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Comment by dforrestwilson1 | Hacker News Reader

I'm really crossing my fingers for Utah to break away from the Republican Party and swing Libertarian or somewhere else.

Conservatives need a morally defensible party. Democrats need alternative policy proposals to keep them honest. America needs new ideas.

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It's gonna happen, whether it swings to Hillary or one of the 3rd parties. Utah is demographically a Mormon (Latter-day Saint) majority, with a little over 50% of the population claiming to be members. Mormon remnants and culture tend to lean to a more conservative political viewpoint, which is why, historically, Utah has voted for the Republican Party despite many non-Mormons holding liberal views. However, the positions and character of Donald Trump have really ruffled a lot of Mormon voters. I would cite news sources if I weren't on mobile, but both the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune have written about the Mormon's disdain for Trump, in addition to speaking out against him. I think it's highly likely that Trump will not win Utah simply because he does not have the support of the majority of the voters. Disclosure: I am a Utahn and a Mormon.

It's worth noting that Bill Clinton came in 3rd in Utah, twice. It's entirely probably that Utah could go third party, with Libertarian Party a strong contender. As much as I haven't appreciated Gary Johnson's handling of some of the interviews, he's definitely more likable than Trump, and probably a bit smarter than GWB.

I just don't like Trump, and really don't like HRC.

Mormons seem to me a bit like displaced New England puritans. They're currently aligned with the south and evangelicals, but it doesn't look like an alignment that can't change.

The friction with those groups are that Mormons aren't a traditional Christian group, are largely pro-immigration, and are largely sympathetic to Muslims.

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