“Many of the naysayers out there said that Utah would never elect a black, Republican, LDS woman to Congress. Not only did we do it, we were the first to do it,” Mia Love told her supporters. Then later in a CNN interview, reporters John Berman and Michaela Pereira wanted to make her election a statement about race and gender, but Love was having none of it.
Love said, “First of all, I think what we need to mention here is this had nothing to do with race. Understand that Utahns have made a statement that they’re not interested in dividing Americans based on race or gender, that they want to make sure that they’re electing people who are honest and who have integrity, who can … make sure that we represent the values that they hold dear and that’s what really made history here. It’s that race, gender had nothing to do with it. Principles had everything to do with it, and Utah values had everything to do with it. And so that’s the history that we made here.”
Pereira tried to push the race card farther and Love made it clear that her town of Saratoga Springs, Utah, has few African Americans and that “I wasn’t elected because of the color of my skin. I wasn’t elected because of my gender. I was elected because of the solutions I put on the table.”
A Washington Post blogger called that baffling. I call it refreshing.
Harold RustNovember 11, 2014
I live in Oregon but rejoice when Utah shows great politics. Fortunately for me, most of the Oregonians I see and work with would quickly approve of Mia's comments, but much of the Portland area would not understand it because they can't grasp what it means to be normal and focused on ideas rather than weirdness. Thanks to Mia and all those who voted for her in the spirit of unity and not disunity.
Charles WaltonNovember 11, 2014
We need you to represent the 6th District of South Carolina. You are a classy lady and will be an asset to the U S Congress.