got to know her better her lack of depth and hubris hurt her and Jim Matheson hasn't performed badly enough to warrant getting fired. Voters are hungry for pragmatic, bi-partisan compromise and the Democrats who won prominent races in Utah embody that ethic.



For seven consectutive elections he has won. Perhaps voters know better than political pundits...

She was a weak candidate compared to Matheson when it came to anything other than ideology and attractiveness. Very low marks for experience, knowledge and past performance.

Campaigning skills aside, Matheson is just the better candidate. That's why he won.

Matheson got out the vote in Salt Lake County portion of district 4, that ground game gave him the edge - even though it was slight.

Matheson was simply the better candidate. He is well-liked and known as a great public servant. Voters were able to see beyond Mia's mudslinging and partisan rhetoric.

Mia Love was not yet ready for prime time politics. She would have had a better chance had she served as member of the Utah house of Representatives or Senate prior to this congressional race. 

I vote all of the above. The Mitt Wave obviously didn't crest high enough, both campaigns really degraded themselves through negativity and Matheson ran a better campaign.

I heard from many "non-political" voters that the anti-Matheson ads seemed "mean-spirited" but the anti-Love ads seemed "factual" (maybe it was the hearts and lively music - either way kudos to Matheson's ad agency for striking the right balance.

Mia was a rookie, Matheson was a seasoned veteran.

Mia Love should have tried to turn-off the outside attack ads and also should have attacked on the basis that Matheson does not live within the district. She also let Matheson put her "into a box" which is what she said would not happen.

I am one Democrat who thought Matheson was done this time. Credit where it's due: He is a survivor.

Love should have remembered that you need to go local to national, not the reverse. More time on KSL than FNC next time.

Neither side ran a campaign to be proud of (some of the worst from the DNCC and RNCC ), but Jim's distortion of Mia's words and record was an embarrassment. Today he said he just used her words. He dishonestly defined Mia and she failed to define herself. That is why she lost.

Love wrapped herself in the Romney coat-tails every which way but upside down and independent voters grew weary wanting to see her run on her own skills.

Love could have been better prepared to discuss the issues.

No consistent message or vision, due to a lack of staff consistency and experience. In reality, the candidate was ill prepared to address that vision and the Matheson folks took full advantage of re framing her message. She ran to the right during convention (which was correct) but should have tempered her message for the general election.

Love had absolutely no substance and Utah voters aren't stupid.

Love did to Matheson what Corroon did to Herbert in 2010; she let east coast political operatives run her campaign and ignored the unique nature of politics in Utah. This turned off voters and cost her the election.

Thomas Wright and the Republican legislature drew a 4th district in which no Republican could beat Matheson. They were shown the numbers and decided to ignore them. This loss is on them. And Mia was not ready.

Some anonymous comments:

I suppose they'll run Josh Romney against Jim next time. Jim will still win.

Jim is a very good politician and eventually someone will figure out a way to tell his story to voters in a way that shows how he is a true Democrat.

Utah won't get DC help again. We just have to wait him out now.

An infinite number of monkeys playing with an infinite number of typewriters will write an infinite number of Shakespearian plays. As for the Republicans, there is no infinity.

I will always vote for Matheson because of the way Republicans handle redistricting. They abuse their power.

The efforts of the Utah legislature to redistrict their party into a permanent majority are resented by many Utah independents, not just by Democrats. Moreover, the seeming inevitability of electing Republicans has and will continue to decrease the motivation for Republican voters to come to the polls - with this year being an exception because of Mitt.Matheson is a moderate and many Utahs are more moderate than they have been in the past. This is due in part to some recent moderate stances by the LDS church (immigration, alcohol policy for example) in my opinion - and I am one of the most conservative Republicans in our state legislature.

Matheson ran a better campaign, but no politician is invincible.

Jim Matheson will always scratch out a win... He has name and Utah "family" recognition -- and most important, he can win in Utah -- one of the the reddest states -- because he is a Democrat in name only.

Simple formula: good candidate with a good campaign. Love lacked both. Philpot, Swallow and Christensen lacked one or the other.

I'm a Republican and I say give it up. If it didn't happen this year, why would it any other year?

It's another 10 years until the next redistricting has an effect, and by then, he will have likely moved on to another elected position or retired gracefully to some lucrative private-sector position.

Jim is back in the driver's seat. The more important question is what are his plans in 2016? He could win a statewide race unlike any other Democrat in the State.

This was a perfect storm and should have doomed Matheson's chances. If Republicans couldn't get rid of him this year, of all years (with an unpopular (in Utah) Democratic president, a new district, historic low approval of congress and Mitt Romney on the ballot) Jim is in for life.

Look out. He will win a statewide race soon...

Utah is tired of the anti-Jim gerrymandering.

Democrats don't really like him because he's barely a Democrat. Republicans tolerate him. If they found a Republican candidate not as extreme as Love, he could lose. Of course, maybe if Dems found a candidate a little less conservative, and strong enough to stand up to the Republican.

Once the Utah Republican party starts to move towards a more moderate position and away from extremist politics, they would have a good shot at this seat.

Matheson is now officially the kevlar politician. As a Republican, I hope that he never decides to run for Governor.

It depends on the next cycle. Right now Matheson look beatable, but if he gets through again next time, the seat is his as long as he wants it.

The efforts of the Utah legislature to redistrict their party into a permanent majority are resented by many Utah independents, not just by Democrats. Moreover, the seeming inevitability of electing Republicans has and will continue to decrease the motivation for Republican voters to come to the polls - with this year being an exception because of Mitt.

He is too strong now, the GOP took every shot possible at him and he survived. There is little left to attack him on going forward.

It depends upon Representative Matheson's performance in Congress. If he continues to strike a moderate, center-right position, he will continue to be very difficult to unseat.

Matheson's lap dogs at the Tribune, D-News and KSL will make sure that voters hear nothing negative about Matheson.

Matheson is Ted Kennedy and will be there until he dies. He will not risk it to run for senate or governor. He has watched too many of his comrades fall on their own swords on the front lines. The GOP needs to focus on getting him to switch parties instead of defeating him. Its a waste of resources as this election clearly demonstrated.

Could happen, if someone like Mitt moves to the district and decides to run. Matheson is a tough campaigner and everyone is wise to the lengths the Republicans go to,in their efforts to get rid of him. It reminds me a lot of "Caddyshack" and the gophers.

A stronger candidate than Love could definitely be a threat in the future.

They will keep trying no matter how silly they look doing it.

 

---

Respondents include - 

Fred Adams, Stuart Adams, Jess Agraz, Scott Anderson, Laura Arellano, Patrice Arent, Bette Arial, Neil Ashdown, Bruce Baird, Tom Barberi, Heather Barney, Steve Barth, Jeff Bell, Tom Berggren, Mike Bertelsen, Ron Bigelow, Emily Bingham-Hollingshead, Rob Bishop, Laura Black, Nanci Bockelie, Charles Bradley, Jim Bradley, Ralph Brown, Chris Bleak, Curt Bramble, Joel Briscoe, Ralph Brown, Aaron Browning, Ken Bullock, Ric Cantrell, Maura Carabello, Marty Carpenter, Rebecca Chavez-Houck, Kay Christensen, David Clark, Kim Coleman, Peter Corroon, Tim Cosgrove, Fred Cox, Lew Cramer, Gene Davis, Richard Davis, Brad Daw, Alan Dayton, Margaret Dayton, Mike Deaver, Brad, Dee, Joseph Demma, Jake Dennis, Dan Deuel, Jeff Dixon, Brian Doughty, Carl Downing, Randy Dryer, Susan Duckworth, Donald Dunn, Alan Eastman, Becky Edwards, Scott Ericson, Chase Everton, Jessica Fawson, Janice Fisher, Wendy Fisher, Lorie Fowlke, Ronald Fox, Claire Francis, Ryan Frandsen, Adam Gardiner, Jordan Garn, Ernie Gamonal, Luke Garrott, Dave Gessel, Sheryl Ginsberg, Natalie Gochnour, Robert Grow, Karen Hale, David Hansen, Neil Hansen, Joe Hatch, Jeff Hartley, Dan Hauser, Lynn Hemmingway, Deidre Henderson, Neal Hendrickson, Casey Hill, Lyle Hillyard, Kory Holdaway, Randy Horiuchi, Ben Horsley, Bruce Hough, Scott Howell, Greg Hughes, Miriam Hyde, Allison Isom, Casey Jackson, Eric Jergensen, Mike Jerman, Jonathan Johnson, Michael Jolley, Gordon Jones, Leslie Jones, Pat Jones, Kirk Jowers, Jeremy Keele, Brian King, Scott Konopasek, Steve Kroes, Chris Kyler, Carter Livingston, Fred Lampropoulos, Clark Larsen, Douglas Larson, David Litvack, Larry Lunt, Matt Lyon, Ben McAdams, Daniel McCay, Gayle McKeachnie, JT Martin, Maryann Martindale, Jason Mathis, Bob Mayhew, Karen Mayne, Bret Milburn, Derek Miller, Rob Miller, Ethan Millard, Brett Millburn, Karen Morgan, Jeffery Morton, Mike Mower, Holly Mullen, Wayne Niederhauser, Mike Noel, Randy O'Hara, Ralph Okerlund, James Olsen, Val Oveson, Kelly Patterson, John Pearce, Helen Peters, Karen Peterson, Frank Pignanelli, Becky Pirente, Marie Poulson, Jason Powers, Tami Pyfer, Joe Pyrah, Mike Reberg, Jill Remington Love, Lauren Richards, Holly Richardson, Robin Riggs, James Roberts, Luz Robles, Ross Romero, Carol Sapp, Don Savage, Bryan Schott, Shauna Scott-Bellaccomo, Jay Seegmiller, Jennifer Seelig, Patrick Shea, Randy Shumway, Soren Simonsen, Jeremy Slaughter, Brendan Smith, Brian Somers, Carol Spackman-Moss, Robert Spendlove, Barbara Stallone, Howard Stephenson, David Stringfellow, Mike Styler, Shinika Sykes, Juliette Tennert, Gary Thorup, Kevin Van Tassell, Royce Van Tassel, Doug Thompson, Michael Waddoups, Laura Warburton, Chuck Warren, Christine Watkins, LaVarr Webb, Todd Weiler, Alan West, Mark Wheatley, Larry Wiley, Ted Wilson, Carl Wimmer, Mike Winder, Travis Wood, Thomas Wright, Crystal Young-Otterstrom

Results from the UtahPolicy.com/KSL Insider poll can be heard on KSL Radio every Friday and are published on Utah Policy.com every Monday.