Cox says the Republican Party must abandon the “false controversies” and start focusing on the issues that affect everyday Americans.
(Francisco Kjolseth | Tribune Archive Photo) Governor Spencer Cox has media availability at the Salt Lake City Capitol on March 5, 2021, during the last day of the 2021 Utah legislature general session.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said the “false controversies” caught by Republicans are preventing the party from pushing for conservative policy solutions.
During an interview on the “Matt Lewis and the News” podcast, Cox explained that the constant cultural wars happily driven by many in his party are nothing more than a distraction from the real issues that should play a more prominent role in political consciousness. . right.
“There’s more to being a conservative than just ‘owning the libs,'” Cox said. “I believe in a Republican party and a conservatism that’s an opportunity for everyone. We don’t do it with these false controversies, these false choices that we continue to present.” to the people “.
Cox was concerned about the current state of the Republican Party, saying its leaders have “lost their way” and have not responded to what is happening to everyday Americans.
“There’s not a lot of interesting political work on the right. It looks like we’ve just defined ourselves as opposed to what the left is doing,” he said. Cox also considered the $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package approved by Congress Wednesday, saying he has many concerns about some of the bill’s provisions and the large amount of money the government is spending. Cox says many of those who have problems with the bill have little room to criticize why the party ceded the high moral ground for government generosity during the four years of the Trump administration.
“We spent money like drunken sailors, and then it surprises us when the other team spends money like that. These are the conversations we should have, but unfortunately we spend more time with Dr. Seuss. But that matters and has long-term implications, “Cox lamented.
The discussion also focused on HR1, the massive voting and ethical reform package approved by the House this week. The package aims to expand access to voting by requiring states to allow all voters the option to vote by mail, a system that Utah has had great success with for years. Former President Donald Trump and his allies alleged, without evidence, that the shift to postal voting in many states due to the pandemic was fraught with fraud. Trump and others also made baseless claims that the election was stolen from the Republican Party candidate.
Cox said there are some legitimate concerns about email voting, which Utah progressively practiced for several years that dispelled fears about the reliability of the system. But, he said these criticisms were drowned out by other fantastic conspiracy theories.
“I don’t think it’s advisable to implement a mail-in voting system in a few weeks, and those are legitimate concerns,” Cox said. “Now, all the madness of the machines that change votes and that the trucks carry ballots and dump them at night. None of this happened. Still, it is mixing with the truth. That’s where I feel very frustrated. “
The extensive conversation also addressed several other topics.
Utah mask lift lifted on April 10
“There’s been a lot of debate about whether it’s too early or too late. Probably a little too soon. We’d love to give our people a chance to get vaccinated, but we’ll be very close. By mid-May, everyone should ‘to be completely vaccinated or close to him’.
How the state’s LDS population responded to the pandemic
“If I am honest, there will probably be some disappointment, even among Church leaders. And I was specifically told that they have been disappointed with some of the answers that have come up. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints needed masks before the state ordained it, and this meant a huge setback.
“I hate judging anyone, any group or any religion for the way they respond to something that happens once every 100 years. Global pandemics often bring out the worst in us. It’s been a tough time, and I don’t hold that against anyone. But I think overall, the people of Utah would probably tell you that maybe I was a little disappointed with the kind of attention we showed our neighbors.
“When it comes to health, there is still a distrust of the government, which is understandable and historic in our nature from a religion that was expelled from Missouri and our homes were burned and the “People were far away. But there’s also a bit of mistrust in science around this kind of thing. Everyone is trying to figure it out and I’m trying to be funny enough for those who disagree on both sides.” .
Work with the democratic minority of the state
“I think the Democrats will tell you that I collaborate a lot and that I work hard to listen and learn to understand. During the legislative session, I met weekly with Democratic state leaders. But I’m still a conservative Republican. I don’t apologize for that and make decisions based on that basic philosophy. There are many times that our interests overlap and most of the time we want the same thing. I still don’t think I or my party have cornered the market with all the good ideas. If our philosophy is that we do the right thing and achieve good things, there is often room for commitment and to work together. “