Cushman: Why I’ll Never Vote for Mike Lee
January 1, 2021
While browsing my Twitter feed recently, I happened upon #HumansAgainstMikeLee, a tag full of tweets expressing frustration with Utah Sen. Mike Lee. Though I consider myself well-informed about Utah politics, I discovered news about and quotes from Lee that prompted me to seriously consider who represents me. Lee has a history of spreading ignorance, ignoring the values of his constituency and acting out of partisanship. After re-examining his history as our senator, I know I will never cast my ballot for Lee.
Ignorance
Lee is one of Utah’s six federal representatives, a position that demands responsibility and integrity. Instead, Lee has repeatedly said and done ignorant things, even spreading falsehoods that could directly harm Utahns. Speaking about the climate crisis, a serious public health problem as we move forward, Lee has said that “the solution to climate change is… to fall in love, get married, and have some kids.” I can respect politicians who disagree with me, even on issues I take seriously, but I have a hard time respecting politicians who cannot provide a meaningful answer about how they would use their platform to address these kinds of pressing problems.
Lee’s careless attitude about mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic also spreads a dangerous message to Utahns, implying that masks are optional and that disease is not a serious threat. Meanwhile, Utah hospitals are struggling to bear the burden of the coronavirus, with 85% of hospital beds full. Lee has been seen maskless at a number of events, even within two weeks of testing positive for the virus. As our senator, Lee has an obligation to send accurate, helpful messages about public safety to his constituents, but he will not even observe the safety protocols established by public health organizations. That kind of carelessness makes Utah look bad to the rest of the country and sets a bad example for Utahns, many of whom are already reluctant to mask up.
Poor Representation
Utah is widely known as a religious, deep red state — but from the inside, things aren’t so cut and dry. We are a conservative state that has fought for the rights of immigrants and stood up for the LGBTQ community. While 54% of adults in Utah are Republican, 30% lean left or self-identify as Democrats. There’s even variation among Utah Republicans, with many struggling to support Donald Trump. This isn’t a strictly heterogeneous state, but a community with diverse opinions and a lot of compassion.
Looking at Utah from that perspective, it is hard to understand why Lee chooses to represent us the way he does. He has failed time and time again to exemplify the compassionate conservatism Utah is known for. Recently, for example, Lee was the lone vote against a bill that intended to get disability benefits to those suffering from ALS more quickly. He made headlines when he blocked legislation that would have established Smithsonian museums for Latinos and women. Despite broad support for more stimulus checks, with 70% of Americans in favor, Lee was one of only six senators to vote against the COVID-19 relief bill that would have provided more stimulus money to his constituents.
As one of our state’s two senators, Lee’s job is to represent all of Utah, from blue Salt Lake to red Utah County. Despite this, he consistently uses his voice in the Senate to vote in the spirit of the Republican party — and, worse, of Trumpism and self-interest — rather than in the spirit of Utahns.
The Worst Example of Partisanship
What I find most offensive about Lee, however, is his hypocrisy. When he blocked the bill that would have created Smithsonian museums for groups whose histories have been widely ignored, he justified it by saying that he did not want to “further divide an already divided nation.” But telling the histories of two marginalized groups is not divisive. It is divisive to vote against this and other bills with widespread bipartisan support, including the COVID-19 relief bill in favor of siding with the president. It is divisive to defend the president’s baseless election fraud claims and undermine our nation’s electoral system because your candidate lost. It is incredibly frustrating to see compassion and bipartisanship in our community and then to watch one of our senators consistently use the platform Utahns gave him to further the divisions within our nation and state.
I don’t hate Lee for being more conservative than I am. I am frustrated at the lack of integrity he has demonstrated while representing me and my state. He is a bad example to Utahns and a poor reflection to the rest of the country of what Utah stands for. After everything he’s done in his ten years as our senator, there is nothing he could do to win my vote.
Meyer Odette • Sep 9, 2024 at 2:25 am
I am a CALS of my 68 year old Husband who suffered from muscle tiredness brought on by chronic fatigue in its early stages. Neurologists first had difficulty diagnosing it until multiple examinations indicated ALS, for which there was no known cure other than the prescription of riluzole medications, vitamins, and therapies. More advancements in breathing difficulties, difficulty pronouncing words, and difficulties eating occurred before we made the decision to try different medications, which significantly enhanced his condition. He received treatment for ALS/MND at vinehealthcentre. com from the U.S approximately four months ago; since then, he has stopped using a feeding tube, sleeps well, works out frequently, and has become very active. Although it doesn’t cure his ALS, it has improved his quality of life. .
J Wilkes • Oct 24, 2022 at 5:30 am
Smithsonian museums for what ever?
Baloney!!
Well Done … Mike Lee
Aaron • Aug 13, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Mike Lee is not a conservative or what I would call a Republican. He is a Trumpublican. He has zero desire for the nation to move forward and would rather have the country fail than let the current administration succeed at anything. He wasn’t elected to be a road block for the country. He is a master of gaslighting too. He votes against anything the Democrats bring saying he doesn’t have time to read it yet when Republicans controlled the House and Senate he passed anything he could without reading it
Walter • Feb 23, 2021 at 11:40 am
Thank you a open minded piece. We Republicans need to look at our party values and how they impact America! We should not be a moth piece for Donald Trump. On election fraud that point is laughable.
Craig • Feb 14, 2021 at 8:51 am
I will NOT vote for Senator Lee, he does not represent me, or my values. To the person who responded about supporting Donald Trump and his accomplishments. I agree that there were some things that President Trump did that had some positive results, but that does not mean I support him.
The question that was addressed was what about Senator Lee. How President Trump came up is anyone’s guess. And I am concerned about the actions of President Biden.
I do NOT support him or his agenda.
Robert D Wilson • Jan 4, 2021 at 9:01 am
KC Ellen Cushman, thank you! I couldn’t agree with you more. I am a life-long Republican and voted for Mike Lee, but his blatant partisanship and what seems to me to be a clear lack of integrity have been very very disappointing and I can’t see any way he could possibly win my support again.
Lynn • Jan 4, 2021 at 8:56 am
If you look at a Senator on those items you just mentioned you are extremely bias. MIKE LEE is one of the best Senators in Congress. He abides by the Constitution. And if you don’t believe that there was fraud in this election than you need to get your head out of the sand and read all the sworn affidavits that have been presented. I don’t care if Trump lost or won but I DO CARE if there was fraud in the election. And, too, if you haven’t looked up ALL that Trump has done for this country, you should, especially for getting the Covid vaccine out so quickly. You seem to be a Biden supporter so I hope you have read the Biden/ Sanders “Communist Manifesto” which is taken right out of the “Marxist Manifesto”. Study your history on your own and not what’s being taught in your college classes. Lastly- the stimulus proposition was giving more money to countries outside of the US than to the businesses that are going out of business here in our own country. The Dems wanted money to get States that have run their States incorrectly which has nothing to do with the virus. And hospitals are full of people who have COPD not COVID but everything is blamed on COVID because hospitals get more money for COVID deaths. And masks or no masks is our choice as a citizen. Lee is representing our country which is his job as a Senator.
Aaron • Apr 11, 2022 at 5:36 pm
This did not age well.
John Hedberg • Aug 31, 2022 at 8:34 am
Actually, it did!
Big story:
1. Different media companies (New York Times, WaPo, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) are now admitting they deliberately suppressed the “Hunter Biden Laptop Story” in October 2020, because they were afraid it would swing the election to Donald Trump. The laptop has been confirmed to contain evidence of foreign interests making payments to the Biden family, apparently bribes for future favor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2WQjiU-P5s
Mark Zuckerberg, head of Facebook, also said on air this last week that the FBI asked Facebook to suppress any surprise stories like the laptop story, calling them “Russian misinformation”. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe (he was Director in 2020) then came out and said on air that there were no intelligence reports at the time indicating the Russians were doing this, meaning the FBI lied to media companies in an attempt to change the 2020 election in favor of Joe Biden.
2. Polls of Joe Biden voters in 2020 taken after the election show that 16% of Joe Biden voters would have voted differently if they’d known about the story, but since the media deliberately silenced it (at the request of the FBI), no one knew.
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2020/nov/26/cooper-biden-voters/
Since Joe Biden won at least 6 states by less than 5%, that means that Donald Trump would have won, if the FBI and Democrat media hadn’t deliberately interfered and undermined democracy using authoritarian censorship, contrary to the 1st Amendment.
They cheated.
So, the election may have been technically legal, but if it had been free, fair, and honest, 16% of Democrat voters would have elected Donald Trump instead.
The question is, if the FBI and partisan media are willing to cheat to this degree, are we, as a country, now in hot water (deep trouble)?
Best, with Love,
J Hedberg
Karla Hansen • Jan 1, 2021 at 2:44 pm
Thank you for writing this piece. I agree with you completely. I am disgusted with him and his antics.