Utah GOP chairman talks with Trump about state’s unusual tossup status

[HillOfANight]

http://www.sltrib.com/news/4022055-155/utah-republican-chairman-talks-with-

Trump's 50 state strategy!

Concerned with polls showing Hillary Clinton has a chance to win in one of the most conservative states in the nation, Utah Republican Party Chairman James Evans huddled with Donald Trump in Las Vegas on Saturday.

They talked for half an hour shortly before Trump held a packed rally at the Treasure Island casino, and he vowed to campaign in Utah after the national convention in Cleveland in July.

"He's definitely coming back out," said Evans in an interview after the conversation organized by Trump's son, Don Jr.

[HAnnA MArin County]

The only thing sweeter than seeing the corrupt warmongering neoliberal corporatist plutocratic militartistic harpy hawk winning Utah over the belligerent bigoted buffoon would be seeing her crush Sarah Palin in Alaska. I could die a happy man then. Now if only Trump would pick her as VP.

I guess this whole Utah as a swing state thing is really happening. *cue the notorious Ron Paul .gif*  

[Wisconsin+17]

Officially moving Utah into the "Lean D" column.

[hopper]

Utah Voters don't like Trump's persona I think.

[Wisconsin+17]

Why would they support a liberal New York values democrat?

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Utah Voters don't like Trump's persona I think.

I think that's part of it. They also have a strong cultural memory of what its like to be an unjustly persecuted religious minority, so his Hilter-ish ravings about Muslims don't sit well.

[Zioneer]

lol good luck James Evans, you can't even stop your state party from having an internal civil war over the nomination system, how do you expect to convince Trump of anything?

As for Trump: Mormons, and specifically Utah Mormons hate every aspect of Trump's persona, his stated policies (especially the anti-refugee and religious persecution stuff), and almost everything about him. He's probably the worst fit possible for Utah;  even Barry Goldwater was a better fit, but lost Utah because Utah wasn't as partisan then. Trump very well could lose Utah even in this partisan age.

[Lincoln Republican]

GOP Electoral History now that Utah is lost

1936 As Maine goes so goes Vermont

2016 As Oklahoma goes so goes Wyoming

[politicallefty]

Think about this for just a second: the Republican nominee is being forced to campaign in Utah!

I hope the Clinton campaign is ready to respond with at least a minor investment. Forcing Trump to campaign in Utah is one thing, but I'm just waiting for what he's going to say about Mormons that's going to offend a majority of Utah voters. As I've mentioned before, even a minor Clinton campaign presence could pay off in at least taking UT-04 and helping Democrats win the House. Utah may now indeed be a battleground state, but I'm not even close to declaring victory (although that's not to say I wouldn't love to see Hillary win Utah in November).

With that said, what is Trump going to say or do differently that's going to make Utah voters suddenly warm up to him? From a Clinton campaign perspective, I think she should go to Salt Lake City sometime soon with her grandchildren to a more grandmotherly side. I think she should do that anyway, but I think it could resonate particularly well in Utah. I'd hope any Democratic effort in Utah could lead to future developments for the party down-ballot, but just seeing Utah go Democratic in a presidential election would be a once in a generation event I want to see. I really want to see Hillary win Utah.

[publicunofficial]

Hillary Clinton currently has a greater chance of winning Utah, than the Republican nominee has of winning Wisconsin.

If someone had predicted that a year ago I would have called them stupid or crazy.

[Shadows]

Mormons hate Crooked Hillary & Racist Bigot Trump. Let's see which fraud & lier the Mormons hate more!

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

If TRUMP loses Utah, I'm gonna LOL so hard.

[dspNY]

[Holmes]

Wow, campaigning in Utah is the worst thing Trump can do. The more they see him, the more they hate him. Best he can do is ignore it and hope they don't notice his bigotry and racism.

It'd be great if, with Johnson now investing in Utah (whatever that means for a Libertarian), if Clinton runs ads in the state and Trump comes in third.

[Tender Branson]

If conservative Vorarlberg managed to vote for the leftist Green candidate Van der Bellen by 59-41, after voting for conservative candidate Kurt Waldheim 75-25 in 1986, I can also see Trump losing Utah. Mormons are really pissed-off by his talk and seem to think Clinton is the lesser evil ...

[user12345]

If Trump needs help in Utah.... He's gonna need a lotta help in actual swing states come November.

[Holmes]

If conservative Vorarlberg managed to vote for the leftist Green candidate Van der Bellen by 59-41, after voting for conservative candidate Kurt Waldheim 75-25 in 1986, I can also see Trump losing Utah. Mormons are really pissed-off by his talk and seem to think Clinton is the lesser evil ...

I think so but Utah voters will need to be presented with Clinton if she wants to win the state. Run ads, send surrogates... though I think going to campaign there in person may be a waste of time and time better spent in a swing state.

She could send Sanders, he won the caucus.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Why would they support a liberal New York values democrat?

As opposed to a nazi values republican?

[ElectionsGuy]

I know about the polls right now but labeling Utah as a toss-up is totally inaccurate. Odds are almost all those undecideds and "other" voters will either be sitting out (which we will see very low turnout) or voting for Trump while cringing. He'll end up winning by some underwhelming margin like 15 points but there is no way Hillary Clinton is winning Utah. Either Trump is or Mitt Romney if he somehow runs.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Why would they support a liberal New York values democrat?

As opposed to a nazi values republican?

2edgy4me

[Boston Bread]

Why would they support a liberal New York values democrat?

As opposed to a nazi values republican?

Knowing Ben, I'm guessing that the "liberal New York values democrat" he's talking about is Trump, lol.

[Ebowed]

Of course Trump is flailing in Utah.  The vulgar bigot who worships himself, demonizes religions and threatens to split up families is going to have to work very hard to earn their trust!

[Wisconsin+17]

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That, and the fact he runs strip clubs, is on his 4th marriage. Why would a Mormon vote for him? He literally shares zero values with them.

[RI]

his Hilter-ish ravings about Muslims don't sit well.

Among the Mormons I know, this is the biggest issue. There's a "first they came for the Muslims, then they'll come for us" type mindset going on.

[Zioneer]

his Hilter-ish ravings about Muslims don't sit well.

Among the Mormons I know, this is the biggest issue. There's a "first they came for the Muslims, then they'll come for us" type mindset going on.

Bingo. Considering Mormons are the only religion in the United States that had an Extermination Order levied against us, we're very, very wary of people proposing state sanctioned religious oppression or discrimination. We tend to feel some similarities with American Muslims, and we know that we could be next.

And that's only compounded by Trump being an arrogant, sleazy, bad-mouthed, heartless, adulterer and greedy, and xenophobic demagogue. He gives off a sense of feeling accountable to no one, not even God.

Plus, we have a growing Hispanic Mormon population, and are more and more liberal on immigration these days. Heck, we've had illegal immigrant bishops (who in the Mormon vocabulary are just the leaders of one congregation) deported, and raised a fuss about their deportation.

Oh, and we tend to prefer politicians who are polite, at least seem reasonable, and who don't insult or attack their opponents.

So Trump is honestly the worst fit possible for Mormons, and thus the majority of Utah voters. His persona and campaign are ridiculously unpleasant for Mormons. We preferred Cruz because he at least seemed religious and honest (to conservative Utahns), and most Utahns weren't aware of the darker rumors about him.

I'm a liberal Mormon Democrat, so I'm disgusted by most of the Republicans who ran this year, but even so, Trump was as terrifying to me as he is to the more conservative Utahns.